Unexpected But Mine

chapter-20

The morning sun poured softly through the hotel window as Emira stretched lazily, already missing the warmth of Shaheer beside her. It was the first time he wasn't there to greet her with a kiss on the forehead or a sleepy smile. She remembered his words from last night-

"I need to visit the franchise here. It might take longer than expected."

She'd pouted but agreed, promising to explore the hotel a little on her own.

Wrapped in a soft peach scarf and a breezy cotton dress, she strolled around the resort, visited the in-house art gallery, peeked into the spa, even sat by the pool for a while, her feet dipped in cool water.

She FaceTimed Alize and Ammi from the lounging chairs, filling them in on her day. Alize teased her again about "honeymoon mode", while Ammi laughed and asked where Shaheer had disappeared.

But it didn't feel the same. Every time she turned to share something, he wasn't there. She texted him a photo of her fruit smoothie with "Look what you're missing" and tried calling him-only to be declined for the first time, his message popping up: "Will call you back later."

A strange tug pulled at her heart.

Unable to shake the restlessness, Emira took a cab to Shaheer's office. She told herself it was just to check on him, maybe surprise him with his favorite caramel pastry she bought from the hotel bakery.

As she stepped out in front of the building, a subtle tension clung to the air. The guards and staff bowed politely, but she noticed the unusually quiet reception. As she walked through the corridor toward Shaheer's main office, she could hear his voice echoing.

"I told you two weeks ago this would happen! And yet-yet no one bothered to implement the system changes?!"

She froze outside the door, hearing the sharpness in his tone. Another voice attempted to explain something about miscommunication, but Shaheer cut in firmly,

"This isn't a roadside stall. This is a brand that I built from scratch!"

The door stood slightly ajar. Emira saw a few staff members seated, some standing awkwardly. The boardroom held the weight of his frustration.

After another ten minutes, the room emptied slowly. The employees exited with heavy expressions, some bowing apologetically. Emira gently stepped aside as they left, watching their faces-tired, disappointed, nervous.

She knocked.

A tense voice answered, "Yes?"
She entered slowly, holding the small box of pastries, her eyes soft. "Hi..."

Shaheer stood behind his desk, his collar slightly loosened, forehead creased in frustration. He blinked once. The sharpness in his eyes dimmed, replaced with something else-relief, guilt, weariness.

"Emira," he sighed, his voice softer now. "You didn't have to come here."

"I know," she said gently, walking closer. "But I missed you... and I got bored."

He tried to smile, but the exhaustion weighed heavy. She walked up, set the pastry box aside, and poured him a glass of water. "Drink," she said, lifting it toward him.

He obeyed silently.

Her hand reached up, brushing his hair back. "I heard some of it," she admitted. "It's okay. You've got a lot on your shoulders."

He looked at her then, the emotions threatening to spill over. "They've messed up everything here, Emira. It's like they waited for me to show up before even thinking of fixing things. The systems are outdated, the staff is untrained-it's chaos."