Anna balked at the audacity of the statement, but Kai was quick to intervene.
Anna’s lip trembled, and she bit hard on her lower one to curb the surge of anger and jealousy that speared through her heart. Hating that he took that woman’s side. His dismissal in front of Meilei wounded her pride.
Anna was another child born into privilege, indulged by her family and friends. She was raised self-centered and spoiled and didn’t know how to accept his refusal. Green-eyed rage rose that he was so easily dismissing her importance in Yanhue Corp and her support all these years.
“Why is this about you?” Kai was losing his temper, still irritated the past few days with Anna’s attitude in this situation and how she kept trying to raise the topic with him. He felt like these years of his family encouraging her to pursue him had convinced her that she was his actual girlfriend. He would have to take this matter up with Minhui and his father once and for all before he ended up disliking her and damaging their friendship.
Kai closed his eyes and had to physically restrain himself from hitting his desk. His stress levels were growing to crazy levels and pounding down on him like a ward drum. That was one part of his plan going up in smoke. Even Tian would be out of town, and he had completely forgotten.
He knew why, but he couldn’t admit it.
She would tell him where he could ram his dinner date.
“No! Didn’t you hear me when I said weekdays are out?” Meilei snapped, surprising herself at the fierce show, her heart racing. This was frustrating to her too, as he was so persistent.
“We have to figure this out!” Kai snapped straight back, hating her outright defiance even if he knew he was pushing something he himself thought was too soon. His frustration was borne out of her being difficult and his own pressure of being backed against a wall.
Anna glared at her from her silent corner of doom where she had been gloating and brewing.
“What is that supposed to mean? When did I ever let my mother do anything to you?…. She only ever showed you hospitality when I took you home.” Kai jumped up, anger rearing its head, and confused by that statement. It was one thing to think of Yue first. It was another to try and blame him for some fantasy memory.
Sure, there had been a period when his mother wanted him to break up with her for being a penniless no one, but she had aimed her anger at him alone and never toward Meilei. All her attempts to force him, her threats, and even her punishments were all on him. He had never seen her do anything to Meilei back then.
Anna stopped and watched them in still silence. Paused by this sudden confrontation and hurt by seeing him so close to Meilei. She wanted to drag them apart. Rooted to the spot because she knew with Kai’s temper, he would explode at her.
Kai needed to shock her into knowing what was coming if she didn’t cave a little. He hated using scare tactics to control situations but was thinking about Yue long-term.
Kai’s expression fell. His eyes, which were hard and narrowed, opened in confusion as he frowned down at her and relaxed his grip subconsciously.
“What are you talking about?” Kai swept over her face, watching for subtle clues. The way she avoided him, the slight tremble of her lip as she muttered those words. Something deep in his mind, tingling as though he should understand more than she was saying, but he couldn’t connect it.
Was she trying to manipulate him again? Was this a pity act and a clever lie to make him doubt his mother?
“Ask her yourself.” Meilei ignored Anna and used her shoulder against his torso to force herself around while tugging at the handle to escape him. Due to his slightly confused state, he stepped back just enough with her shove to let her free and was too caught in his thoughts to stop her. Meilei slid out and took off at speed to put distance between them in case Kai pursued, but he didn’t.
He knew it was pointless until they both calmed down so he could find a solution she agreed to. He had time to talk to her again and make her see sense, but what she said bothered him. Rooted to the spot, he narrowed his gaze and zoned out as he thought about the past.
He wanted to laugh outright at her attempt to throw a curveball his way, but a haunting memory lingering in his head was gnawing at him. Distracting him as something was almost poking him in the back of his skull. He had no idea what.
“Are you just going to let her make defamatory statements and walk out? What the hell is going on, Kai?” Anna snapped out of her sulking and marched towards him, following him when he turned and walked to his desk, nipping at his heels like a miniature dog.