Page 172 of Forgotten Prejudice

“I think I’m going to call her,” I said, my face half-buried in Kai’s chest.

“No, don’t do that. I already told her off for suggesting it.”

I pulled back just enough to face him. “Are you sure? I feel like I need to do it, too.”

Kai brought his hand to my face and softly caressed my cheeks. “I’ve already settled it with her. She even cried. You know how she is.”

Zoe was always more emotional, and so was I.

“Why would she do that?” My brows pulled close as I studied Kai’s face, hoping he’d have some kind of an answer.

“She was always jealous of you. You know that, right? Maybe it’s what led her to that… I mean, she broke up with her boyfriend recently, and maybe seeing us being stronger than ever bothered her.”

“Oh.” Now I felt a bit sad for her.

“I also told her that she shouldn’t come to visit next month.”

I gasped. “You shouldn’t have done that. What about Paris?”

“I’ll fly to meet him. I think it would be for the best.”

My throat constricted, and I swallowed hard before speaking. “Are you sure about that? I don’t want to stand in your way.”

His eyes gleamed before he pulled me back into a tight hug. “Your way is the only one I care about, babe.”

If Kai was willing to risk his family for my sake, how could I not give him a real chance? And if the mere thought of him having another child with Zoe bothered me so much, didn’t it mean he was the one I wanted? If not, why else would I react the way I just did? Even now, so worried that he might leave, I couldn’t bring myself to let go of his body and instead hugged him tighter.

“Guys, did you hear the news?” Andrei said as he burst into the kitchen, not minding us at all before he made his way to the living room. When did he even come back home? Confused, we quickly let go of each other and followed him into the living room in time for him to switch on the TV. The split screen showed photos of a fire in the middle of the ocean, and it took me a few seconds to realize that it was the remains of an airplane. Confused, I immediately read the headline displayed at the bottom of the screen: A private plane crashed in the middle of the sea; among the passengers, the multi-billionaire Christian W. Rogers. All four passengers, including the two crew members, are suspected to be dead.

My eyes widened with shock as I reread the headline, not believing what I was seeing. Beside me, Kai and Andrei were just as stunned with disbelief because this accident felt like a divine intervention.

Soren

“You look dashing.” I smiled at Ashton.

Dressed in a brown sweatshirt and bright blue jeans, he looked lovely, and I missed his beautiful face after I’d last seen him over a week ago.

Ashton’s lips quirked up, and he moved a hand over his clothes, ready to speak, when someone else cut in.

“Thanks. He’s wearing my clothes,” Kai said before joining the table and taking the seat closest to Ashton.

Wonderful.

“Kai,” Ashton sighed, already looking tired.

“What? It is my sweatshirt. Although it always looked better on you, babe.” Kai grinned and wrapped one arm around Ashton’s shoulder, then waved his hand toward the free chair. “Why are you still standing? Sit down, make yourself at home, man.”

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I sat down and placed the white napkin on my lap. I wore one of my favorite suits and had no intention of getting it dirty with whatever food Kai would serve us. “Your restaurant is lovely,” I said despite not meaning it. The place looked as if a flea market and a warehouse had a baby, and that baby was color-blind. Everything was so flashy and vibrant, plants popping out of nowhere and random pictures hanging on the walls without any order. My mind went crazy, and I’d been counting the seconds since I’d gotten here. I assumed this place was what kids would refer to as “cool,” but I found it tacky—the same as its owner and his stupid ponytail.

“Thanks, man.” Kai smiled at me like the moron he was, his fingers tapping against the table.

The sound was so annoying that I was tempted to snap his fingers like chopsticks.

“Want something to drink until the food’s ready?” he asked, getting my attention back.

“Soren loves pinot noir,” Ashton said, mostly to himself, before he realized he spoke out loud. An awkward little smile quickly took over his lips, and he chuckled. “I mean, you used to love it.”

“I still do.” Knowing he remembered my love for red wine was somehow adorable, and it could have been a wonderful moment if not for Kai clearing his throat like some caveman.