It feels so weird writing typing again. I'm sorry I haven't been active for the last couple months. School has just started up again, I got a job, and I've been swamped! But I'll be updating all the stories soon (starting with this one). Thank you all for being so patient, and I hope you like what's to come :)

Update: I did repost this as the previous part got deleted

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KAI POV

"-so what do you think?" Kai's client asked, snapping Kai out of his thoughts.

Truthfully, Kai hadn't been listening to a single word the client had said. Instead he'd been staring blatantly at Cinder, right over the clients shoulder. Right now, Cinder was filling up a coffee cup for a blonde-headed customer, but Kai wasn't really paying attention to her actions. Instead, he was trying to memorize every single expression that crossed her face. The flit of annoyance when a customer asked for more whipped cream. The forced smile when an older man commented on her hair. The expression of relief as she caught a coffee cup that could've caused a terrible spill.

But for now he'd have to ignore that or he'd lose more than Cinder. "Since this is a very big investment," Kai said making up some bullshit, "I need you to repeat the question. This way you can think about the question more."

The client raised his eyebrows. "Wow you really are good. When my friends said you were the best stockbroker in the country I didn't believe them."

Kai smiled at the compliment he'd heard hundreds of times before. "Thank you. The question?"

The client blinked and then nodded. "Right. I wasn't sure given were DOW is right now whether or not to invest. It's dropped a lot of points since-"

"-the presidency," Kai finished for the client. The client nodded. "You buying a couple of shares isn't going to make you broke. I'd recommend investing about $5,000. According to the predictions, the share is at the lowest it's been in 10 years. And if it ends up dropping even more, what's $5,000 dollars to you? Three hours salary?"

The client pursed his lips and thought over Kai's words. Kai already knew what the answer would be.

"Yes, I suppose that's correct," the client said. "Yes I do."

Kai smiled at him and held out his hand to shake, "Pleasure doing business with you." The client took his hand and shook it. Then he pulled out a briefcase that contained a large sum of money. "Thank you for the help. I assume I'll be able to apply this information to other stocks as well?"

"Not necessarily," Kai replied. "It only applies to stocks worth above $1000 but worth less than $1500. Otherwise, you'll have to hire another stockbroker."

The client smiled, handing over the briefcase. "Well I have your business card so I'll give you a call."

Kai smiled, stood up and waved goodbye to his client. Then he sat back down and opened the briefcase to find a large sum of money. He smiled. Less than 30 minutes of his time, and he was still able to make a profit.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the chair screeching opposite from him. He looked up to see Cinder, pulling her hair out of the bun it was in and letting it fall down her shoulders- the way he liked it best.

"The shop is closed for now, and Scarlet's still in the back so we'll be uninterrupted."

Cinder leaned across the table, smirking.

Kai gulped. This was about to be a long meeting.


Thorne POV

"Oh my god that was you? Shut up!"

Thorne groaned, opening his eyes, and feeling next to him. He abruptly sat up, Cress's spot on the bed was cold. Thorne quickly looked under the blankets (just to make sure since Cress was small).

"Stop it!" Cress's voice came from the next room, high pitched.

Thorne abruptly jumped up, running out of the bedroom with just his boxers to see Cress...

...laughing?

"Oh my god those are atrocious. I looked so ugly. Oh my-"

"Ahem," Thorne said.

"-god," Cress continued, as if she didn't hear Thorne. "Why did you ever-"

"Cress," Thorne tried again, louder.

Cress and Kinney both turned to him, and Kinney's mouth dropped open. Cress turned bright red. She got up abruptly, from her spot right next to Kinney.

"I didn't expect you to be up this early," Cress said, laughing nervously.

"Well I am. What is he doing in my house."

Cress rolled her eyes. "Our apartment," she corrected. "Anyways, Kinney was just-"

"-leaving," Kinney said, getting up.

"No, no Kinney you don't have to leave," Cress said, grabbing his arm.

Kinney quickly looked at Thorne, but Thorne was looking at Cress's hand on Kinney's.

"I only agreed to talking to you. Not to him. Especially not after what he did to Cinder," Kinney said.

Cress dropped her hand and glared at Thorne. "Kin just give me like 2 minutes with Thorne okay? I just really want to make things right with Cinder and Thorne. He didn't mean to do it."

Kin? How long did they know each other?

Kinney sighed and then clenched his jaw. "Fine. Just cause it's you, crescent roll."

Crescent Roll? What the-

Cress grinned. "Thank you! You're the best."

Then Cress turned to Thorne, oblivious to Thorne's glaring at Kinney, and pulled him into their bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

"What the hell was that?" Cress asked, exasperated.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm trying to make things right with Cinder and you're just being a... a dick!"

Thorne scoffed. "I'm being a dick? Really? I think my reaction was perfectly normal when there's a random guy talking to my girlfriend in our apartment! Especially when the douchebag who has a history of stealing of my friend's girlfriends," Thorne yelled.

"He's trying to help Thorne."

"Well I don't want him in my house!"

Cress stepped towards him, pushing him lightly into the door. "Our apartment."

Thorne stumbled back a little bit, not expecting this side of Cress. "S-sorry," he stuttered, "But this is fucking stupid. I can just figure this out myself. I mean Cinder will-"

He was interrupted by Cress's pointer finger on his lips, effectively silencing him

"First you're going to listen to what I'm saying."

Thorne rolled his eyes again.

She slapped him lightly on his shoulder. "You're going to listen to me nicely."

Thorne raised his eyebrows sarcastically.

"Then you're going to make up with Kinney and listen to my plan to make up with Cinder. And then you're going to make breakfast, apologize profusely to me, and then we're going to make out."

