Chapter 6
When Declan arrived at the company the next morning, he ran straight into Samira at the entrance.
Samira had no idea that he had already returned from his overseas trip with Kylie, so she halted mid-step. The sudden encounter clearly caught her off guard.
For a brief moment, surprise flashed across Declan's eyes. It disappeared just as quickly, replaced by the cold indifference he always carried. He assumed she had just come back from some work assignment and didn't give it another thought. Without showing the slightest reaction, he walked past Samira as if she were no more than a stranger and continued toward his office without slowing down.
In the past, the moment Samira learned that Declan had returned, excitement would fill her chest. Even if she held herself back from rushing over to him, the happiness would still show on her face. She would greet him warmly with a soft "Hello," no matter how distant and cold he acted toward her.
But this time was different. Samira only looked at him for a brief second before lowering her gaze. Her face stayed calm and empty. There was no sign of happiness or excitement at all. Declan didn't notice anything unusual. He remained wrapped in his own indifference and left without saying a single word.
As Samira watched his figure disappear down the corridor, she couldn't help wondering how long he had already been back.
Then another thought pressed down on her chest. If Declan had returned, it meant the divorce would soon be brought up.
Samira forced herself to stop thinking about it. She had already made up her mind. There was no point wasting any more of her energy on a man who had never seen her as anything more than a responsibility. She returned to her desk and focused on her work again.
About thirty minutes later, the phone on her desk rang.
Caleb's curt voice came from the other end of the line. He told her to prepare two cups of coffee and deliver them to Mr. Whitmore's office.
In the past, when Samira had still been trying to win Declan's heart, she put great effort into mastering the art of making coffee because she knew how much he liked it. She spent countless hours studying every detail. She experimented with different beans, paid attention to the aroma, and adjusted the measurements again and again. When Declan eventually accepted her coffee as the only one he would drink, both at home and at the office, Samira believed she had finally taken an important step closer to him. That small success filled her with pride and gave her hope that their future might slowly improve.
But Samira had misjudged the distance Declan kept between them.
Yes, Declan enjoyed the coffee she made, but that was all it meant to him. The habit never softened the cold attitude he held toward her. No matter what she did, the gap between them remained wide.
Whenever Declan wanted his favorite coffee, he had Caleb contact Samira to prepare it. After the drink was ready, Caleb or another employee usually came to pick it up. Declan almost never allowed Samira to enter his office herself. Only on rare occasions, when his assistants were too busy to handle it, did she get the chance to bring the tray to him in person.
From the tone Caleb used this time, Samira understood that she was expected to deliver the coffee herself. She prepared the two cups carefully, arranged them neatly on a tray, and walked toward Declan's office. The door stood slightly open.
Samira stopped outside for a moment. Just before she knocked, her eyes drifted through the narrow opening, and she suddenly froze.
Merrick was sitting on Declan's lap. Their faces were so close that it looked as if they were about to kiss.
The color drained from Samira's face at once, leaving her pale and stiff.
Startled by the sudden situation, Merrick quickly stood up and stepped away from Declan's lap.
Declan's face hardened immediately, and his voice cut through the room with sharp anger.
"Who told you that you could come in?"
Samira tightened her grip on the tray and spoke quietly.
"I only came to deliver the coffee..."
Just then, Vale, another one of Declan's secretaries, arrived at the doorway. The moment he saw what was happening, his expression changed. Since he was already familiar with the situation, his voice turned cold.
"Samira, you should know by now that this kind of thing is pointless."
Vale didn't bother explaining further, but the meaning behind his words was obvious. In his mind, Samira had deliberately used the coffee as an excuse so she could catch Declan together with Merrick. The cold look in Declan's eyes suggested he believed the same thing.
Maybe in the past Samira might have done something like that.
But now that she had already decided to end their marriage, there was no reason for her to humiliate herself with such tricks. Still, no one in the room gave her the chance to defend herself.
Vale's voice rang out again, firm and impatient. "Leave. Right now."
Samira bit down hard on her lip as tears filled her eyes. Her hands shook, causing the tray to tremble. The hot coffee spilled over the edge of the cup and splashed onto her fingers. The burning heat made her body shiver, but she said nothing. Without another word, she turned around and walked away.
She had barely taken a few steps when Declan's familiar cold voice rang out behind her. "Don't even think about coming back to work next time."
The words sounded like a warning, but it was nothing less than a disguised dismissal.
In truth, Samira had already submitted her resignation. Her departure was only a matter of time. They simply hadn't found someone to replace her yet. Still, being wrongly accused and treated as someone who played petty tricks deepened the pain she already carried.
Samira didn't respond.
She kept walking forward, still holding the tray in her hands.
Behind her, Merrick's sweet and syrupy voice drifted over.
"Come on, Declan. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it. Let's not stay upset with each other, alright?"
A wave of bitterness rose in Samira's chest, but she forced it down. When she reached the break room, she dumped the coffee into the sink and quickly turned on the cold water. The cool stream ran over her reddened fingers.
She took a small tube of ointment from her bag and applied it with practiced ease. A trace of bitter irony crossed her mind. "Look at me now. I'm practically a skilled cook and waitress."
Before marrying Declan, Samira had never done any housework. She didn't know how to cook, and she certainly didn't know how to make coffee properly. But during the years she spent beside him, she had poured her time and effort into learning everything. She had worked hard to become almost perfect at these things, even though he had never truly appreciated it.
The ointment she used had originally been meant for their child's small cuts and scrapes. It became unnecessary after Kylie followed Declan to Goldland. Still, Samira kept it in her bag out of habit. Today, at least, it proved useful for treating her burn.
After finishing with the ointment, Samira forced down the tight ache pressing against her chest and returned to her desk. She focused on the files in front of her and continued working as though nothing unusual had happened.
Not long after, a faint wave of whispers reached her ears. A few coworkers nearby had gathered and were speaking quietly. "Did you hear? Mr. Whitmore's girlfriend came to the company today."
"Seriously? He has a girlfriend? Who is she? Is she pretty?"
"I heard she comes from a very wealthy family. The receptionist said she's gorgeous and carries herself with an incredible presence."
When Samira stood up to head to a meeting, the conversation stopped at once. The coworkers who had been gossiping looked embarrassed. They forced awkward smiles and spoke quickly.
"We should focus on work first. We can talk about that later."
Samira instantly realized they were referring to Merrick. Still, she said nothing. She gathered her documents and followed them toward the elevator.
After they reached the ground floor, the group walked toward the meeting room. On the way, they ran into Merrick. She stood surrounded by four senior executives from the company. Each of them seemed eager to impress her. They carefully chose their words and behaved with exaggerated politeness, clearly trying to leave the best possible impression.
Merrick wore an expensive designer outfit, and everything about her carried the air of a pampered heiress. Confidence showed in every small movement she made. Even though she spoke politely, the way she carried herself made it clear that she already regarded the executives as people beneath her.
The executives acted overly respectful. Some of them almost looked ready to bow.
"Considering your relationship with Mr. Whitmore, Mrs. Sloane, this is the least we could do."
"You're being too generous with your praise."
Their smiles stretched wide across their faces, but the eagerness in their expressions looked forced.
When they noticed Samira and her coworkers stepping out of the elevator, their expressions immediately darkened. One of the executives frowned and spoke sharply. "Watch where you're going! What if you had bumped into Mrs. Sloane? Don't you people have any manners?"
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