Chapter 2 Old Wounds

My pulse quickened as I hurried passed them, attempting to ignore the prick of discomfort crawling up my spine. I didn't fit in here. No more. Not after all that had transpired between Kendrick and I. Carrington, Ms. The voice pierced the tension. Mason was Kendrick's right-hand man. At the corridor's conclusion, his smile taut and eyes sharp, he leaned against the wall. St. Clair, Mr. I pushed the words out, unsure of my ability to utter more. "You seem... different. More shiny. I've read about your ascent in the business sector. Though it was strange, his smile grew. It eluded me somewhat.

I smiled on command. What brings you here, then? His eyes danced behind me and I knew, without even turning around, that Kendrick had come into the building. I could sense him, the magnetic pull still with me after all these years. The air seems to be getting heavier. Mason's smile changed; something sinister lurked under his words. Kendrick's waiting for you; I'm sure you already know that. All I gave him was a little nod. Facing Kendrick's office, the door stood like an insurmountable wall between us. I went for the handle; Mason's words halted me. You have no idea what you are entering. His speech was calm and calculated. Working for Kendrick once more... You will come to rue it. The first few minutes in Kendrick's office seemed to last forever. Though I hadn't seen him in years, everything about him was still burned into my memory. It was as though no time had gone at all the way he leaned back in his chair, hands folded, his gaze fixed on me. You showed up. Though his voice was flat, his ice-cold eyes revealed a hint of something I couldn't quite read. Unwilling to let my feelings show, I swallowed hard. I am around. Let's finish this up. Kendrick's lips formed a little smirk. As always, it's business. Though the atmosphere in the room was unbearable, he pushed the papers over the table. He was drawing me back into his orbit, not only offering me a job. Kendrick, I don't know what you're playing at, so I said it. But you are not tricking me. I know your method of operation. His face remained unchanged. Sofia, I don't care what you believe you know, You are here now, correct? Though my hands were at my sides, I couldn't let go of control not here, not now. The stillness between us persisted. Mason's warning replayed in my head. Was this all part of his strategy? To catch me again? Feeling the office walls press in around me, I narrowed my eyes. This time, what's your strategy? Kendrick did not react right away. Rather, he got up and walked in the direction of the window. Though the skyline of the city lay below us, it was irrelevant. The vista was not my reason for being here. You'll see soon enough, he eventually said. Everything you want is right here. He pointed to the papers. "Right," I said, going over the contract. It was all I required to start over in my profession, so why did it seem as though more was at stake? I wasn't just signing for a position. I was signing away bits of myself. Once more. Time went by. Though my fingers hurt from the never-ending paperwork Kendrick had me sign, I kept pressing forward. I had my own justifications for being here, ones unrelated to him. But as time went on, the nagging sensation in the back of my head became impossible to ignore. Kendrick and I had always been more than corporate partners. We have past, difficult, traumatic past. You always thought I was using you, didn't you? Kendrick's voice pierced my musings. Though his comments hurt, I would not let him know how deeply they touched me. "I still believe it," I replied, my voice more cutting than I meant. His gaze uncomfortably sharp, he tilted his head slightly as if examining me. "Perhaps this time I need you more than I have ever indicated." The words hung between us in the air, loaded with meaning. It was a statement, an unstated reality he had never said before. And for a short while, I questioned whether he was being honest with me. But I soon set the idea aside. Trusting Kendrick Blackwell, once more, was a mistake I had already committed. Rising, I pushed the papers apart. Kendrick, I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm not here to be used as a pawn. His eyes darkened and he leaned forward, his voice falling to a low, menacing whisper. Sofia, I never meant for you to be a pawn. I wanted you to be my counterpart. But you never had enough faith in me to let me inside. The burden of his words penetrating me made me step back. Had I ever really believed in him? And if I hadn't, might I? Could I? "I'm not doing this for you," I responded, my voice strong in spite of the tempest inside me. Kendrick remained silent even though his lips moved as though he were about to say something else. He instead grabbed the papers from the desk and pushed them back towards me. "I believe you will change your mind," he continued, his voice firm. Time will tell. Standing in Kendrick's office, the faint hum of the lights humming in the background, the night air in the city felt thick. Having just completed reviewing the firm records, I could no longer tolerate it. The quiet between us was excruciating. Why won't you let me know what is actually happening? I said, my voice tight with annoyance. I could sense the years of difference between us, yet this was the same Kendrick. Always hiding something, cold and defensive. Not after all he had done, I could not trust him completely. Kendrick's unreadable, icy eyes locked onto me, a glimmer of something under the surface. "It's not your concern," he said, nearly too cool. His eyes locked onto mine, an unvoiced challenge in the air. Trying to control my breathing, I tightened my hands into fists. Kendrick, you aren't even attempting to make this succeed. This collaboration... it's a joke. The words left my lips before I could stop them; the weight of our history lay between us like a stone. He got up from his desk, looming over me. "You have always been fast to judge," he replied, his voice a low snarl. Sofia, you have never given me a shot. Inside me, ancient suffering flared. A possibility? Kendrick, you destroyed me. Now you expect me to simply forget all of this? The words were a smack and the room's tension shattered. He moved closer, jaw set. That wasn't my goal. Did you believe I wanted to injure you? He reached for me; I automatically recoiled. "You've always been good at hiding what you really want," I replied, my voice shaking despite my best efforts. There was still the old spark between us, a risky undertone I couldn't deny. His eyes dark and stormy, he stared at me for a long minute. Sofia, perhaps I wanted you back. Perhaps this time I need you more than you realise. I was unsure of how to react. His words hung in the air, thick and stifling. Though the fight was still on, his confession made things seem more real and more perilous. I stepped back, hoping to distance us some more. Kendrick, I don't believe you, " I murmured, my voice lower. "I cannot do that." There was no sound. Then, just before I left, he spoke again, his voice low as if the words were meant just for me. I should never have let you leave. Later that night, I found myself in the comfort of my flat, but there was no comfort to be had. Like a storm I couldn't run away from, the day had been a whirlwind, confusion, anxiety, and wrath roiling through me. I sat down on the couch, hiding my face in my palms. What was I doing, exactly? What was I truly seeking? I considered Kendrick's arrangement, the contract. I considered the way he had gazed at me, the heaviness of his words hanging in the air long after I had departed his office. Perhaps this was only corporate. Perhaps it wasn't. I was no longer confident. The phone rang, shattering the stillness. A number I didn't know appeared on the screen; I paused before responding to it. Good day? I spoke, my voice tense. Low and frantic, the voice on the other end was unknown. Sofia, avoid Kendrick. He's more risky than you realise. My heart missed a beat. Who is this? I insisted, my voice harsh. "What do you know of him?" The voice answered after a pause, a deep stillness. Mason's more engaged than you realise. Don't rely on him. Kendrick shouldn't be trusted as well. I stood still. Mason Kendrick's closest friend. The guy I had known for years but had never really believed in. The man always one step ahead, always lurking in the shadows. I choked. Could it even be? Was Mason truly engaged in something more sinister than I thought? The queue went dead; I looked at my phone, the weight of the words sinking into my bones. Though I didn't know who this unknown caller was, they had just turned everything topsy-turvy. My thoughts were racing as I got up and walked about the room. What was I meant to do next? How far did this extend?