WebNovels

Chapter 9 - Chapter 9 - The Weight Of The Name

Jay's POV

The city hummed beneath the floor-to-ceiling windows of my apartment as I sat at the edge of the couch, hands wrapped around a mug of untouched coffee. Steam curled upward, twisting into shapes my mind refused to notice. My thoughts weren't on the caffeine, weren't on tomorrow's board meeting or the stock projections or even Coel and Samy's quiet presence beside me.

No. My thoughts were entirely on him.

Keifer.

Even thinking his name aloud made the heat rise to my cheeks, and I clenched my mug tighter, reminding myself that I was a CEO, a woman who had built an empire from scratch. A woman who didn't flinch in boardrooms, who stared down investors without a second thought.

And yet… the memory of his words from yesterday — "I promised I'd find you again. And I won't let you go." — echoed in my mind, louder than any corporate briefing ever could.

"Jay," Samy said softly, pulling me from the whirlwind. She had been perched on the arm of the couch, watching me in silence for longer than I realized. "What's wrong? You came home early yesterday, and… you haven't said a word since you got here."

I swallowed, taking a slow sip of coffee, letting the bitterness anchor me. "I'm fine," I said carefully, voice steady, masking the flutter in my chest. "Just… a long day. Work, emails, investors… you know how it goes."

She tilted her head, not convinced. Samy never was. "Jay, come on. That's not 'fine.' Something happened. I can feel it. You can't hide from me — you're not even trying."

I exhaled slowly, leaning back against the couch. My empire, my carefully structured life, had cracks now, and she was seeing them. "It's… personal," I said finally, carefully choosing my words. "Something from the past resurfaced. That's all."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, curiosity sharp as a knife. "The past…? How do you mean?"

I shook my head, trying to force the memories away. "I don't want to talk about it."

Samy leaned forward, her tone gentle but firm. "Jay, you can't just bury it. Whatever it is, it's eating you from the inside. I know you've built this wall around yourself, but even walls have cracks. I see them."

Her words hit harder than I expected. She always had this way of cutting through the armor, seeing straight to the parts I wanted to hide — the parts I didn't even allow myself to acknowledge.

I closed my eyes briefly, resisting the urge to let her see me falter. "It's… complicated," I said finally. "Someone from my past appeared yesterday. Someone I… never expected to see again."

Her brow furrowed. "Someone… or some thing?"

I opened my eyes, staring at the steam rising from the mug. "A person," I admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "Someone who knows me… more than anyone ever has. Someone I thought I'd left behind."

Samy's expression softened. "Jay… are you talking about him? Keifer?"

I froze, the word slipping out despite my careful guard. Samy's gaze was unwavering, perceptive, and not a trace of judgment lingered — only concern.

"How do you know him?" she asked carefully, almost reverently. "You've never mentioned him before."

I gritted my teeth, shaking my head. "It's… complicated. He's from a part of my life I… left behind. I don't want to bring that back now. Not while I'm here, building this life."

She leaned back, studying me with quiet understanding. "Jay… I don't need to know the details. But you can't keep pretending this doesn't affect you. I've seen how you react — the tension, the way you avoid looking at things, even the way you breathe around him. You're human, Jay. Even CEOs aren't invincible."

I wanted to argue. I wanted to assert control, to push her words away, to reclaim the wall I had carefully built. But the truth was undeniable. I was human. And yesterday had reminded me of it in the most overwhelming way.

"I know," I admitted finally. "But it's… not simple. It's not just business, and it's not just… emotions. It's everything — the past, the promises, the… mistakes I've made. And I can't…" I trailed off, unable to put into words the depth of the storm inside me.

Samy's hand rested gently on mine. "Jay… you don't have to deal with it alone. Not now, not ever. You have me, and Coel, and anyone else who cares about you. But you need to face it. You can't run from it forever."

I swallowed, the warmth of her hand a grounding presence. "I… I know. I just… I'm not ready."

Her eyes softened, understanding but insistent. "You will be. And when you are… don't fight it. Let it in, Jay. You're stronger than you think, but even the strongest hearts need to face their past."

I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek. She was right. I couldn't keep running. Keifer was here. His promise had been made, and now it was real. My carefully curated life, my empire, my strength — none of it mattered when he was standing in front of me, reminding me of everything I had buried.

The next day arrived with a relentless clarity. The city buzzed below my apartment as if nothing had changed, but everything had. I dressed meticulously, choosing a tailored blazer that exuded authority, my heels sharp and precise. Coel and Samy accompanied me, silent guardians of my composure.

Keifer was already at SE Tower when we arrived, casually leaning against the glass wall like he owned the skyline. His eyes met mine immediately, and I felt the familiar rush of tension coil in my stomach.

He smirked. "You look… resolved today. Almost like you're ready to face me."

I ignored the comment, walking past him into the boardroom. My pulse was steadying, my mind focused, but the flutter remained. Control, Jay. Control.

The meeting began, numbers exchanged, timelines discussed, contracts reviewed. I maintained my usual professional demeanor, projecting the CEO I had become — disciplined, confident, unshakable.

And yet, his presence was a constant undertone, a rhythm I could not ignore. Every glance, every subtle shift in his stance, reminded me that the past was not just alive; it was claiming space in my present.

At one point, during a particularly detailed discussion on international expansion, his voice broke the monotony of the room. "Jay," he said softly, leaning forward. "Yesterday… I meant every word. I promised I'd find you, and I've kept that promise. I'm here now. You can't run from that."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks, my hands tightening around the pen I had been using to jot notes. My mind raced, memories colliding with reality. Section E. The whispered promises. The stolen glances. The boy who had been everything and the man who was now inescapable.

"I… I need to focus," I said, voice controlled but strained. "This is a meeting."

He smiled faintly, knowingly. "I know. But you don't get to ignore me. Not now, not ever."

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. I answered every question, provided every detail, countered every objection. But my mind was only half-present, drawn constantly to the man who refused to let me go.

After the investors left, Coel and Samy lingered, exchanging subtle glances as I gathered my things.

"You did it," Coel said, quiet but approving. "Flawless as always."

I nodded, a faint smile touching my lips. "Thank you. But it doesn't feel… enough."

Samy's eyes searched mine. "It's him, isn't it? You can't hide it anymore."

I shook my head, laughing softly — a sound brittle and unconvincing. "Maybe. But that's my secret. For now."

Her hand squeezed mine lightly. "Secrets don't stay buried forever, Jay. And neither do promises."

I knew she was right. Every instinct, every memory, every heartbeat told me the same thing: Keifer had returned. And whether I was ready or not, my past had come knocking on my present.

The elevator ride down felt endless. My reflection stared back at me from the glass walls, a woman who had built an empire, yet who trembled under the weight of a promise she could not ignore.

And when I stepped out into the bustling streets of New York, I realized with stark clarity: no matter how far I had run, no matter how high I had climbed, some names carry a weight that time cannot erase.

Keifer's name. His promise. His presence.

And I was already ensnared.

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