Ken’s POV
I sat at the kitchen counter, spooning cereal into my mouth. I hadn’t had an actual meal in what felt like weeks. The cereal was bland, tasteless, but it was quick and easy, which was all I had time for.
I glanced around the kitchen, the dishes piling up in the sink, the countertops cluttered with the remnants of breakfast and half-finished cups of coffee. I was used to this. Mitchelle had never been one for domesticity, and honestly, I didn’t care.
The fact that she spent more time in front of a mirror than taking care of anything else around here didn’t bother me much anymore.
What bothered me was the reality of my situation. I was stuck with a woman that felt more like a business arrangement than anything resembling love. Mitchelle was too wrapped up in herself to notice, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t exactly in love with her anymore.
The thought that she might be losing interest was honestly a relief. It made it easier to picture a life without her when the time came. I wasn’t sure when that would be, but I was holding out hope that Mirabelle would eventually take me back. Maybe I’d have a shot if I could just get her to see how miserable I was with Mitchelle. Maybe that’s all I needed-one more chance with the woman I’d never stopped loving.
I took another spoonful of cereal. I had a few things I needed to sort out today-like meeting up with a friend for a loan so I could pay off the car rental company that had been breathing down my neck.
Just then my phone buzzed on the counter, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I grabbed it, half-expecting it to be Mitchelle asking why I hadn’t replied to her text earlier, but when I saw the caller ID, I froze.
Mirabelle!
I almost dropped the phone. The last time I’d heard from her had been days ago, and I certainly wasn’t expecting a call from her today.
I answered it quickly, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Hey, Ken.” She said. “I spoke with the investors last night. They made a proposal. Why don’t we meet up and talk about it?”
I could barely contain my surprise. I had plans for today, but the fact that Mirabelle was the one calling-asking me to meet-made everything else seem insignificant.
“Of course, we should.” I replied, my voice more enthusiastic than I intended. I grinned widely.
“Okay, I’ll text you the address. Bye.” She said, hanging up before I could say anything else.
I stared at the phone for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. This was my chance. Mirabelle was reaching out to me and that was all I needed.
I quickly finished the cereal, rinsed the bowl, and tossed it in the sink. I dashed to my room, throwing on a brown pair of shorts, a white T-shirt, and a blue button-up shirt over it.
I grabbed my phone, slipped it into my pocket, and headed out. I was lucky that Mitchelle was at the salon today, getting her hair done. I didn’t feel like dealing with her nagging, so I was happy to get a break from her for a little while.
I hailed a cab and made my way to the cafe. The address Mirabelle had sent was in a cozy little part of the city that I knew well, a place I’d passed by countless times but never stopped by. When I arrived, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what I didn’t expect was to see Mirabelle sitting at a table, engrossed in her phone.
She was early.
I walked over to her, a grin spreading across my face as I approached. “Did I keep you waiting for too long?” I asked, trying to sound casual as I slid into the chair opposite her.
She looked up from her phone, a smile tugged at her lips. “Not really. I guess I arrived early.”
“Well, that’s a first,” I said with a chuckle. “How’ve you been?”
To my surprise, Mirabelle didn’t brush me off like she normally did. Usually, I’d ask her a question, and she’d respond with a quick, dismissive answer or even order me to stop talking so we could focus on business. But today was different. She seemed… open.
“I’m doing well,” she replied, setting her phone down and leaning back in her chair.
I couldn’t help but notice how her posture had relaxed, how her eyes weren’t darting around the room impatiently. This was new. This was good.
I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
She smiled faintly. “Yeah, Just a little tired.”
That was when I realized she was different because she had obviously gotten into a fight with Noah. I didn’t know the details, but it was obvious.
I didn’t mind, though. That was my opportunity.
“So, about the proposal the investors made.” I said, shifting the conversation back to business. “What exactly are we looking at here?”
Mirabelle’s eyes brightened, and she started to explain. It was about expanding into a new market, increasing brand visibility, and making some long-term investments in the European market. She spoke with a lot more passion than I had expected, and surprisingly, she listened to my ideas.
Normally, Mirabelle would shut me down quickly if she thought I was getting off track or if she thought I wasn’t serious. But this time, she took me seriously. She nodded thoughtfully as I outlined a few ideas for marketing strategies and how we could bring in Partners from the region.
I could tell she was impressed, and it only made me more determined to win her back.
We continued discussing the proposal, going back and forth for a while. Eventually, I decided to ask her about something more personal. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
She looked at me, a bit surprised by the question. “No, not yet.”
I immediately realized why-she must’ve left the house in a hurry this morning, likely angry about whatever fight she and Noah had gotten into.
“Well, why don’t we grab breakfast?” I suggested. “I haven’t eaten either.”
She seemed to hesitate for a moment but then nodded. “Sure, I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Great,” I said, grinning. “It’s on me.”
Mirabelle raised an eyebrow. “I can take care of my own bills, Ken. Besides, it’s not like you have much on you anyways.”
I wasn’t offended by her words-in fact, it made me feel a little better. It was almost like she was looking out for me.
We ordered pancakes, scrambled eggs, and coffee. As we dug into our meal, my phone buzzed.
I glanced at it, immediately seeing Mitchelle’s name on the screen. A sigh escaped me, and I ignored the message, but it kept buzzing, louder and more annoying.
Mirabelle noticed and raised an eyebrow. “Is it important?” She asked.
I shook my head, trying to brush it off. “No. Just Mitchelle being… Mitchelle.”
But then my phone began to ring, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
“It doesn’t look unimportant, though.” She pointed out.
“Ugh, whatever,” I muttered, answering the call.
“What is it?” I snapped into the phone, trying to hide my irritation.
Mitchelle didn’t waste any time. “Why the hell are you ignoring my texts? I can see that you’re online.”
“Mitchelle, is there something important that can’t wait?” I asked.
“Where are you?” She asked.
“Please, just get to the point.”
There was a pause on the other end before she spoke again. “Well, turns out your brother isn’t as loyal as I thought.”
I froze. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah, well, there are pictures of him with that model, Natasha Banks. They were seen walking into a hotel together. It’s all over the internet.”
I felt a grin spread across my face as I ended the call without another word. This information was exactly what I needed.
Now, I thought, it’s time to take advantage of this little rip between them.
I turned my attention back to Mirabelle, who was looking at me curiously, but I kept my smile hidden, knowing that everything was finally falling into place.