Chapter 2 The CEO's Haven!

Chapter 2: The CEO's Haven!

He was not curious about anything from home and was adamantly against reciprocating there. He felt sorry for Jordan since he was so tenacious to get him back to where he belonged. Cody had vowed as a grown-up man with his values to never plunge into his traps. A week would not go by since Jordan's marriage without him penning rumours about his kin. His heart wounds were gradually getting better, and he thought more apparently about his fate.

Cody turned the letter over, his eyes growing more concerned about what might be within. He felt strangely overwhelmed as he opened the letter, ruining his intense appetite. Hurling the letter aside, he concentrated on the scrumptious slice first. He kept picking up big chunks of cake, smashing them, and gulping them down his craving oesophagus. Ecstatic with his sudden hunger solace, he collapsed onto the little rocker and focused on the letter. In the distance, his chilly feet delighted in the fire.

A feeling of icy water seeped into his stomach when he finally opened it. Grasping the package with quivering fingers, he tore it open. On his thighs, a tiny fragment of paper fell out of the envelope. It was unmistakable to him why he was being clumsy. He followed it with his fingers and pinched it in the direction of his scared eyes.

A tiny image of a charming toddler caught the apprehensive gaze. He understood exactly what the picture indicated because of the countless emails Jordan's wife, Kelly, had written to him about her pregnancy.

Ultimately, Jordan was to be a father of two. He believed that his excessive jealousy was wearing his nerves down. His thoughts would always return to his girlfriend's false promises whenever he encountered anything family-related. Melinda had made a vow to have children with him and have the most amazing family on the planet. The day she cheated on him with his best buddy was the day when all her vows became meaningless. Cody could see how Kelly's labour and delivery of their first child had caused his brother's defenceless anxiety to knock him down.

He closed his eyes, a crushing wave of humiliation and rage washing over him. He was so stung by Melinda's betrayal that he let tears stream down his icy cheeks. Cody pronounced a strong curse on her, his mood soured by his wrath. He was never able to let her go for good. It took more than just missing his unexciting sibling for him to succumb to pressure.

Kelly insisted on Cody's stubbornness every time he acted weird. Jordan's little child brought back memories of their first child, Dan, who loved going with him to the ranch back in the city. He pulled out his tiny toolbox from under his bed and put the toddler's picture inside.

Cody avoided looking at whatsoever that had to do with home. He looked at the photo again and grinned before shoving the toolbox back to its forgotten place-under his bed. Furthermore, he was most likely bidding farewell. Repeating the toddler's name written, "James" on the paper, he sounded like someone learning a valuable lesson to remember.

With a whisper, he read, "We can't wait to see you, big brother!" and shoved it out of his sight. He was used to turning down everyone's pleas to return home. If he could only realize that his blood was rendered with someone in the city, he could return with all his might to the place he hated!

The envelope made him remember the days when Jordan's wife used to gripe that his brother was too sensitive to hear her infant cry. The envelope made him remember the days when Jordan's wife used to gripe that his brother was too sensitive to hear her infant cry. He would occasionally cover his ears with pillows, especially at midnight, to keep Dani's quiet cries from disturbing him while he slept.

Cody had known since they were kids that his brother wasn't ready to be a father. Jordan detested having obligations or anything that disturbed his freedom. Cody eventually lost any comprehension of his older brother's marital prospects. Thank goodness Kelly always accepted him for who he was!

Jordan was persuaded that his brother would make up some absurd reason for not showing up, even though he had made such a tremendous endeavour to write to him. Even when his closest relatives extended invites to him, Cody hardly accepted them. Additionally, he had an almost nought number of friends. After his closest friend violated his confidence, he detested all of his buddies!

His heart hurt every time someone mentioned Chicago City. Even though he oversaw his father's business and lived a lavish lifestyle, he detested everything that pleased him. He felt like taking his life at times when he was angry with himself. For someone with so much triumph and leverage, it was not a comfortable choice. All the joy of life was lost from him because of the sorrow he had endured from a woman! He would rather eat dust than delicious meals in the company of the foolish Melinda.

Cody was vividly feeling the misery she caused now. Time heals all wounds, but in his case; it didn't work. He was in excruciating pain, and it got worse the more he thought about her. His heart was like newly opened wounds and pain kept recurring. He missed her sometimes, particularly on cold winter nights when he was unable to control himself. In his dream, he imagined himself caressing her silky, black hair. He was mostly able to smell her lovely perfumes, but when he awoke, he was in bed.

Just as it had been the day he finally left Chicago, lusty memories of her alluring figure were escorted by a harsh heart attack. Occasionally, he felt remorseful for not paying attention to her and inferred he was accountable for their sundering. He was! Perhaps, she would have turned against Brian and fallen in love with him. That would remain a dream if he hadn't declared his love for her.

Presumably, he could have counted her again if he had allowed her to explain herself. He was the fool! Now, they were exactly equal after he had behaved irresponsibly, and she had cheated. He could only focus on how content she was with her new marriage with Brian–his closest friend.

Cody did not even acknowledge what he was doing until his legs were almost on fire. Slapdash, he withdrew his legs from the fire, letting out a deep, sorrowful sigh. His firm decision to run from his family remained intact.

As he contemplated his options, a tense, pregnant quiet stretched between his introspections and emotions. "Never!" was his standard retort when it came to returning home. Cody's voice trailed off as his phone rang. He swiftly seized it, positive that it was for work.