“Good morning, gentlemen.” Her voice sounded almost alien to her own ears, so clear and calm, when she felt nothing like that.
Mr. Greer, the CEO, greeted her with artificial cordiality, offering his hand. The snake. She had no concrete reason to dislike the man, and yet he had always made her skin crawl. Only after acknowledging his greeting did she allow herself to turn her gaze towards Dariux. He was looking at her in a queer, intense way. Maybe he was ashamed of being caught talking about her behind her back. He should be.
He didn’t offer to shake her hand, and she was glad for the small mercy. She didn’t think she could withstand his touch just now. She would crumble.
The rest of the senseless meeting passed in a blur, with Mr. Greer carrying most of the conversation, and she just replying to the inanities when necessary. Dariux said little, preferring to sip his cognac and watch her. He looked... angry. About what? If anyone had the right to be angry, it was her.
It was time to end this. She had to get out of here before her emotions got the better of her.
“Well, if there’s nothing else, Mr. Greer, I need to take my leave now. I have another appointment. Thank you for inviting me to this meeting. It’s been... educational,” she said, standing up.
Both men stood as well.
“Of course, Dr. Brooks. It is I who thanks you for coming on such short notice. And for all your efforts regarding this mission.”
She inclined her head and turned to Dariux, experiencing a moment of anxiety. What should she call him? They were using last names and being formal but calling him ‘Mr. Kinkaid’ sounded unnatural. She had spent over a month living in close quarters with this man. They had relied on each other when hurt or sick. She had pretended to be Mrs. Kinkaid during the mission, and they had shared their bodies in exquisite intimacy... She couldn’t call him Mr. Kincaid and shake his hand as if he were a casual acquaintance.
In the end, he saved the moment by offering her a nod.
“Kalli.”
She could do a nod. “Goodbye, Dariux.”
“I’ll see you later,” he said in a low voice.
Not if she could help it.She had to get away from him as far and as fast as possible. It was a matter of self-preservation at this point. She smiled and took her leave, closing the door softly behind her. The walk to her vehicle took only a minute or two. But it could have been two hours for how long it felt.
At long last, she settled in the privacy of her car. Windows shut tight against the outside world.
“Take me to my mother’s house,” she instructed, and the car took off.
The tears overflowed her eyes swiftly. She didn’t even have time to sob. It was a strange way of crying. Without stuttering breaths and hiccups. Misery just poured out of her like an overflowing dam. She swiped at her cheeks, anger lending her much needed strength. Enough of this.
If Dariux didn’t want her, she didn’t want him either. He could stay with his damned parbot and frig himself on her artificial pussy until his cock fell off. Oh, damn. Don’t think about his cock. Or about him fucking that fake bitch.
The ride to her mother’s house was over before she had time to compose herself as much as she would have wanted. All too soon, her car stopped under the porticoed entrance of her childhood home.
Did Dariux know she had grown up on the grounds of the Avondale estate? Probably not. She had never mentioned it, and it was unlikely he had done any background research on her.
Her mother’s house was the original dower house of Crestview Hall. The charming residence was a seamless blend of old-world elegance with modern day comfort. In London, she had mourned that the classical facades were all that remained of the old buildings, the interiors ravaged by modern architecture until nothing remained of the original place.
But in this home, her mother had got the balance right. She had preserved the classic architecture, with its ivy-covered stone walls and the timeless slate roof. However, integrated into the facade and roof were energy-efficient solar panels, subtly capturing the sun’s rays to power the house’s advanced systems.
“Oh, hello, honeybee,” her mum greeted her from the doorway as she descended from the car and the vehicle took off to park itself in the garage. “You are back sooner than I had expected.”
“Hi, Mum. Yes, I concluded my business in the city fairly quickly.”
And thank God for that. She needed a holiday. A long, secluded holiday where she could disconnect from everyone. Where she couldn’t receive a summons, and work couldn’t find her.
“You look rather peaked, love. Come, let me make you a cuppa and you can tell me all about it.” In her usual fashion, Mum did not ask what ailed her. Her mother would simply envelop her in her warmth and correctly assume she would pour her heart out when she was ready.
Which she always did.
She sat in her favorite armchair by the fireplace and stretched her chilly hands towards the holographic fire. It looked so real. Even the warmth it emitted was in perfect proportion to the size of the fire. She had seen original fireplaces with actual fires recently. And this one looked and felt exactly the same. If she didn’t know it was fake, she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Kind of like parbots. She twisted her mouth. Even she had been fooled by the lifelike feel of parbots. How could she blame Dariux for preferring to ignore the admittedly minor drawbacks in favor of a comfortable and rewarding relationship?
At that moment, her mother returned with a tray laden with the tea service. She jumped to help her mum make space to set it up on the coffee table between the two chairs by the fire. It was their favorite spot.
As they prepared the tea in silence, the question that escaped her mouth surprised even her.
