Keith's gaze snapped to Jayden, cold, furious, and restrained. Sarah felt it even without looking. The tension between them was thick, suffocating, like a wire pulled too tight.
"You'd better take your seat, Keith," Jayden said calmly, his eyes never leaving him. "Dinner is about to begin."
The authority in his voice left no room for argument.
Keith clenched his jaw. Whatever he wanted to say, whatever anger burned behind his eyes, he swallowed it down. Confronting Sarah here was impossible. Reluctantly, he took his seat. Jayden turned to Sarah as if nothing had happened, his expression composed and unreadable.
"Enjoy your dinner," he murmured.
Sarah didn't answer. She didn't even lift her eyes. If she did, she feared she might shatter. Now her thoughts spun wildly. She did not mishear when the man said that Jayden and Keith were father and son.
The realization settled heavily in her chest: she was trapped right in the middle of it.
Sarah almost choked and couldn't swallow. Her tongue forgot how to taste the food. The sweet was turning sour, the savory tasted bitter. She couldn't even lift her eyes to look at him. Keith looked angry to see that Sarah had lied to him. Although he couldn't speak, his eyes didn't leave her, piercing her intently.
"Are you okay?" Jayden whispered.
Sarah gasped and turned left to look at him. He gawked at her, watching her closely, as if she had done something suspicious.
"Uhm. I—"
"You cannot leave before I say so."
Sarah almost choked on her saliva. How could Jayden read her mind? She wanted to leave so badly, yet she felt like she had been trapped behind bars.
"Sir?" she sighed, trying to negotiate.
"Finish your meal, then we'll talk later."
He didn't request; he commanded her. He wasn't her boss yet, but he dominated Sarah as if she had no option.
Sarah didn't put up an argument, but her expression clearly changed. She took a glass of water and slowly sipped it. The tension was rising now. Something heavy pressed down on her chest, but she couldn't see it. The worst night ever.
She didn't finish her meal, but Jayden finally nodded, his side glance on her. He signalled for her to stand up and leave the table.
"Excuse me, Sir. I need to use the bathroom." Sarah tried to find an opportunity. Her eyes begged him so she could leave and take a breath for a moment. Jayden only nodded with a slight, flat gaze.
"Thanks."
She wasted no time rushing to the door. She asked the doorman which bathroom she could use.
Meanwhile, Keith's eyes didn't leave her. He glanced at Jayden, who had been talking with one of his uncles. This was his chance to leave. He followed Sarah. He walked outside and asked the doorman who had just directed Sarah to the bathroom.
Inside, Sarah took her time to calm herself. She faced the mirror, then washed her hands in the basin while staring at herself. She was bracing herself to face Keith. She had been confident enough to make him pay. But now, she felt helpless and miserable. Keith had controlled her life. He told her what to do and what to decide. Stupidly, Sarah had thought it was his love.
She kept staring at the mirror when, suddenly, a knock from outside jolted her.
"Sarah? Are you there?"
Sarah gasped as her eyes widened. Keith had followed her. She didn't have much time to think. She couldn't hide now, could she?
She closed the tap and quickly pulled a tissue to dry her wet hands. Her breath quickened, and the nervousness began to take hold. It was so hard to face Keith now. Her self-esteem slowly dropped.
She walked to the door and slowly opened it. Keith's annoyed scoff was the first thing she heard.
"Come here!"
Keith suddenly grabbed Sarah's wrist and dragged her out. She couldn't anticipate it or fight; she had to follow. It wasn't far from the hall door when Keith let go of her hand and interrogated her.
"What are you doing here?" Keith's high pitch was restrained, but the grit was clearly heard.
"Having dinner." Sarah rolled her eyes left and right, not intending to look at him.
"With whom?"
Sarah clutched her chest. His cynicism brought her to a bitter reality she never wanted to face. She had been so blind to see that Keith never loved her. She felt sorry for her stupidity.
"Do you know who he is? Jayden Lin is an asshole!" Keith stressed his words, cursing Jayden. Sarah could not believe what she heard. Keith was furious, and he would act compulsively to hurt Sarah if she tried to fight him.
Sarah's brain could hardly think of a way out. She couldn't show resistance; it would only ruin her plan. So, she sweetly smiled at Keith, then stroked his arm softly.
"Keith, you misunderstood. I'm not having dinner with Jayden Lin. I mean, I'm—"
"You are his assistant! How come?" Keith's pitch grew higher, and he scoffed irritably. His eyes roamed around, showing how uncomfortable he was. Something had damaged his dignity because he had lost authority over his girlfriend. He wanted to hurt her, but he could not raise his hand against her. Sarah had to handle this without raising suspicion.
"I need a job, Keith."
Keith scoffed disbelievingly. "What?" he squeaked, then shook his head.
"You have a job with me, at my company! Why would you betray me?" he gritted angrily. His fingers curled into a fist as if he was ready to hit, but Sarah kept stroking his arm to calm him.
"No, I don't. I never thought that way. Listen… we are going to have a project with SJ. If I work for them, I can leak the information." Sarah whispered the lies to save herself. She couldn't think further without making Keith suspicious.
Keith would never trust easily. Therefore, Sarah must find a way. He could punch her now, and nothing was coming back. She could lose the design, and everything would be messed up later.
Don't provoke him. Not now. Not when he's already this close to exploding.
"I don't trust you." He replied.
Sarah's fingers tightened slightly before she forced them to relax again. She knew that tone. It was the same voice he used right before losing control. Her brain scrambled for something believable, something simple enough that Keith wouldn't overthink. If she sounded too prepared, he would notice. If she hesitated too long, he would suspect.
She softened her expression, letting her shoulders drop just enough to look smaller. Her fingers then stroked slowly from arm to shoulder, then the neck. His breath became regular, and his tensed shoulder dropped. Sarah forced her mind to persuade Keith confidently. She had the strength to keep him under control. She has to trust herself.
"Keith…" she said gently, brushing her thumb lightly over his sleeve. "Why would I betray you?"
She watched him carefully as she spoke. The tension in his jaw and the tightness around his eyes slowly dropped. Her touches calmed him. They were neither too fast nor too defensive. She let him feel in control.
"I'm doing this for us," she added quietly. "For your company."
Keith's gaze stayed sharp, scanning her face like he was trying to peel her apart layer by layer.
"I can't find the file. Are you the one who took the design? Are you trying to sell it by yourself?"
"No, of course not. Why would I do that?"
Sarah's heart is thumping so hard. She worried that he would find her lying. But she kept playing like an innocent Barbie. She smiled and reassured him that he was overthinking things.
"We'll find the file tomorrow, okay."