Chapter 75_ Paranoid

After the relaxation they had in the hotel spa, Kane and Arya headed to bed, and despite feeling beyond tired, Arya struggled to fall asleep as Kane's words kept ringing in her brain, 'Should I go find another girlfriend or what?'

'Was there any truth to that statement about wanting to find another girlfriend?' Arya mused silently as she watched Kane sleep peacefully, and judging by the soft snores, she could tell he wasn't really thinking about it at all. She sighed and thought, 'Sometimes I wish I could not care about things like men do.'

Just then, Kane’s phone vibrated on the nightstand, and Arya bit her lip as she mused, 'Who is texting him so late at night? Jesus, I’m becoming paranoid! I can't invade his personal space like a weak, insecure little bitch.' Despite her thoughts, the phone was right within Arya's reach. It was very hard to resist, so she extended her arm and reached for the phone. But as she grabbed the phone, Kane snatched it from her, read the message, typed something in response, and put the phone away.

"Who’s texting so late at night?" Arya asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"It's just work stuff. It's pretty important, but I’ll tell you about it once it's done. I don't want to jinx it," Kane answered, and Arya shrugged.

"Do as you want. Although I don't really understand the secrecy."

"Sometimes I get superstitious, but I can make you a promise… You will be the first one to know about it once everything goes as planned," he said, and Arya raised her brows.

"And what if it doesn't go as planned?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Come on. It's me we are talking about! I could never let my sweetheart down," Kane said, leaning forward to kiss her on the nose, pulling her close to him. As their heads hit the pillow, cradling each other, they both fell asleep in no time.

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The next day at the office, Arya sat at her desk as she glanced at the papers in front of her and mulled over the technical documentation. 'The variation in oil viscosity related to the temperature and the deceleration rate… It's all too much for me,' Arya mused, picking up her phone to call Kane. The phone kept ringing until the line fell flat. The same result occurred with her second and third attempts.

'Damn. He usually picks up right away,' Arya thought with a sigh as she went back to the page to solve the problem on her own, but just looking at the numbers made her feel dizzy. She threw the pen away and looked towards Marco’s office, but he wasn't in the office yet.

"Are you getting the braking system nausea?" Lewis said, and Arya jumped as his voice took her by surprise, looking at him with widened eyes. Lewis flashed her an apologetic smile while Arya smiled back at him.

"Lewis. I didn't hear you. What did you say earlier?" Arya asked as she massaged her temples.

"The braking system sucks your soul out. Do you need help?" Lewis said, and Arya nodded.

"If you can make sense of any of this, it would be great," Arya replied, showing him the drawings and technical specifications.

"These are the calculations to order the right oil for the braking system. If it's too thick, the brakes become slow and inefficient. If it's too thin, the brakes overheat and stop working." Lewis explained, taking a pen, scribbling a couple of calculations, and consulting a couple of charts. He continued, "So, we need to get… this." He jotted down the letters and numbers that identify the right oil.

"Wow. For a Client Relations Manager, you are shockingly proficient in technical stuff," Arya said, surprised.

"Oh, this is nothing. I used to be an engineer. I love tinkering around with math and building things," Lewis answered.

"And why the switch in career?" Arya asked curiously.

"Companies around here don't like engineers because they are the ones who spend the money. They like the people who deal with clients and bring in the money," he explained, and Arya nodded.

"I see. Too bad you had to put your passion to one side, though."

"But in my current sales position, I get much fatter checks," Lewis boasted, and Arya giggled.

"Do you have a family of eight to feed?" Arya asked teasingly, and Lewis's eyes turned sad at her words.

"That's something I stopped hoping for a long time ago," Lewis replied, and Arya raised her brow in curiosity.

"What's the problem with your family?"

Lewis frowned and replied sternly, "Look, I don't feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics with people as blunt as you." He said, returning to his desk as he buried himself in work.

'I wonder why family is such a touchy subject for Lewis. Maybe he has a relative in Nicholas's group of companies and doesn't want people to know about it because he leaked information about—' Arya trailed off, shaking her head to clear such thoughts. 'No. I need to get a grip on this mole thing. It's making me completely paranoid. I'm so obsessed that I see conspiracy and betrayal everywhere.’