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History remembered the winners. The losers faded into obscurity, their names lost over time like statues rubbed smooth by too many hands. Dead in every way, as if they’d never existed.
Pressure suffocated my chest.
“I’m not going to lose,” I said, my voice colder than intended. “I never do.”
“Make sure you don’t.” My mother didn’t look entirely convinced. “I’ve already said more than I should. I’m supposed to be neutral, but this is our family name on the line. Imagine what people will say if a Young loses the CEO position of Young Corporation. We’ll never recover from the shame.”
She fixed me with the same no-bullshit stare that had enemies and allies alike trembling before her. “Campaign for the job, Kai. Do what it takes to make them happy. I know you think it’s beneath you, but don’t let your pride get in the way of winning. Not unless you want Tobias giving you orders from the corner office.”
My stomach revolted.
I hated the wordcampaignalmost as much as the wordlose. It was so…undignified. The fake smiles, the ass-kissing, the platitudes both parties knew but didn’t acknowledge as lies.
But my mother knew exactly which buttons to push; I would rather swallow a vial of poison than take a single order from Tobias Foster.
The frigid night air cooled my anger when I stepped outside. Still, unease roiled beneath my skin, and returning home to my apartment didn’t hold the same appeal it usually did.
I took out my phone and opened my latest message thread.
Me:Are you still at Valhalla?
I should’ve been tapped out on socializing, but talking to Isabella never drained me the way talking to other people did.
Isabella:Nope, I just got home
Isabella:I don’t have a shift tonight…
The implied invitation was clear.
Me:I’ll be there in twenty minutes
CHAPTER 20
Isabella
The doorbell rang at five to ten, exactly twenty minutes after I texted Kai my address.
My heart flipped when I opened the door and found him standing in the hall, hair tousled and cheeks ruddy from the wind. Seeing him in person for the first time in almost a week was like taking the first gasp of air after holding my breath for too long.
Cool euphoria flooded my lungs.
“Hi,” I said breathlessly.
A smile curved his lips. “Hi.”
“Did anyone ever tell you your punctuality is terrifying?”
“Not in so many words, no.” He gave a casual shrug. “If it’s an issue, I can leave and come back—”
“Don’t you dare.” I grabbed his wrist and dragged him, laughing, into the apartment. “And don’t look so pleased with yourself. I just didn’t want my apartment cleanup to go to waste.”
Kai looked even more pleased. “You cleaned up for me? I’m flattered.”
Blood rose to my neck and chest. If he touched me right now, he’d probably burn himself.It would serve him right. “I didn’t say that. It was due for some tidying up anyway. The timing is pure coincidence.”
“I see.”
“Anyway.” I ignored the knowing gleam in his eyes and deliberately turned my back to him. I swept an arm around the freshly tidied space. “Welcome to my humble abode. Six hundred square feet of rent-controlled luxury, right in the heart of the East Village.”
