"Oh!" I blinked, stopping just short of barreling into Jessica. Her expression morphed from mild annoyance to that unsettlingly sweet smile she wore when she was scheming.
"Kiara," she said, tone dripping with fake warmth. "Didn’t expect to see you around here. You hardly co to this side of the floor."
I straightened, eting her gaze without an ounce of warmth. "Jessica. Just passing through," I replied, nonchalant, forcing a casual smile.
"Passing through Gabriel’s office?" she asked, her eyebrow arching as she folded her arms, leaning in with interest. "Strange. I thought you two weren’t exactly... close these days. You said you wanted to break up. Which is quite shocking for ."
"Isn’t it normal for coworkers to drop by?" I tilted my head, mirroring her curiosity, even as I felt irritation prickling under my skin. "What about you? You seem to be in his office an awful lot lately. From what I know you got promoted into another office."
She gave a light laugh, waving off my question. "Oh, we’re just discussing a few things. He’s been under a lot of stress, you know?" Her smile held just a hint of sothing taunting. "Soone has to be there for him."
I ignored her insinuation, shrugging. "I’m sure he appreciates your... support."
"Oh, he does," she replied, her voice soft and smug. She glanced around, as if checking for eavesdroppers, before leaning in closer. "But I can’t help but wonder... what were you two discussing a while back? It looked serious."
The smug look on her face was enough to make my jaw clench, but I kept my tone even. "Oh, just so company business. You wouldn’t be interested."
"Business?" she echoed, feigning surprise. "Gabriel told you hardly understand that kind of thing. He’s always had to guide you through... well, pretty much everything, hasn’t he?"
I forced a laugh, my eyes not leaving hers. "Funny, that’s not how I rember it. And he’s the one who ca to asking for advice more often than not."
Jessica’s smile flickered, her eyes narrowing slightly. She recovered quickly, though, shrugging with forced nonchalance. "I’m just curious, that’s all. It’s not every day that I see you... lingering."
"Curiosity is a dangerous thing, Jessica," I said smoothly, matching her fake warmth. "Sotis it gets people into trouble they can’t handle."
She paused, a flicker of sothing in her eyes, but she quickly covered it with another laugh. "Trouble? Really, Kiara, you’re acting so... mysterious lately. It’s almost as if you’re hiding sothing."
I leaned forward, letting my gaze sharpen just a bit. "Funny you should say that. You’ve been acting a little... secretive yourself. A little more interested in other people’s business than usual."
Jessica’s smile froze, her eyes flashing with sothing I couldn’t quite place—nervousness, maybe. Or perhaps it was a hint of irritation. "Oh, don’t be silly. I’m just looking out for an old friend," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness.
"Is that what we are? Old friends?" I replied, arching an eyebrow.
She gave a small shrug, her lips curving into a knowing smirk. "Oh, of course. We go way back, don’t we? High school, sleepovers, all those late nights sharing secrets..." Her voice trailed off, almost wistful, though I knew better than to trust it.
"Speaking of those sleepovers," I began, an idea forming. "Why don’t we have one? Like old tis." I kept my tone light, as if it were the most casual suggestion in the world.
She blinked, caught off guard. "A sleepover?" she repeated, sounding almost suspicious.
I shrugged, maintaining an easy smile. "Why not? We used to have so much fun back then, didn’t we?"
Jessica’s eyes darted around as if trying to gauge whether I was serious, her carefully composed expression slipping ever so slightly. "Well... I an, I suppose... if you really wanted to..."
"Oh, co on, Jessica." I gave her my best, most genuine smile, layering on the friendliness. "It’ll be fun. We can catch up, like we used to."
She hesitated, clearly weighing her options, before finally forcing a smile of her own. "Alright, Kiara. Why not? A sleepover sounds... nice."
"Great," I replied, managing to sound genuinely enthusiastic. "Your place? I’ll bring snacks, maybe even so wine?"
Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "Sure," she said, a little too quickly. "My place."
"Perfect," I replied, watching her carefully as she straightened, brushing off her clothes as if shaking off the discomfort. "Can’t wait."
"Yeah... neither," she said, her voice lacking any real conviction.
As she turned and walked away, I couldn’t help but feel a small, satisfied smirk tug at my lips. She didn’t know it yet, but she’d just handed an opportunity on a silver platter.
That evening, as I prepared for the so-called "sleepover," I packed a small bag, including my phone charger, so essentials, and—of course—a flash drive. Jessica was hiding sothing, and I was determined to find out what. This wasn’t just about getting back at her. No, this was about understanding the entire ga she and Gabriel were playing, the secrets they’d buried. And if my hunch was correct, I’d have everything I needed by the end of the night.
When I arrived at Jessica’s place, she was all smiles, her apartnt pristine and spotless as always. She’d laid out a few snacks and even poured us each a glass of wine.
"Wow, fancy," I said, taking a sip, trying not to look too eager as I scanned the room for any potential hiding spots.
"Well, only the best for an old friend," she replied, her voice dripping with artificial warmth.
I took a sip of the wine, trying to keep my expression neutral as she settled on the couch beside , crossing her legs with practiced ease. She cast a quick, appraising glance at , her lips curling into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
"It’s been a while since we’ve done this, huh?" Jessica mused, tracing the rim of her wineglass with her finger. "Makes think of those sleepovers back when you were... you know, the ’rich’ Kiara. I still rember raiding your closet every chance I got." She laughed, a faintly mocking edge to her tone.
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