CHAPTER 101.
Noah’s POV.
The evening sky outside my office window was painted in hues of orange and pink, yet I found no comfort in its beauty. Shanghai’s vibrant and alive skyline felt more like a glided cage. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the phone. My fingers hitched to call her again. But I hesitated.
I’ve left over a hundred missed calls the last few days, and she never willingly calls me back. I only see my wife’s face when we speak to our children.
Lately, every conversation with Mira had felt strained. Her words were curt, her tone distant. I’d replayed our last exchange countless times, dissecting every word, every pause and sigh.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know what you did.” She said when we talked last.
But I can’t find anything in my brain that warranted the attitude I got from her. It hurt me because I’ve fucked up many times, but she kept coming back to me, and now I didn’t even know what I did.
How could I even comfort her when I was thousands of miles away, tethered to this city by obligations I didn’t fully understand?
I had no idea Mr Ali was here; Natasha clarified that he wasn’t around yet. I couldn’t help but smell something foul going on here. I haven’t heard back from my PI, so I had to be patient. But my patience was running thin.
The headlines about Mira were relentless: paparazzi camping outside our house, cameras clicking whenever she stepped out, the insinuations, the outright lies were enough to make anyone break, and I wasn’t even there for her. She was stronger than anyone I knew, but even steel has its breaking point. And I wasn’t there to shield her, to tell her it would be okay.
I needed to know the motherfuckers that were behind this news in her company. I was so going to fuck them up because whoever tried to fuck with my wife obviously had some balls; I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them.
I closed my eyes, picturing her warmth and how her eyes sparkled when she smiled. I missed how she used to lean against me at the end of a long day. She would trace lazy patterns on my hands while we talked about everything and nothing. I missed our children, Skylar’s curious questions, Tyler’s boundless energy, and Mika’s need to always be near me.
But most of all, I missed us.
The knock at the door broke my reverie. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
“Come in, Natasha,” I said, my voice flat.
She stepped inside, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor.
“You haven’t eaten all day.” She said, placing a tray on the edge of her desk. Her voice was warm, and her smile practised.
“I’m not hungry,” I replied, dismissive.
“You’ll make yourself sick if you keep this up,” she said, ignoring my tone and moving closer, standing just a little too near.
I glanced at her, noting how she smoothed her skirt, and her eyes lingered on me. I wasn’t blind; I’d known she liked me since highschool days and was still into me even after how dismissive I was towards any conversation that was outside business but she couldn’t care less as she always brought up personal topics.
My heart, my thoughts, my very being belonged to Mira. No one else mattered.
“What’s the update with the police?” I asked her, steering the conversation to what I needed to know.
Her smile faltered, just for a moment.
“It’s complicated.” She began. “There are issues that need to be sorted out, and until then, nothing can be done.” She said.
“Why the fuck did you not tell me that Mr Ali was here in Shanghai? And how the fuck did the police get a picture of me and him?” I asked her, and she shrugged.
“I don’t know; I was as surprised as you were, Noah.” She said, making sure not to look into my eyes.
She was definitely hiding something.
“What are you not telling me, Natasha?” I asked her.
“There’s nothing I’m not telling you. Until we are proven innocent, that we had nothing to do with Mr Ali’s death, then we can’t leave.” She said.
“Not to worry though.” She added. “I’ve been on calls all day trying to sort it out; these things take time.”
Her answers didn’t sit well with me. Frustration bubbled beneath the surface, and every day in this city, it felt like another brick in the wall separating me from my family. My wife especially.
“I need to get home, Natasha,” I said, my voice firmer now. “Mira is dealing with a lot; I won’t leave her to handle everything alone.”
Something crossed her features at the mention of my wife, but it left as soon as it came.
“I understand.” She said in a cold voice.
“I’m not sure you do; if I find out there’s any foul play behind all these, I’m sure you know not to mess with me. You have known me for long since highschool, and you should know that I don’t joke when it comes to my loved ones. You know how dangerous I can be regarding my family’s wellbeing. So if I find out that you have something to do with what’s holding me here, why I can’t go to my wife and kids, I really don’t want to threaten you, but I’m sure you can imagine the things that will go down.”
“I understand.” She said a slight shake in her voice satisfied me.
“See to it that you do,” I replied curtly and turned away.
I needed my wife. The fact that Ken was trying to lure his way back in didn’t make me feel comfortable either.
I needed to fast-track things, I thought, as I dialled the number of my PI.
I needed answers soon.