He seemed capable of deep affection, but Yesenia knew better. At his core, he was cold, detached, as if he existed outside the mortal world, watching the struggles of others with indifferent eyes. No one could ever truly hold his heart.
“You’re right. So I guess we’ll both get what’s coming to us,” Yesenia said, letting go of him and standing up. “If you insist on keeping her here, then you have to promise me one thing.”
“Name it.”
“As long as she works here, you can’t go home with her. I won’t have her occupying you day and night. You promised you wouldn’t see her for three months last time, and you broke that promise!”
Clifford pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back in his chair. “And what makes you think I’ll keep my promise this time?”
“What makes me think you’ll keep your promise to take care of me for the rest of my life?” Yesenia shot back. She had learned long ago that his promises were just tools, convenient excuses to do whatever he wanted.
Clifford raised an eyebrow. “You can choose not to believe me.”
Yesenia’s retort died in her throat, leaving her fuming. “Fine, I’m not arguing with you. But you can at least make Latisha help me move my things, can’t you?”
“You can ask her yourself. If she agrees, I have no objection.”
Yesenia picked up the desk phone and held it out to him coquettishly. “I want you to tell her. You can’t refuse me this one little thing, can you?”
Clifford glanced at the phone but didn’t take it. “What do you need moved?”
“Just some personal items. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare make your wife do any heavy lifting!” She practically spat the word ‘wife,’ and the sound of it seemed to strike a nerve with Clifford. His eyes darkened.
The next second, he snatched the phone from her hand and dialed the internal line.
Yesenia didn’t understand sign language and had no intention of trying. She haphazardly gathered some items from her old desk and shoved them into a cardboard box. “You take this.”
Latisha lifted the box. It was large and heavy, completely obscuring her view. She had to tilt her head to see where she was going.
She followed Yesenia to the elevator, where Clifford, holding a file, was also waiting. The three of them stood there for a moment in awkward silence.
The box blocked Latisha’s view of him, but Yesenia saw him and immediately linked her arm through his. “Clifford, thank you so much! I don’t know how I would have gotten this big box downstairs without your help.”
Clifford’s gaze flickered to the box in Latisha’s arms, his expression unreadable. He said nothing, simply pressing the button for the elevator.
Latisha stood quietly in the corner, her fingers digging into the cardboard, feeling like an outsider watching their intimate display. She was grateful the box was large enough to hide her shame.

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