Chapter 342
This was Kieran’s trademark calculus. Before any decision, he’d measure its worthiness, necessity, and desirability – solely by the value it brought him and whether it met his expectations. Most outcomes aligned with his calculations. Building his empire, marrying Roschelle Whitaker, discarding Alarieka like trash – all results of his cold equations.
His repeated attempts to force her stay had surprised her. Surprised even his own rationality. After impulse came absolute clarity. A cold assessment of his actions. A clinical evaluation of her.
Now, Kieran had undoubtedly quantified her worth. The verdict: unworthy. Unworthy of retention. Unworthy of effort. Meaningless. Worthless. Hence his ultimatum. Stay or leave. This truly reflected his thoughts.
Learning of Alaricka’s departure had startled him – a rare loss of control. Unaccustomed to such vulnerability in work or life, his ingrained habit seized command: retain Alarieka at all costs. So he’d acted – storming her home, confronting her here, deploying four bodyguards to drag her back. He regretted nothing, believing every move deliberate.
But Alarieka met him with relentless refusal. Raised to stand out from the crowd, his achievements dwarfed peers’, his lineage beyond reach. Though never arrogant, his pride ran deeper than most. His efforts had reached their limit. His dignity forbade further pursuit after repeated rejection. He wouldn’t force retention against clear unwillingness. Knowing when to stop was proper. Essential.
Thus, Alarieka’s final chance.
“Alarieka,” he asked, “staying or leaving?”
She understood.
“I’m leaving,” she stated flatly.
Kieran’s gaze turned arctic, radiating ineffable detachment. After a pause, he nodded.
“Okay.”
Jaylene and Tamika now stood beside Alaricka, past security. Alarieka watched Kieran tilt his chin. His bodyguards exchanged glances before retreating behind him. Kieran’s dark eyes calmly watched Alarieka as he straightened his slightly wrinkled collar and sleeves.
“Goodbye.”
Alarieka’s gaze flickered slightly. The way Kieran looked at her was no different than how he’d look at a stranger. She didn’t know Kieran well, but she understood his meaning well enough. It likely meant they’d never meet again. In that moment, Kieran seemed to revert to his work persona – a man of machine-like precision, devoid of emotion, coolly composed and restrained. His eyes swept over Alarieka’s face before indifferently shifting away.
Kieran turned to leave, his expression growing colder. Knowing when to stop was his guiding principle. Since Alarieka chose finality, he would grant it.
Watching Kieran’s retreating figure, Alaricka finally let out a slow breath of relief. Before she could reflect, security checkpoint staff urged her, “Hurry up, boarding time is almost up.”
Tamika immediately nodded, grabbing Alaricka’s hand. “Alarieka, it’s settled. Let’s go quickly.”
Alarieka pressed her lips together, nodded, lifted her duffel bag, and stepped into the boarding tunnel. Suddenly she halted.
Jaylene asked, “What’s wrong?”
Tamika said, “Did you forget something?”
Alarieka shook her head.
Many people in the airport watched as she swiftly removed the SIM card from her phone. Jaylene observed her movements, her lips parting slightly as she realized what Alarieka intended. Alarieka cleanly snapped the SIM card in two and calmly tossed both halves into a trash bin.
Tamika stared in shock. “Alarieka, why did you throw away your SIM?”
Alarieka kept walking without pause. Her voice came out cool and detached. “It’s fine. I’ll get a new one when we arrive. I don’t need this anymore.”
As the plane lifted off, everything seemed to abruptly freeze. All love and hatred were severed by vast distances, multiple planes, and taxis – building an impenetrable wall across the sky. It felt like a final farewell, where past wounds transformed into skeletal scars, numb and unfeeling.
The sky seemed to brighten. But only Alarieka knew this dawn was temporary.
Someday she would return.