Thorne smirked, and Cress dropped her hand. "Does it have to be in that order?"

Cress stepped away from him, crossing her arms across her chest. "Yes."

Thorne considered his options. "I really like you when you're commanding."

Cress suppressed a smirk. "Good."

"I'm sorry," Thorne finally said.

Cress sighed. "I know. But you need to say sorry to Kinney too."

Thorne clenched his jaw, but deep down he knew that when Cress said something he obliged.


Cinder POV

"Hi," Cinder said, breaking the silence first.

Kai's eyes were glued to lips. "Hey."

"Do you want anything? Coffee? A donut?"

Kai shook his head, his eyes meeting hers. "I just want to talk and maybe clarify things."

Cinder nodded, pushing herself back in her chair. Her stomach fluttered. What if she was right about Kai? What if he actually cheated? Deep down she knew she was wrong, but she couldn't cross that off as being a possibility. "I want to know why you did it. And who Levana is."

Kai sighed and put his head in his hands. "I don't even know where to start."

"Anywhere."

Kai sighed again, moving his head out of his hands, but still refusing to look at her.

"Levana was a coworker."

Cinder let out a breath. "Kai, that's BS and we both know it. Just tell me the truth. I think I deserve to hear it."

Kai bit his lip, and then looked up at Cinder. "Sorry, I just-"

Before she could stop herself, Cinder put her hand on Kai's shaking one. "Start anywhere. No matter how... bad it is, I can deal with it," she said. But the words felt like lies the second she said it.

Kai made eye contact with her, his cheeks a little red, and then he looked down at her hand.

"My dad retired and gave me his position in his company a couple years before I met you."

"Rikan Corporations," Cinder said.

Kai nodded, still not looking at her. "A year before I met you, my dad came to me with a proposition. A businesswoman named Channary Blackburn was set to make a deal with our company. This deal needed to go perfectly, and if it didn't our stock could be ruined. So, in order to ensure that it did, I had to start dating her only daughter."

"Levana?" Cinder asked.

Kai gulped and nodded. "I met her 6 months before the deal took place. She was... beautiful."

Cinder's heart dropped.

"But it was all fake. Her personality was fake, she was fake, and our relationship was fake. We just needed the publicity and we needed to get under Channary's good graces. The deal went well, and I was planning on breaking up with Levana. But... that didn't go as planned. Channary died because of lung cancer. Apparently she'd been smoking a pack a day since she was 15 and that took a toll on her body. Channary's husband died so everything went to Levana. And given the transfer of power, Levana blackmailed me: she would break off the deal if I broke up with her."

"Then why'd you start dating me?"

Kai looked up at her. "I'm so sorry Cinder. I didn't mean to bring you up into this corporate shit, but you were so... real." Kai looked up at her, "You are smart and beautiful and funny and when I saw you when I was getting lunch with my dad I just- I knew I would get married to you. Because you were everything that she wasn't. You were everything I wanted. Everything I needed."

Cinder gulped and moved her hand off Kai's. "I-"

"Just let me finish, please," Kai said, pleadingly.

Cinder nodded, worried if she said something she would start crying.

"I broke up with Levana the weekend I met you."

Cinder raised her eyebrows- that was a shock.

"Levana was furious, obviously, but she compromised. She was only interested in the company shares and how they could benefit her company so I gave my secretary, Torrin, full control of the relationship with Levana's company. Levana found another boyfriend within a week. His name was Aimery Park."

Cinder's stomach dropped. "Aimery. As in Cress's-"

"-ex. While you and I were getting closer, I started distancing myself from the company. I didn't know that Aimery cheated on Levana with Cress until much later. Levana found out that you and Cress and I were all friends, so she threatened to ruin my company and yours."

"My mechanical shop?"

"Yeah. I- I didn't know what to do so I made a deal with her. I would get back together with her, but rather than our relationship being public it would just be private."

"You were blackmailed?"

Kai nodded and cleared his throat. "She, um, she forced me to sleep with her. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to-"

Cinder felt sick. Her hand jumped to her mouth. "Kai. Kai, this isn't your fault. I'm so sorry I didn't know. I-"

"It's not your fault," Kai said, looking up at her and giving her a weak smile. "I should've told you."

Kai. He was so in love with her that he didn't want her company to be ruined. He didn't want his father to face any shame. He didn't want thousands of employees to lose their jobs. So he gave himself up.

"It was only a couple of times. The day you broke up with me was the day I ended it with her. She threatened to ruin your company, but I had enough money to buy it back. My dad's company," Kai laughed humorlessly. "wasn't so lucky. A lot of people lost their jobs, and I didn't know what to do. Thankfully, I found myself again. I built a startup stockbroking company and employed some people there and employed some at my Celebrity Agency." He paused, "I don't know where Levana is now, and I don't care."

Cinder looked at Kai as he stared at the table. She couldn't believe that he'd carried this pain around for so long.

And the pain was because of her.

And he wasn't even blaming her. He kept blaming himself.

Cinder stood up and moved to the other side of the table. She knelt down so she was at his height, and then enveloped him in a hug.

Kai stiffened, but then melted in her arms. And soon she felt a wet spot near her shoulder. She'd never seen him so vulnerable before.

"Let it all go, Kai," she whispered in his ear.

The sobs that followed confirmed that he did.


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Was definitely lot expecting any of this to get as angsty as it did, but I think we needed an explanation for their breakup. The next part will not be as serious. If any of you live in America, thank you for voting. And for people everywhere, know that it will (hopefully) get better.

I will be updating more often because I'm taking a break from work until mid March. So please review to see more parts.

PLEASE REVIEW