Chapter 44

"No wonder a mother like that raises a son like this," Kayla muttered bitterly, dabbing furiously at the coffee stains on her blouse. No matter how hard she scrubbed, the marks wouldn't budge.

With a frustrated sigh, she continued rubbing, unaware of the fact that the mirror she was using was a one-way mirror.

On the other side, Jeremy sat watching. The mirror concealed him perfectly, allowing him to see every fidget,every movement she made.

"Ugh, it's still there. I've got that meeting with Mr. Newton. What am I supposed to do now?" In her irritation,Kayla pulled her collar open to get better access to the stain. The motion inadvertently revealed the edge of her black bra.

Jeremy caught a glimpse of her ample chest-and choked on his coffee. He coughed violently, nearly spewing the drink.

Trying to regain composure, he quickly poured himself another cup, forcing hs gaze away from the mirror.Still, the image lingered in his mind.

How could she be so careless? So indecent? In the middle of the day, no less!

"Mr. Graham?" Edwin's voice echoed through the door.

Jeremy panicked and lunged for the remote, locking the door before Edwin could come in.

From the hallway, Edwin called again, sounding confused. "Sir? Is everything alright?"

Loosening his tie, Jeremy replied hoarsely, "I'm busy. Come back later."

"Understood."

Meanwhile, Kayla gave up her efforts on the stain and began freshening up. The coffee that Janiya had spilled earlier had smudged her makeup, and now she carefully retouched it, still unaware of her observer. Drawn as if by instinct, Jeremy approached the mirror. From his side, her image was crisp-rosy lips pursed in concentration, hands delicately applying concealer. She looked like a fragile bloom: graceful, alluring,completely unaware of her effect.

He watched silently, mesmerized, until she sighed and dropped her compact back into her purse.

"Forget it. I'll deal with it later." She turned, and her reflection faded as she walked away.

For the briefest moment, a flicker of warmth touched Jeremy's usually unreadable face. The corner of his mouth tilted into something like a smile.

Just then, the lounge door opened and Edwin entered, catching Jeremy standing alone, staring blankly.′′MGraham? What are you doing?"he asked,puzzled.

Jeremy's demeanor turned cold instantly. "What do you need?"

"Janiya's here," Edwin said. "She's looking for you."

Back in the reception room, Kayla found Archie's assistant waiting with the finalized contract. Everything had gone smoothly.

Archie glanced at her stained blouse. "What happened there?"

Kayla.gave a sheepish smile, hand instinctively covering the marks. "Just spilled some coffee-nothing major."

Archie stood and slipped off his suit jacket. "Next time, be more careful," he said, handing it to her.

Startled,Kayla waved her hands."Oh,no. Mr. Newton, really, that's not necessary."

Archie insisted kindly, "I know how important it is to look polished in our line of work. Just wear it. It's no trouble." ン

Reluctantly, Kayla accepted the jacket, offering a grateful smile.

They stepped out of the room just as Jeremy passed by with his team.

"Mr. Graham, I'm heading out. Here's to a successful partnership," Archie said, extending a hand. Jeremy's eyes flicked to the jacket draped over Kayla's shoulders. His handshake was firm, but his tone was chilly. "To a successful partnership."

Archie nodded and walked on, Kayla following. As she passed Jeremy, an unexplainable chill ran down her spine.

His voice cut through the air. "Did you run into Janiya earlier?"

Startled, Kayla turned."Yes."

"She didn't cause trouble?"

Kayla hesitated. "No. We've never exactly gotten along."

Jeremy said nothing more and strode away, his cold demeanor like a wall shutting out further conversation.

When the door to the CEO's office opened, Janiya quickly rose from the sofa. "You're finally done," she said with a practiced smile.

Jeremy didn't spare Janiya a glance as he walked to his desk and sat down, his expression as frosty as ever."I've told you not to come unless it's urgent."

Janiya approached the desk, her usually proud face now filled with humility. She placed the gift box she had brought in front of him. "I brought this back from my trip. It's a local specialty. You've been working hard-l thought itmight help."

Without even glancing at it, Jeremy shoved the box aside. His eyes narrowed. "I don't need meaningless gestures. You know I don't like you."

Janiya wrung her hands nervously, her voice softening. "I understand. But I'm still your sister. The past is behind us-family should support each other."

Jeremy's gaze didn't soften. "Take your things and leave."

Janiya stayed rooted. Forcing a smile, she added, "If this is about how my mother interfered with your parents' marriage, I'm sorry. I was young-l didn't understand. But we're blood, Jeremy. We should move on."