Sweet Hatred
Chapter 34: A threat.

Chapter 34: A threat.

The Sarah I knew wasn’t easily fooled, but then—

"That makes sense, I guess." She sighed. "I mean, why he’s dragging you around like that." She continued. "You’re practically like a leashed dog." She giggled.

"Ugh! Tell me about it." Relief washed over me, and I slowly melted into her arms. Her embrace was warm, her chest as soft and inviting as ever.

"That bastard just does whatever he wants," I grumbled.

Sarah chuckled. "Yeah, I’m just praying you don’t run him over one of these days."

"Oh, believe me, I’m planning to."

Her laughter deepened, low and knowing. "Just call me—I’ll help you get rid of the body."

I couldn’t help it. A smile bubbled up from somewhere deep inside me, breaking through the weight I had been carrying.

For a heartbeat—everything felt right again.

Maybe this is what I needed.

For the next minute or so, we focused on the menu, debating what to order. And then—just like that—the thought resurfaced, creeping back into my mind.

The real reason I had lost my job in the first place.

I shifted, resting my head against Sarah’s shoulder while she studied the menu. "Speaking of work..."

She turned slightly toward me. "What about it?"

"I think some bastard set me up. And they succeeded—because I did lose my job... well, for a moment. Then I got it back. But the point is—"

I peeled away from Sarah’s warmth to face her. "Someone is trying to sabotage me, and I don’t think they’re going to stop now that I’m back in."

Sarah’s eyes widened, as if the realization had just hit her too. Slowly, she slid the menu away and folded her arms.

"Who do you think the main suspect is?" I asked, hoping she’d have an idea. I’d already run a few names through my mind over and over again but nothing—or rather, no one—clicked. Maybe Sarah had a better grasp of what went on behind my back. No she definitely did and I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to tell me.

"I’m not sure. Everyone seems pretty normal... well, almost."

I narrowed my eyes. "Or do you think someone was happy to see me fired?"

Sarah fell silent for a moment, then her lips parted. "Mia, maybe?"

"Mia?" My reaction was immediate, my voice breaking through the quiet. The only reason I could think of was me walking in on her and Kael at his office but that was only after I had been fired so it didn’t really make sense.

Although Mia and I had never been friendly, we barely crossed paths. I couldn’t think of a single time we had an altercation—no words exchanged, no real reason for her to go out of her way to sabotage me.

I exhaled, letting my head fall back against the seat.

"You could check with IT," Sarah suggested. "Maybe they can pull up the CCTV footage. See if anyone’s been snooping around."

My eyes snapped back to her. "That’s brilliant." I sat up straight, energy coursing through me. Why hadn’t I thought of that?

Sarah and I settled back into our seats, the conversation momentarily shifting from corporate sabotage to something far less nerve-wracking—Eric. Apparently he had been trying to get to me through Sarah by contacting her multiple times after I blocked him everywhere. That pile of shit in human form.

"Just block him." I said firmly cutting through the omelette before me.

"Well I did. But he seems really desperate." Sarah answered, feeding me a bite of her food.

"Of course he is. What a sore loser." I couldn’t believe I had let that bastard play me.

"I know but maybe you should hear him out." Sarah pleaded softly and I froze for a second giving her the ’are you being fucking for real right now?’ look. She rolled her eyes with a coy smile and turned to her food.

"Fine whatever, but you’re staying at mines tonight right?"

***

The Next Morning, HQ stood intimidating as usual in front of me, sleek glass windows reflecting the early morning sun as I stepped out of the taxi with Sarah. I spent the night at her place. The moment my heels hit the pavement, my mind split into two conflicting thoughts.

One side: Get to IT. Check the footage. Find out who has been tampering with your work.

The other: Kael. Although he didn’t bother me with any text, annoyance still bubbled inside me. I refused to give him space in my head.

It didn’t matter how his hands had felt on me. It didn’t matter how his voice had wrapped around my name like a dark promise. None of that mattered.

"Stop frowning," Sarah muttered as we walked toward the entrance. "You look like you’re about to set the place on fire."

I forced a neutral expression, but the second we entered the building, the tension in my body doubled. The elevator ride felt long. Every floor that passed brought me closer to him.

Focus, Aria.

But as soon as the elevator doors slid open on the last floor—Kael’s floor—I barely had a second to react before someone grabbed me.

Strong fingers wrapped around my wrist, yanking me to the side.

Mia.

She dragged me into a quiet corner, her grip bruising. Her expression was unreadable, but her dark eyes burned with something dangerously close to a dark intent.

"What the hell?" I hissed, yanking my arm free.

Mia took a step closer, her lips curling into a slow smirk. "We need to talk."

I crossed my arms, mirroring her glare. "What? Are you about to profess your undying love for me? Make it quick, I might say yes."

Her smirk faltered for a second before she sneered. "You really think you won, huh?"

I raised a brow. "Won? Won what?"

Sarah’s words echoed in my mind. Did she really try to sabotage me? But why? It still didn’t make sense. Mia and I barely spoke or looked at each other... Well until the whole incident.

"Don’t play dumb." Her voice dropped, laced with venom. "You think he’s going to keep you around forever?"

I frowned. "What are you talking about?" I knew who she was referring to but something about her tone was starting to piss me off. She was talking like I went on my knees to get a taste of his dick to keep my job.

Mia stepped closer—too close—her hands slamming against the wall on either side of me. The classic kabedon. Except there was nothing seductive about this. This was a warning. A threat.

"Kael will get bored of you soon," she hissed. "You’re just a new toy, a little distraction. That’s all you’ll ever be."

I let out a slow breath, tilting my head. "Tch. Please, I’m hoping he does."

Her expression twitched.

I leaned in, my voice dropping just enough that she had to listen. "You think I want him? You can have him. In fact, I beg you to keep him chained to you, so he can finally stop wasting his time on me."

For a second—just a second—her breath hitched.

But then her jaw clenched, and I knew I’d struck a nerve.