A Cold New Year

Kian reacted fast.

He strode toward me, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me into the office.

The door slammed shut behind us, then he locked it.

By the time he turned back around, the panic on his face had already been replaced with forced composure.

"What are you doing here?" He loosened his tie slightly, avoiding my eyes. "Weren’t you supposed to be heading back to Cedar Hollow?"

I didn't say a word. I only looked at him quietly.

"What you saw just now… it was a misunderstanding."

Just like that, the performance began.

"Isabel still doesn’t understand a lot of things. I was just teaching her client-facing etiquette.

"You know how new hires are. She’s a little clumsy sometimes. She was joking around just now. I’ve already talked to her about being inappropriate."

I watched his terrible acting, and a laugh threatened to escape me.

How had I never noticed before that whenever he lied, his eyes drifted unconsciously toward the lower right?

By now, Isabel had fixed her dress and walked over. She smiled sweetly at me.

"That’s right, Lane. Mr. Newman is always very hands-on when he teaches me.

"I’m kind of slow, so there are a lot of things he has to demonstrate personally before I understand.

"We were just discussing details from last night’s project. Don’t misunderstand."

Kian shot her a warning look, signaling for her to stop talking. Then he turned back toward me cautiously, studying my reaction.

If this had happened before, I probably would’ve rushed forward, slapped Isabel across the face, and started screaming at Kian.

But now, I was just exhausted.

I looked at the two of them and flashed them a smile.

"Oh. I see," I continued, "That does sound exhausting. Work should be taken seriously, after all. I’m not blaming you."

The moment those words left my mouth, Kian froze. All the explanations and excuses they’d prepared seemed to jam in their throats at once.

Kian stared at me in disbelief. "You… you’re not angry?"

"Why would I be?" I adjusted my sleeve calmly. "You were working, not cheating. I trust you."

The panic in Kian’s eyes disappeared instantly. In its place came visible relief… and a trace of smug satisfaction.

He probably thought he’d fooled me again and that I was still the same obedient idiot who revolved around him.

"I knew you’d understand." Kian walked toward me, reaching for my hand.

I stepped aside to avoid him.

Kian didn't seem to be bothered by that. He smiled and said, "Since you didn’t go back to your hometown, why don’t we cook dinner together tonight?"

Seeing I hadn't responded, Isabel's eyes darted toward me and interjected.

"Well, since Lane’s so understanding, why don’t you both come over to my place for dinner tonight? Mr. Newman spent all night teaching me how to cook yesterday. I’m actually pretty good now.

"Lane, you really should come over and try some. Even Mr. Newman said my cooking was delicious."

Kian jumped at the suggestion immediately. "Yeah, Isabel’s actually a pretty good cook. Lane, you shouldn’t stay cooped up at home all the time.

"Isabel just moved into a new place. We can treat it like a housewarming."

Whether he was truly oblivious to the subtext of Isabel’s invitation or simply indifferent didn’t matter. It was clear he believed that as long as I remained composed, he could continue to balance both of us in his life, enjoying the best of both worlds.

I looked at Isabel and said with a nod, "Alright then. Since you’re both inviting me so warmly, I’d love to try it. I’m curious to see how good the student Mr. Newman personally trained really is."

The smile on Isabel’s face stiffened slightly. My compliance had caught her off guard.

Kian, while equally taken aback, seemed largely pleased.

"Great! Then it’s settled! We’ll leave together after work."

I looked at the two people standing in front of me, each hiding their own agenda, and sneered inside.

If they were so intent on this charade, I'll go along with it until the final curtain falls.

After all, I knew this would serve as their final performance.