Chapter 3
KYARA WASN’T SURE WHAT to feel as she got back to her desk.
There was always tons of work to do when you were working for a man like Lyrius Havington.
Honestly, his presence in the company was one of the greatest still-unsolved mysteries in this place.
He was richer than all the members of the board, including their own CEO, who was Cyrus’s father.
And in the three years she had been working here, she had heard and read countless theories, but the one being most talked about was how Lyrius seemed to owe Henry Wallace something, and that was why he was trapped here.
Or so they said.
Frankly, she had never tried coming up with her own theory, and Lara had never talked about it either. Right now, she was just thankful that working for Mr. Havington meant never running out of things to do.
So she worked and she worked and she worked until Lara said it was already five, but all Kyara could manage was a wan smile and to tell her she’d like to work overtime, just so she could enjoy her weekend more.
“That makes total sense,” Lara said approvingly. “I’ll go ahead then. Give me a call if you need anything.”
“I will.” Kyara said it because she knew it was expected, but she didn’t really mean it. She knew Lara was sincere, but growing up as she had, it was still a struggle for her to accept help.
Shayla had also told her to call, text, or drop by her apartment if she needed anything, and she knew Shayla was just as sincere, but it was just so hard to un-learn things. And anyway, it wasn’t like she didn’t have any idea of what her mentor would say.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 was Shayla’s favorite verse.
It was what she had shared with Kyara when she had had this strange whim to visit a church all of a sudden, and that was how she had ended up seated across Shayla on one of the small tables in the welcome center for first-time visitors like her.
That day in church was something Kyara knew she would never forget for the rest of her life.
It was the first time she had felt that she wasn’t alone and afraid like she had been her entire life, but. ..
I know You’re real, God.
But I also know I have to trust You, too.
And I want to, I really do, but it’s just so hard, every time I remember...
Moms were supposed to be responsible, respectable, and rational, and hers...wasn’t.
So how could she believe that God was really who everyone said He was?
She wanted to believe in Him. She wanted to trust Him. And let Him take control. But...she was just so afraid of the unknown that she had to play it safe. She had to stick to what mattered, and right now—
Growl.
What mattered was her stomach grumbling for food, and so she got to her feet, relieved to have something to do.
Hunger was easy to solve. It involved carbs, not feelings.
And their pantry was the best. It was spacious and sparkly clean at all times, the cabinets and fridge were always fully stocked, and the equipment and appliances were all state of the art.
It was her next favorite place in the office, actually, and as she started making herself dinner, she didn’t even notice her tears starting to fall.
She only realized she was crying when the tears fell directly into her soup, but she told herself that was okay because it probably needed more salt anyway, and—
“Why are you still here?”
Kyara didn’t know whether to laugh or cry the moment she heard that voice. Why oh why did her boss have to be the one to see her like this?
Lyrius had been on his way to his office when the light of the pantry caught his attention. And with the door slightly ajar, the next thing he had seen was a lock of sunset-red hair, and he had known right away who it was.
The way she was avoiding his gaze already had his jaw clenching. He had the strongest urge to just haul her into his arms and tell her that whoever it was that had hurt her—that person was done for.
That...was what he wanted to do.
But because he also knew that wasn’t something she would have welcomed, having been so careful all these years to stay loyal to the lucky boy she had been dating...
“Look at me, Kyara.”
Kyara couldn’t believe she was now fighting back tears, and all because of the tautness of her boss’s voice. This was usually the time she’d start chanting to herself about being loyal to Cyrus, but since all she could think of was how Cyrus was anything but loyal to her—
No, oh no, no no no.
She could feel her body starting to tremble as she watched her boss switch the stove off. She should probably thank him for saving her soup from being completely inedible, but all she could do right now was just fight...
She just had to keep fighting back tears, but it was just so, so hard, with her mind clouded by a confusing mix of hurt, guilt, and humiliation. She knew she had never cheated on Cyrus, but at the same time...
It wasn’t right at all, the way her heart was now hammering against her chest when she realized her boss was about to reach for her.
It just wasn’t right, with how the moment she tried taking a step back, it seemed like Mr. Havington had read her mind, with how swiftly his arm was around the waist, and no...oh no.
Did she even have the right to feel bad about Cyrus, with how her body was presently trembling for all the wrong reasons?
Lyrius drew a sharp breath at having Kyara in his arms for the first time.
For three years, he had exercised the greatest care to respect her boundaries.
Not because he didn’t think he could wear her defenses down.
..but because he knew she would never forgive herself if that ever happened, never mind if they both knew that what they had between them was inevitable from the start.
Kyara didn’t have to look up to know what her boss was thinking.
Tell me what’s wrong.
Let me protect you.
Who dare hurt you?
The fierceness of his gaze said it all without a single word, and that...that wasn’t right, too, was it? She had never experienced this kind of connection with Cyrus, but...
He’s just like them.
The thought came out from nowhere.
An insidious taunt about the past.
And it was enough.
The moment she remembered that it was her boss who was like all the other men her mother dated—
That it was Lyrius Havington, and not Cyrus, who was tall, dark, and handsome like them—
“I’m f-fine now, Mr. Havington.”
But his arm only tightened around her as she tried to step back, and Kyara started feeling uneasy—
“P-Please let me go.”
As well as desperate and panicky when her boss turned her down with a single word.
“No.”
“S-Sir—”
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
She was already shaking her head even before he had finished speaking. “N-Nothing’s—”
“Liar.”
“I’m not—”
“Would you rather I ask Wallace instead?”
His tone was so, so silky as he spoke, like...like he was simply telling her what kind of coffee he liked, that it took Kyara an extra moment to understand what he was saying.
Lyrius’s features remained impassive as a pair of green eyes flew up to meet his.
Her face was a picture of shock, but Lyrius met her stunned gaze without a single ounce of remorse.
He had made up his mind earlier. He was done waiting.
Done playing. She was his. Had always been his.
And the time had come for her to know it, too.
“You know about Cyrus?”
Kyara didn’t know what to feel as she watched his lips tighten at the other man’s name.
“What kind of man would I be if I didn’t?”
And she certainly didn’t know how to answer that as well.
“I’ve always known about him.”
Or that.
“Just like you have also always known the truth.”
What in the world was he—
His gaze slowly lowered to her mouth, and Kyara couldn’t believe how such a simple thing actually had her toes curling inside her shoes.
“You were meant to be mine.”
No. No. No.
“I knew that the moment I saw you, and three years ago—”
Why—why was he saying this? It wasn’t true. This...this wasn’t true.
“You knew that, too.”