Her Suited Savior

Chapter 13

Hunter King's POV

Calla sat frozen on the island stool next to me. Well, not directly next to me. She made sure to sit two stools away. 

At hearing the news about her father, her slow eating had halted completely. "Calla?" I questioned, wondering if she had actually heard me. 

Her eyes were staring at the island counter, taking in every speck and sparkle in the stone. Her voice cracked when she finally responded, "He knows."

She looked at me, pure terror filling her eyes at the thought of her father knowing her whereabouts. Her hands showed the tell-tale sign of her anxiety while she looked at me with her wide eyes. 

I didn't know what to say. 

How could I help someone shaking in fear when I, myself, scared them? 

I couldn't lie to her and tell her that he didn't know she was working for me. There was no way I could do that, she already knew, she'd drawn the conclusion herself. And it wasn't hard to do. Knowing the resources that Robert Stewart had access to, it was a surprise he hadn't contacted me the day after the event. 

If I hadn't been so stupid, I would have made the connection that Calla was his daughter sooner. It was not an unknown fact that Mr. Stewart had a daughter named Calla. I had never thought about it as a possibility after witnessing Calla's circumstances. We lived in a large city where it wasn't unlikely for there to be more than one person with the same name. As far as the world was concerned, she was in South Africa helping with the creation of her Father's newest business branch, so I assumed it was simply a different Calla Stewart.

Clearly, that was not the case. Because she was sitting right in front of my eyes trying to hold herself together. 

Words started pouring out of her mouth in her shocked state, "W-what do I do? Mr. King, please, what do I do? He's going to find me!" she looked at me, her eyes begging for help, "I can't go back there," she said brokenly.

I rose from my seat, not sure how to help. I couldn't help but feel like I shouldn't have told her. I could have just dealt with it personally, but she deserved to know. I wouldn't keep something so important from her. 

I wasn't even completely aware of what transpired in Calla's past other than the words she'd spoken when I had been accusing her of stupid shit. To what extent those things occurred -him laying his hands on her- I had no idea. No matter what, it was wrong, and it had fucked my assistant up.

I growled in frustration, "I will deal with this, Calla," I told her, "He's not laying a hand on you again."

That was a promise. 

I told her I would help her, and I would. I was a man of my word.

Calla could only nod in response, leaving us to sit in silence once again.

"Have you ever told anyone?" I asked her suddenly. 

We were already on the topic, I hoped it wouldn't send her into a panic attack. It was hard to see her like that, and I had been the cause of every single one I'd witnessed.

She shook her head, "They didn't believe me," she whimpered.

"I believe you."

Her eyes held relief, "Thank you, Mr. King," she responded quietly, still quite shaken up by my news.

She spoke again shyly, "I-Is it okay if... Can I..." she sighed, getting frustrated with herself.

I waited patiently for her to find her words, "I'd like to be alone," she said, "...please."