CHAPTER 11: SHARING OUR CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AND CONFESSION

Calanthe walked over to Kairos's desk where he was busy working on his computer. "Hmm, here's my proposal that we'll be presenting to the board," she said, looking at him seriously.

Kairos handed her a file and briefly held her hand before she pulled away. "Is there anything you need, sir?" Calanthe asked.

Kairos stood up, pulling Calanthe close to the wall. The distance between them was almost nonexistent. Calanthe felt breathless whenever she was near Kairos.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kairos finally confessed his feelings, "I love you, Calanthe."

Calanthe cleared her throat, unsure of how to respond. Kairos continued, "I love you so much, Calanthe. I don't want any other guy near you. I want to be with you."

Kairos gently pecked her forehead. He then stroke a nape on her neck with his thumb, sending shivers down Calanthe's spine. She thought to herself, "Why can't I resist his touch? I always feel good when he's near me."

Kairos pulled Calanthe away from the wall and sat her down on his desk. He began touching her thighs, making Calanthe murmur in response.

"Do you want us to take this further?" Kairos whispered.

Calanthe stood up abruptly, "This is wrong, Kairos."

Kairos grabbed her hand, pulling her back to the wall. He touched her gently, and they couldn't resist each other's lips. They started kissing passionately.

"You have sweet lips," Kairos whispered huskily.

Calanthe gave him a serious look, as if asking for more. But just as things were escalating, someone knocked on the office door. Quickly, they composed themselves and returned to their desks.

It was Ryder. "Calanthe, I was trying to call you, but your phone was unreachable," he said.

Calanthe replied, "I must have been in the restroom."

Kairos's eyes narrowed, "Why do you always call her, Ryder?"

Ryder responded coolly, "That doesn't concern you."

Ryder turned to Calanthe, "If you're done with your work, I was thinking we could grab dinner."

Kairos's face darkened with anger. Calanthe, however, agreed, "Okay, let's go now."

Kairos stood up, his eyes locked onto Calanthe's, "Where are you going?"

Ryder smirked, "That doesn't concern you again."

Calanthe grabbed her purse and Ryder's hand, and they walked out of the office together.

Kairos was left seething, his anger boiling over as he watched Calanthe and Ryder walk away together. His jealousy got the better of him, and he punched the wall in frustration.

Meanwhile, Ryder couldn't help but feel elated when Calanthe grasped his hand as they left the office. However, his joy was short lived, as Calanthe quickly released her grip once they were outside.

"Sorry about what happened earlier," Calanthe said, her hair blowing gently in the wind. "You know Kairos's ways, don't you?"

Ryder's gaze remained fixed on Calanthe, his eyes unblinking. Calanthe waved her hand in front of his face, breaking the silence. "Are you lost in thought? What are you staring at?"

Ryder's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at Calanthe. "You look stunning everyday. How do you do that?"

Calanthe's smile matched Ryder's. "Thanks."

Ryder gestured toward the car. "Shall we head to the café?"

He opened the door for Calanthe, and she slid into the passenger seat. Ryder got behind the wheel, and they drove in comfortable silence until they arrived at the simple luxury café.

Calanthe's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know about this café?"

Ryder chuckled. "I'm a regular here. I always get my coffee from this place."

Calanthe's face lit up with a smile. "This is my favorite café!"

Ryder grinned. "Come on, let's go."

Ryder, being a gentleman he was, allowed Calanthe to pass and take a seat. "Thanks, Ryder," she said with a smile.

"You're welcome," Ryder replied, smiling back at her.

They sat down and waited for the waiter to arrive. When he did, they were presented with menus. After making their selections, the waiter departed.

Calanthe had ordered a unique coffee drink, which caught Ryder's attention. "Do you always prefer coffee with ice cream in it?" he asked.

Calanthe nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, I love it."

The waiter returned with their orders, and they began sipping their coffee. Ryder brought up a topic that had been on his mind. "Did you agree with Athena?"

Calanthe's expression turned thoughtful. "Hmm...about Athena's proposal, Kairos told me that Athena is a manipulative woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. He thinks she's playing a game. I believe they have their own issues with Kairos."

Ryder nodded in agreement. "He's right. I was about to tell you about Athena. Before I stopped working with Kairos, Athena was not always easy to deal with, which is why we ended our partnership with her."

"What about when we talk about our personal lives?" Ryder asked.

Calanthe laughed. "You mean our childhood memories, love lives, and families?"

Ryder smiled. "All those."

Calanthe's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Who's going first?"

Ryder grinned mischievously. "I will."

He took a sip of his coffee before launching into a story. "I remember when I was four years old, I would often wet my bed and blame my brother. I was also afraid of the dark, so I would sleep with my older brother. Whenever I had an accident, I would cry and my brother would want to kick me out, but he never did. Instead, he would just laugh it off a look out for me, seeing me as his little brother."

"But unfortunately, I never saw him again when I turned 10. It was a Monday morning, and I woke up to find that I had wet my bed again. But this time, my brother was nowhere to be found. I went to ask my mom and dad where he had gone so early that morning. Their response shocked me: 'You'll never see you brother again, dear.' I sensed that my parents were hiding something from me, so I pressed them for the truth. They revealed that my brother wasn't my biological sibling and that his real parents, who had been searching for him for a long time, had finally found him and taken him home. My parents had no choice but to let him go, as he had been reunited with his true family."

Ryder's expression turned somber as he finished his story. Calanthe gently placed a hand on his arm, offering comfort and sympathy.

"I think that's enough," she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness. "Now, let me share my childhood story with you."

Calanthe's eyes sparkled with a mix of nostalgia and amusement. "When I was a kid, I would throw tantrums until my parents gave me ice cream and chocolate. It was the only thing that could calm me down."

What do you think of the end of the childhood memories and Calanthe's meeting with Ryder?