Chapter 213
KATYA POV
I followed behind Mr. Antonio down the corridor, my footsteps soft against the polished floor, each one echoing louder in my head than it should have.
The walk felt longer than it was. We stopped in front of the office. Mr. Antonio reached for the handle, opened the door, and then unexpectedly stepped aside.
He didn’t announce . Didn’t go in first. He just... waited.
My chest tightened. Why am I the one entering first?
Normally, he would step in ahead of , announce his presence to his boss. Or he’d at least follow close behind. But this ti, he didn’t move.
Is he not coming in at all?The thought sent a faint ripple of unease down my spine.
I glanced at him, uncertain.
Antonio t my look calmly, his expression unreadable. Then he lifted his hand slightly, palm open, gesturing toward the doorway.
Go on. No reassurance. No explanation.
Just expectation.
I swallowed, my fingers curling once at my side before I forced myself forward. And stepped into Roo’s office.
The first thing that hit was the heavy sll of cigarettes, sharp and lingering, curling around the edges of the room like smoke in mory.
Roo was there, seated in his high-backed chair, eyes fixed on the papers spread neatly in front of him, cigarette in hand.
A pen rested between his fingers, tapping silently against the desk now and then, deliberate, controlled.
He hadn’t noticed yet or he didn’t want to.
The sound of the door clicking shut behind startled , and I flinched slightly, looking back—Mr. Antonio hadn’t entered.
I turned back toward the room, and Roo’s eyes lifted from the paper. And they were on .
Straight on, unflinching. Cold, asuring, intense.
My pulse stuttered, my chest tightening in a way that made it hard to breathe. Every nerve in my body scread that I shouldn’t et his gaze, and yet I couldn’t look away.
The pen paused mid-tap, suspended like ti itself had decided to watch.
And suddenly, the room didn’t sll like cigarettes anymore. It slled like everything I hadn’t expected.
Authority. Danger. And sothing that made my stomach twist in ways I didn’t want to na. I froze, caught between stepping forward and staying rooted to the spot.
Roo said nothing. He didn’t rise, didn’t gesture. He just waited, and that waiting—oh, that waiting—felt heavier than any words he could speak.
I shifted slightly, trying to keep my hands from trembling, trying to remind myself that I was just here for so reason, so unknown reason, and that I had to behave.
And yet, my mind raced.
Why was I here first? Why did Antonio stay out I swallowed, the sound loud in the tense silence, and stepped fully into the room.
Roo’s eyes never left mine while he brought his cigarette to his lips. "Good morning," I awkwardly said, trying to sound steady. Roo exhaled slowly, the smoke curling lazily into the air.
For the briefest instant, I caught the hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth—sothing amused, almost dangerous.
Then it was gone, vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only that unreadable expression behind.
He didn’t speak imdiately. I swallowed again, suddenly aware of how loud my heartbeat sounded in my ears.
Finally, he set the pen down and gestured toward the chair across from his desk. The movent was simple, smooth, but it carried authority that made my stomach twist.
"Sit," he said, his voice low and even. I hesitated only a fraction of a second before moving toward the chair.
My fingers brushed the seat nervously as I lowered myself down, careful not to make any sudden movents.
The desk felt like a barrier, but it did nothing to lessen the intensity of his gaze. It was all around , impossible to ignore.
I kept my hands folded neatly in my lap, eyes flicking briefly to the papers in front of him, to the pen, to anything but those piercing eyes.
And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking, why did that smirk appear at all? What did it an? Was it amusent at ? At the situation? Or sothing else entirely?
I drew in a shallow breath, forcing myself to sit straighter. Whatever this was about, I had to be ready.
Roo leaned back slightly in his chair, smoke trailing upward like a slow curtain between us. His eyes stayed locked on mine.
"I would like to talk about this morning," Roo said finally, his voice low. My mind froze.
That morning... my stomach dropped, heart hamring. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no...
The basent. The heat in his eyes. The kiss. My chest constricted, thoughts spinning in frantic loops. What is he about to say? Did he tell anyone? Did he hate it?
What the fuck. I opened my mouth, panicked, but no words ca out. I couldn’t even look at him. My hands clenched in my lap.
Then he continued, calm, controlled: "Like I said... you have no use to this house."
The words slamd into , sharp and unexpected. My mind scrambled. What? No use? Does that an... what?
Before I could form a coherent thought, Roo reached into a drawer beside him and pulled out a small piece of paper, holding it out toward .
I blinked. Paper? My heart stuttered. I stared at it, confused. My fingers hesitated over the edge before I gingerly took it.
It was a check. My eyes flicked back up at him, trying to read what he ant, but his expression was unreadable. Calm, asured. Dangerous.
"That," he said, voice steady, "is an open check. Put whatever amount you need, so you can take care of yourself." His eyes didn’t leave mine. "You’re free to leave."
Free... to leave? My mind spun. Why is everything so weird today? Nonna’s dream, Antonio’s sudden apology... the kiss... and now this? What does he an, free?
I stayed seated, staring down at the check, as if touching it might make the words make sense. My fingers shook slightly, and my chest felt impossibly tight.
Roo leaned back again, smoke curling slowly from his cigarette. His gaze didn’t waver. "I don’t normally do this," he said, the wordscarrying weight, "so take this... with gratitude. Before I change my mind."
Gratitude. Change his mind. My thoughts swirled faster than my pulse.
I swallowed hard, unsure what to say, unsure how to feel. The check was real, the freedom he offered was real—but so much about the way he said it, the way he looked at , made everything dizzying and uncertain.
And all I could think was... today, nothing was making sense.
"Why?"
††
Bonus 3
What do y’all think lol.
Was this what y’all expected.
Would there be a twist or is this the end of them
Hahahah
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