MK was bored out of her mind.
Not the normal type of boredom — this one felt like the room itself was suffocating her.
The silence pressed down on her like a weight.
No Ashley buzzing around her with excitement.
No Jesse shouting, complaining, teasing, filling every corner with noise.
Just… emptiness.
So she went to the company.
Not because she needed to — but because she needed something.
She sat through the briefing, nodded through updates, gave reports about the foreign branch. But the entire time her gaze kept shifting to the empty seat beside Mike.
Jesse's seat.
Her deputy.
Her chaos generator.
Her balance.
Not there.
By afternoon, MK couldn't take it anymore. Pride burning, she got in her car and drove straight to Jesse's place.
She didn't know what she would say — "I'm sorry"? "I need you"? "Don't leave me like this"?
She just knew she needed her best friend like oxygen.
MK knocked. Once. Twice.
The door swung open on the second hit.
A half-naked man stood there.
Broad shoulders. Lazy grin. Hair a mess.
MK blinked, confused.
"Who are you?" she snapped. "Where's Jesse?"
Before he answered, Jesse's voice drifted from deeper inside:
"Who is it?"
MK shoved past him like a bull, making him stumble.
"A crazy woman," he muttered.
MK ignored him, storming in.
"JESSE. What in the hell—" MK stopped when she saw Jesse in a robe, hair wet, looking criminally unbothered. "Who is THAT?!"
"You can leave now," MK ordered the man, tossing a T-shirt at him.
"No, YOU leave," Jesse shot back, voice sharp. "You said I shouldn't interfere in your life — so don't interfere in mine."
MK felt her heart drop to her stomach.
"Jesse, please. I'm sorry about what happened… I didn't mean to—"
The man slipped his shirt on and smirked at Jesse.
"I'll see you later."
He left.
Jesse folded her arms.
Cold. Hurt. Defensive.
"MK. Leave."
MK stepped closer, swallowing her pride.
"Jesse… slap me if you want. Just don't ignore me."
Before those words even finished—
SMACK.
The slap echoed through the apartment.
MK held her cheek.
"DAMN it, Jesse! I didn't slap you THAT hard!"
Jesse's lips curled into a wicked grin.
"I always wanted to do that. Felt great."
MK groaned and marched to grab ice.
"Can we talk now?" she muttered, pressing the cold cloth to her cheek.
"And yes — I know I'm selfish. Idiotic. A shithead. A—"
"Idiot," Jesse added.
"Fine. Idiot. I'm really, really sorry."
"You forgot 'stupid,'" Jesse said without missing a beat.
MK sighed.
"Come on. I'm trying here."
Jesse finally exhaled, shoulders softening.
"Fine. But if you do anything stupid again—"
"I'll listen to everything you say," MK said quickly.
Jesse paused.
Then smiled.
Slow. Dangerous.
"EVERYTHING?"
MK nodded.
Jesse's grin widened.
"Good. I'm going shopping. Give me your card."
MK stared.
"JESSE… that's—"
"MK."
MK cursed under her breath and handed over the card.
"Let's go," Jesse said, instantly herself again. "I have SO MUCH to tell you."
---
⭐ AT THE MALL
"What's with that man you picked?" MK teased.
Jesse groaned.
"Are you mocking me because YOU ended up with a goddess?"
MK choked on laughter.
"I was so mad at you I forgot to use my eyes," Jesse admitted, and they both burst out laughing.
They talked about everything — Ashley's call, the mountain trip, the moment MK saw Shriya again.
Then Jesse's face turned serious.
"MK," she said quietly. "How did you really feel seeing her?"
MK sat on a bench, rubbed her hands, and confessed everything —
the spark she didn't want,
the confusion, the way her stomach flipped, the way her head said "no" but her heart whispered something else.
Jesse nodded through all of it, not saying a word.
"What do you think?" MK asked finally.
Jesse swallowed the truth she knew.
"It's good you're giving Ashley a chance," she said.
MK felt a sting of disappointment she couldn't explain.
"Of course," MK whispered.
"Are we still leaving tomorrow?"
"If you want me to," Jesse teased. Then she lifted MK's card like a trophy.
"Let's get drinks. On me."
"That's MY card," MK groaned, chasing her.
---
⭐ AT THE BAR
They sat at the counter, conversation flowing like alcohol.
"You have an admirer," MK nudged.
"How do you know he's not admiring YOU?" Jesse shot back.
"I have a girlfriend."
"Oh yeah," Jesse muttered, tipsy.
She turned around and gasped.
"WOW. He's hot."
"He's totally into YOU," MK said.
Jesse scoffed. "He wouldn't be."
"Can I buy you a drink?" a deep voice said.
Jesse turned, ready to tell MK to go, only to realize —
He was staring at her.
"Me?" Jesse asked, pointing to herself.
MK laughed.
"I'll leave you two."
She moved down the bar, leaving Jesse flirting — the guy clearly fascinated by her chaotic charm.
MK drank alone.
She didn't know for how long.
Time blurred.
Then—
"MK, let's go," Jesse said, a man standing behind her, waiting.
MK waved them off. "You go. I'm not drunk. I'll drive."
Jesse handed her card back.
"See you tomorrow."
MK stood…
…and the floor wobbled.
She plopped back down.
"Ugh."
Dragging herself outside, she fumbled her keys — then bent over and threw up next to the car.
"Damn… damn… damn…"
"Need help?" a man asked.
"No — I got it," she slurred.
"Let me just—"
"She said no."
A gun clicked.
Cold. Sharp. Familiar.
MK froze.
She knew that sound. She knew that voice.
Shriya.
"Are you following me?" MK muttered as she slipped into the passenger seat.
"No," Shriya said, buckling her in gently. "Jesse called."
Of course she did.