CHAPTER SEVENTY–EIGHT–What Does The Really Want?
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CHAPTER SEVENTY–EIGHT–What Does He Really Want?
Justin’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “It was just a colleague, Laura. What’s with the third degree?”
The defensiveness in his tone caught Laura off guard. “I’m not giving you the third degree, Justin. I was just curious.”
“Well, don’t be,” he snapped, then immediately softened his voice. “Sorry, I’m just stressed about this work thing. Can we just enjoy our dinner?”
Laura nodded, forcing a smile even as her mind raced with questions. As they pulled up to the restaurant, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
A few days later, Laura found herself working late at Sivarra Tech, her eyes straining as she pored over lines of code for her Al project. The office was nearly empty, save for a few other night owls scattered throughout the open floor plan.
“Still here, McKenna Alden O’Connor’s voice broke through her concentration. “I thought I was the only workaholic around here.”
Laura looked up, blinking away the bleariness. “Hey, Aiden. Just trying to iron out some kinks in the neural network algorithm. You?”
Alden plopped down in the chair next to her desk, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Same old, same old. Mind if I use your computer for a sec? Mine’s updating and I need to check something urgently.”
“Go ahead,” Laura said, stretching as she vacated her seat. “I could use a coffee break anyway.”
As she walked towards the break room, Laura heard Aiden muttering under his breath, followed by the rapid–fire clicking of keys. When she returned, steaming mug in hand, she found Aiden staring intently at her screen.
“Everything okay?” she asked, setting down her coffee.
Aiden jumped slightly, quickly minimizing whatever he’d been looking at. “Yeah, all good. Thanks for letting me use your computer.”
As he stood to leave, Laura caught sight of a messaging app she didn’t recognize on her screen. Before she could stop herself, she clicked to reopen it.
Her eyes widened as she saw a conversation between Kira Volkov and someone named “J“. The messages were filled with heart emojis and intimate language that seemed wildly out of character for the Kira she knew.
“Shit,” Laura muttered, quickly closing the app. Her mind whirled with questions. Who was “I“? And why was Kira, of all people, sending such personal messages on a company device?
The next evening, Laura was looking forward to a quiet night in with Justin. She’d planned to cook his favorite meal and maybe talk through some of the doubts that had been nagging at her. But as she was chopping vegetables, her phone buzzed with a text.
Justin: Sorry, babe, Have to cancel tonight. Family emergency.
Laura frowned, her knife pausing mid–chop. She quickly typed out a response.
Laura: Is everything okay? Do you need me to come over?
Justin: No, it’s fine. Just need to handle some stuff. I’ll call you later.
Laura stared at her phone, a knot forming in her stomach. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about Justin’s terse
messages.
Laura: Okay. Let me know if you need anything. I’m here for you.
Justin didn’t respond, leaving Laura to spend the evening alone, her mind churning with worry and suspicion.
The following day, Laura found herself in need of a strong caffeine boost. She decided to grab coffee from the little shop near Justin’s office, hoping the change of scenery might clear her head.
As she approached the café, a familiar figure caught her eye. Justin was walking down the street, his hand on the small of a woman’s back as he guided her into a nearby restaurant. The woman was striking–tall, with long dark hair and impeccable style. They seemed
grossed in conversation, heads bent close together.
Laura froze, her heart pounding. She watched as they disappeared into the restaurant, oblivious to her presence. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Was this the “Tamily emergency” from last night? Who was this woman?
Before she could be spotted, Laura turned and hurried back towards her office, the coffee forgotten. She needed to focus on something
anything other than the sight she’d just witnessed
Back at Sivarra Tech, Laura threw herself into her work with renewed vigor. She stayed late into the evening, meticulously refining her
CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT- What Does He Really Want?
presentation for the Al project. The familiar glow of her computer screen and the rhythm of typing helped to dull the ache of uncertainty in her chest.
“Burning the midnight oil again, Laura?”
She looked up to see Ryan Callis leaning against her desk, a sympathetic smile on his face.
Laura managed a weak smile in return. “You know me. Can’t rest until everything’s perfect.”
pad
Ryan pulled up a chair, his eyes scanning her screen. “Mind If I take a look? Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can help.”
For the next hour, they worked together, Ryan offering insightful suggestions and Laura feeling grateful for the distraction. Their easy back–and–forth reminded her of simpler times, before the complications of her current relationship.
As Ryan was preparing to leave, he paused, his expression softening. “Laura, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you seem… distracted lately. Is everything okay?”
Laura hesitated, torn between her desire to confide in someone and her reluctance to voice her suspicions. “I’m fine,” she said finally. “Just stressed about the project.”
Ryan nodded, though his eyes held a hint of doubt. “Well, if you ever need to talk, I’m here. As a friend, of course.”
