His Other Woman

Austyn whirled around and pinned Kira to the sofa with a glare. ‘What did you just say?’ His eyes narrowed. He took an intimidating step forward, invading her personal space. The look on his face reminded Kira of a wildlife documentary she’d watched. On the vast Serengeti, a lion patiently stalked its prey, pouncing at the last moment and transfixing its victim with a predatory glare before tearing it to pieces. Now she knew how the antelope felt. Kira swallowed hard, glad for the fact that she was sitting down. Her knees would have buckled otherwise. One and a half head taller than her, his standing position only made his height all the more imposing. He was a wide-awake mesomorph; she was petite and dead on her feet. The floor lamp next to the sofa cast a dim yellow halo around his head. Instead of giving him a tender appearance, it only intensified his aura of menace. Kira gripped the glass with both hands. Gulping, she shook her head emphatically. ‘Nothing. Sorry. Forget I said anything.’ She silently berated herself for speaking out of turn. But she was also puzzled. She only made that suggestion because she thought he liked Kayleigh. After all, they’d spent the night together. And if there was a modicum of truth in that news report, it was not the first time they were found in each other’s company. If he had a thing for Kayleigh, wouldn’t he want to be unburdened by his present marriage? Yet, the look on his face was anything but pleased. Kira shrank deeper into the sofa and averted her gaze. The room was shrouded in silence once again. Kira had almost dozed off when she was jolted awake by the sound of a ringtone. Austyn bent down to retrieve his phone from a table beside the sofa. Kira, sitting nearby, caught a glimpse of the lit-up screen. The caller ID said Kayleigh Woods. Austyn answered the call right there in the living room, ‘Hello.’ He was standing inches apart from Kira. She could smell the scent of shampoo from his hair, still half wet. Kira scooted over and tried not to eavesdrop. She couldn’t see his face, but the tone of his voice changed as he listened to the person on the other end of the line. ‘Stay inside. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be there right away.’ He hung up and glanced at Kira. ‘I need to go out. You should get some rest.’ Kira nodded. ‘The roads are slippery. Drive safe, but don’t make her wait too long. It must be something urgent for her to call you at such an hour.’ Austyn gave her a long, hard look. Kira squirmed and resisted the urge to touch her cheeks. Was there something on her face? An interminable minute later, Austyn walked out of the living room. He got dressed in the bedroom and left the house without another word. Kira heard the door close with a bang, then the sound of a car engine starting. She heaved a long sigh. The room no longer felt stuffy now that Austyn was gone from it. Kira rested long enough for some strength to return to her legs. She walked into the bedroom with a spring in her step. Having the spacious house all to herself, Kira could put her feet up. She soaked herself in a relaxing hot bath as she hummed a made-up tune. Halfway through, a thought struck her. ‘Shit!’ She climbed out of the bathtub in a hurry, almost slipping and hitting her head on the wall. She forgot to take the pills. Austyn had come inside her. Kira rummaged through the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and found her stash of birth control pills. The label said the pills worked up to five days after unprotected sex. But they were not a hundred per cent effective. The sooner she took it, the better it would work. Kira swallowed five pink pills with a glass of water. Hopefully, it was not too late. She didn’t want to have a bun in the oven before she finished her studies. Her marriage to Austyn was a secret known to very few people. Kira could have said no, but Mr McCarthy made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. Her father was in the hospital, his life hanging by a thread. The medical bills piled up into an astronomical figure. Way beyond what Kira, a university student, could afford. She had exhausted all avenues for help. But the money she raised was just a drop in the bucket. Only the McCarthy family had the financial wherewithal to help her father. Between marrying a man she barely knew and watching her father die, the choice was a no-brainer. Earlier, she had brought up the idea of divorce on the spur of the moment. But it was not a decision she had the right to make. *** Sunglade Condominiums. Kai Scott, Austyn’s all-purpose right-hand man, swept away the broken shards of glass on the floor with his usual efficiency. He then checked all the windows and doors, making sure they were secure. Heading into the living room, he found his employer smoking on the balcony. ‘Mr McCarthy, I’ve installed the security cameras. They’re up and running.’ Austyn gave a brief nod. ‘Thanks. You can go now.’ Kai closed the door gently on his way out. Kayleigh, dressed in a bathrobe, came out to the balcony after Kai left. She said to Austyn softly, ‘Thank you for coming at such a late hour. I was so scared. I didn’t know who else to call. I know some of my fans could get carried away, but I never thought they’d be so creepy as to try breaking into my house!’ Austyn beckoned to her. ‘Come here.’ Kayleigh perked up immediately and drew near. Her exquisite features were lit up perfectly under the pale moonlight. Her heart fluttering, the actress cooed, ‘Austyn…’ Her words were cut off as Austyn abruptly lifted her chin with a finger. ‘Did you pay the paparazzi to take those photos last night?’ His touch was gentle, his voice even, but his words sent a chill down her spine. ‘Have you forgotten what I told you five years ago?’ Kayleigh’s palms were sweaty. ‘You said… I could have whatever I wanted, as long as I don’t cross the line.’ She never doubted him. When he uttered those words five years ago, Kayleigh said she wanted to be a star. Within three years, she was catapulted from a nobody into A-list stardom. Leading roles in dramas. Paid appearances. Endorsement deals. Millions of adoring fans. Seven-figure contracts. All because of him. Austyn was more than just a man at the helm of a vast business empire. Heaven and earth were moved at his say-so. Kayleigh owed everything she had to him. He made her. He could also break her.