'No need.' Kira stopped Elsie. 'I'm not hungry.'

She asked, hoping against hope. 'Is...is Austyn back?"

Elsie shook her head But don't worry I'm sure Young Master will be back tonight."

In fact, it used to be the norm for Austyn to stay away from the villa for many nights in a row.

He pietered staying at another apartment downtown

it was smaller but closer to the office.

He only started coming back to the villa regularly after his relationship with Kira warmed up.

"Okay, got it. I think I'll head upstairs now."

Oh, okay." Elsie wring her hands.

Kira dragged herself into the master bedroom.

Her tears fell the moment she closed the door behind her.

Kira slid onto the floor, buried her head in her knees and wept.

When she was all cried out, she took out her phone.

She pulled up the photo album named 'Our Best Times Together."

The shots were taken by a shutterbug at the mall

Kira had asked the girl to send her all the photos

They were the perfect memento for her first date with Austyn.

Kira stared at Austyn's face onscreen.

"Where the hell are you?"

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You've Come All The Way Here For Nothing

Kira had no idea when she'd fallen asleep.

She woke up on the bedroom floor, her entire body sore.

Her head hurt.

Kira reached for her phone.

She called Austyn again.

Same result.

She checked the time.

It was now more than forty hours since she last saw him.

Kira was in full-on panic mode.

Only the last vestiges of rationality stopped her from calling the police.

She had one more person to ask.

Austyn's assistant was with him for almost twenty hours a day.

Kai had to know where his boss was.

Kira perked up when she heard the dial tone.

At long last, no longer the busy signal she got every time she called Austyn.

She waited for Kai to answer his phone.

She waited and waited.

The monotonous dial tone just kept ringing.

Finally, the service provider came online and told her to leave a voicemail.

Kira hung up and redialled.

She finally gave up on the eighth try.

'Kai Scott, pick up the phone!' She shot an angry text to the assistant.

No reply.

Kira gripped her phone, resisting the urge to fling it away.

She was still sitting on the floor, in the same spot as last night.

Her neck was stiff and her back hurt, but she was too worked up to notice.

She softly banged her head against the door.

What more could she do

Ten minutes later, she grabbed the doorknob and pu

Her legs had fallen asleep.

Kira shuffled into the bathroom and took a quick shower.

herself up.

She slipped past Elsie in the kitchen and left the villa quietly.

She had two trips to make.

If the first one didn't pan out, her second stop would be the police station.

"Hold the door please!' Lexi sprinted into the lift, panting.

She straightened up. "Thank you, I-Kira!"

Her mouth hung open.

Kira forced out a smile. 'Hello, Lexi. Long time no see."

'Exactly! Lexi was surprised to see her former colleague back at the office. 'When Mariana told us you'd quit, everyone was so shocked.

'I know. Sorry about the short notice." Kirà tried to maintain her composure.

She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now, but she knew Lexi would not stop prying until she'd satisfied her curiosity.

'I still don't get why you quit."

'I was taking too many sick leaves and felt guilty about getting paid for doing nothing.

Besides, school's reopening soon,

50...

'Ah, I see. We were sad to see you go, though. Especially me.' Lexi sighed. 'Manager Pittman at Revency is not so nice now that you're no longer with me in the meetings. She winked at Kira.

Kira just smiled and said nothing.

Lexi had gotten it into her head that there was something going on between Kira and Revency's boss.

No amount of explanation from Kira could disabuse her of that fanciful notion.

'Are you here to...ask for your job back?' Lexi didn't wait for an answer and launched into a new round of speculation. 'I don't think that's going to sit well with Mariana, you know." She tossed a pitying look at Kira. 'Your old position has already been filled."

'I'm not here to ask for my job back.

"Then what are you doing here?"

Lexi seemed to have just noticed, the lit-up button on the panel. 'Wait, you pressed 48. Isn't that the president's floor? You're looking for Mr McCarthy?"

"Um, no, not him. His assistant."

'I didn't know you were friends with someone in the president's office.' Lexi gave Kira a

meaningful smile.

"We're not exactly friends. 7

just have something to ask him.' Kira shuffled her feet.

Lexi's curiosity was boundless.

She would probably hit it off with Janessa.

'I'm afraid you've come all the way here for nothing,' Lexi said.

What? Why?'

'I hear the president's not in the office right now. His assistant is probably with him. So you won't be able to see either one of them.

'What? Do you know where they are?"

'No. I'm not privy to the president's itinerary. I just heard it on the company grapevine. Mr. McCarthy has been away since yesterday. A C-level meeting had to be cancelled. That's how I knew.1 Kira's mind was buzzing.

Austyn was not in the office.

That could be explained away by his spending time with Deborah.

But where was Kai?

Was he with Austyn, or was he on leave?

If he was on leave, why wouldn't he pick up her call?

But why would he be with Austyn?This belongs to - ©.

Wouldn't he be the third wheel?