Chapter 10 KELLY BROWN

Chapter 10:

Kane's POV

I arrived at the office earlier than usual. The moment I stepped inside, I told my assistant to send Caroline a notice to take the day off.

She needed rest, whether she liked it or not.

She was obviously sick even though she refused to tell me what exactly was going on with her.

I sighed and pushed the thought away. I needed to focus.

I pushed through the morning's meeting, reviewing investors reports, giving approval for projects.

Everything was my normal routine. At least it should have felt normal.

But it didn't

Something sat heavy in my chest, like an itch I couldn't scratch.

A soft knock on my office door pulled me from my thoughts. My assistant, Mason, stepped in, holding a neatly sealed envelope.

"Sir, I thought you'd want to see this."

I raised a brow as I took it from him. The letters on it were golden in color, giving it an elegant and artistic look.

I opened it and glanced through the words.

My grip on the envelope tightened as I read.

Kelly Brown: A Journey through Colors....

Celebrating a Decade of Masterpieces.

I exhaled sharply, brushing my fingers through the title.

"He's hosting a celebration in Rome?" My voice came out more neutral than I expected.

Mason hesitated. "Yes sir. He's made a name for himself in the art world."

I nodded. "And... was I invited?"

Silence stretched between us. Mason's eyes were carefully composed, but I could see the answer in his eyes.

"No, sir." he said, quietly.

I let out a breath, pressing my fingers on my temples. Of course, I wasn't invited.

Kelly had every reason to keep me at a distance.

We used to be close... inseparable, even. But that night... that night had changed everything.

I could still remember my brother yelling at me.and blaming me for the incident.

"You could have protected them!" Kelly had shouted. "You promised nothing would happen to them."

I had tried to explain, to make him listen. But he had only taken a step back, shaking his head and I could see the disgust in his eyes.

"We lost everything because of you," His voice cracked, but it didn't stop the harshness in his words. "You destroyed our life, Kane. You should've been the one to die. I don't have a brother."

I still remembered the way he had clenched his fists like he wanted to punch me.

Then the final blow came.

"I hate you." He didn't shout it but it hit harder than any punch I'd ever felt. He looked me in the eyes when he said it, so I knew he meant it. "Don't you dare talk to me again."

And just like that he was gone.

I never ran after him. I didn't even try to fix it. Because deep down I knew he was right.

I closed my eyes briefly, shoving the memories back where they belonged.

"Understood," I said finally, setting the envelope aside. "You can leave now."

Mason hesitated before speaking. "Sir... if you'd like, I could arrange a meeting with him. Perhaps..."

I shook my head. "No, if he wanted me there, he'd have sent me an invitation himself.".

Mason pressed his lip together, then gave a respectful nod before stepping out of my office.

As soon as the door shut, I exhaled and leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.

For the first time in years, I let myself admit it, losing my brother hurt more than I ever let on.

I stared at the ceiling for a long time.

Then at my desk. Then at the envelope.

I should've thrown it away. Pretend it wasn't there, that I didn't care. But the truth was that I did.

More than I wanted to admit.

I tried to focus on work, bury myself in the usual distractions... emails, phone calls, even contracts that need reviewing.

But my mind kept drifting back to Kelly. To his words and the harshness of his voice.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to check my messages.

One caught my attention. A notification from Mason.

Caroline had finally agreed to take her day off.

Good. At least someone was taking a break.

Everything should be fine, except now I was thinking about her.

Caroline...

The only person who had ever looked at me in the eyes without fear. Who challenged me, argued with me, refused to back down.

And the worst part? I liked it.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

I wasn't supposed to care about her. She was a complication I didn't need. And for some reason, I knew that if I saw her right now, I wouldn't have to think of Kelly.

I wouldn't have to feel like this.

Before I could second-guess myself, I stood up, grabbed my car keys and left the office.

I wasn't sure what I was going to say.

But I knew one thing... I needed to see Caroline.

Caroline POV

I was halfway through with a cup of tea when I heard a knock on my door.

I frowned. Gina was out, and I wasn't expecting anyone. For a brief second, I panicked. Had Kane sent someone to check up on me?

Couldn't that guy just give me a break?

I heaved a sigh and headed for the door.

Even on my day-off, he still decides to bug me.

I'll just find an excuse to give whoever he sends.

But when I opened the door, I realized it wasn't someone. It was the devil himself.

What did he want this time?

Kane just stood there with his usual composed expression but his shoulders seemed tense, his jaw tight like he was holding something back.

I hesitated. "Kane?"

"I need to talk to you." His voice was low, firm.

I tightened my grip on the doorknob. "I already told you I'm fine."

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "I'm not here about that."

I blinked. "Then what?"

He exhaled, looking past me into the apartment before meeting my gaze again. "Can I come in?"

Something about the way he asked made me pause. Kane never asked for anything, he usually demanded for it.

This wasn't his usual confident arrogance.

I studied him for a moment then sighed and stepped aside. "Fine. But if you're here to look over me like some overprotective boss, you can leave now."

His lips twitched, like he wanted to smirk but couldn't quite manage it. "Noted."

I closed the door behind him and followed him into the living room.

He didn't sit, he just stood there like he didn't know what to do with himself.

I dropped my cup of tea and folded my arms. "Alright spill. What's so important you had to come to my door?"

He was quiet for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the floor.

Then to my surprise he let out a short humorless laugh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Did you ever think about the past?" he asked suddenly.

I stared at Kane for a moment, trying to check if the billionaire had finally run mad.

I blinked at the abrupt change in the conversation. "What?"