Chapter 122: So Again, You Ruin Me With Ease

[KATYA]

Katya went to work.

He didn’t stay to nurse his hangover or heartbreak.

The omega just woke up and reported to work like he always did. He didn’t care that there were reporters at the gates of 13 Emerald to ask him about what he thought of the new heiress.

Or even the fact that he was watching Milan give the Moskowskys their greatest dream after so long. He wasn’t bothered as much today, when the billboards showed photos of the baby.

Of course, they covered her face while Sergei, Irina, Milan, and Yaroslav were there in the room, pride on the alpha’s face like this was relay it for him and his family.

And Katya watched like an outsider.

Because that was what he was to them.

A spectator who had failed to give them what they needed.

A man who couldn’t even deliver the simplest of things. It did hurt to an extent before. But now...

Katya was numb to it all.

He didn’t feel like doing anything other than working anyway.

"Congratulations, Milan and Yaroslav Gamov, on their baby," the billboards read. There were endorsement offers, and frankly, it wasn’t that surprising for Katya. The baby was a Moskowsky now.

There was nothing that could change it.

The name that came with power, relief, and happiness was out there in the world.

Yet for Katya, that name had only ever been associated with pain and confusion that he would never be able to rid himself of.

When he got to his office, the first thing he saw were red roses.

And for the first time in the six months, Katya wasn’t as pressed.

Maybe because the flowers reminded him of what his life was like. Reminded him of the norm that hadn’t changed in six months. It wasn’t that long a stretch because at least Senator Aleksandr was consistent.

Of course, Katya couldn’t call him or use his phone to send him messages still, because of the fact that even these days later, his phone was still buzzing with threats and warnings from people who were out to get him.

But Katya already got used to it.

After all, the first person who broke him wasn’t the internet trolls, but his husband.

And it wasn’t just because Milan had given birth, no.

His heart had been shattered the moment Katya had found out that Yaroslav was cheating with Milan for the first time. That was when he had readied himself for punches and came calls from society.

Granted, it didn’t make it any easier for him, but after years of being humiliated silently by his husband, Katya wasn’t terrified.

Maybe if Sergei threatened his family again, he would be. But until then, he would live in the limbo of a world that hated him for simply existing.

And that was okay too.

After all, it was what life would always be like for him anyway, right?

What was worse that could happen to him anyway, no?

"My little rose, I know it’s hard out there. I’m really sorry for everything you’re going through. And I wish you would let me protect you. If you ever change your mind, I’m only a call away. anything for you. ~ Alek."

Kaya stared at the note that came with the flowers, and honestly, he was relieved for a moment.

Until he remembered the lilies.

The lilies had not moved.

The lilies he had put in a vase.

They had only been in the office for three days.

Katya still had two days with those lilies.

But as he looked around, Katya noticed they weren’t there anymore, and Katya felt like that was easily the weirdest of things. It made no sense. Besides, Rahim knew never to touch anything in his office unless he asked her to.

So there was no way that she would throw them away, right?

Still, Katya checked to see if they were there. But there was nothing.

In fact, the office itself only smelled purely of roses and not lilies anymore. Goodness, Katya was about to lose his mind.

As he checked his office for the roses, Katya noticed that the scarf Sergei had given him and the sweater were also gone. Sighing, he checked his backpack again, even though he hadn’t seen them in his backpack earlier.

Maybe he had been too much in a hurry to even check properly.

Only this time, there was nothing.

The office was cleared out.

No coffee cups in the bin or even cookies that he had gotten that day. They should still have been in his office. But they were not there.

"Rahim!" Katya called but tried not to panic over simple things.

Besides, if he got angry, what was he supposed to have triggered him?

Lilies from three days ago that had gone missing?

The empty bin in his office?

The cookies that had not reached their expiry date?

The sweater and scarf he could never say were from Sergei without creeping the woman out?

What the fuck was Katya supposed to say to all of this then?

It made no sense, and boy, did it hurt differently. Way worse than the media that was trolling him outside or even the phone that was constantly pinging because of what the people wanted for him.

What would he ever do now?

"Sir."

"Has this office been cleaned out since the trip?" Katya asked.

Rahim stared at him in confusion.

The omega never once cared for the office. Whether it was clean or not, or even whether he was bound to be sitting in rubble.

Katya only ever cared about work.

But now, maybe that had changed.

Maybe he was trying to prove he was the perfect boss who cared about the little things, right?

"No, sir. No one has come here since before the trip. I didn’t know if you wanted me to clean it up after the past few days, so I left everything as it was," Rahi said earnestly.

Katya stared at her, then at the emptiness that his office had been turned into.

He even looked at the window that had been ajar when he left for the trip. It was now closed, and there was no scent lingering there.

Sergei’s rainforest scent that came with the scarf and sweater was gone, and Katya was pissed.

"Alright, that will be all," he said defeatedly.

This couldn’t be happening.

However, before Rahim could step out, Katya spoke again.

"Please send these to legal," Katya said, handing the envelope.

Rahim took it confused, and when she left, Katya stared at his office again. At the emptiness that was slowly eating him. The silence that was haunting with every second.

"Damn, you’re brutal." Katya couldn’t help but laugh at the insanity he was thinking of at the moment.

Just last night, he was haunted by the fact that his name had been added to the contract. His full name.

That was dangerous for an omega like him.

All omegas were meant to have two names.

It was the law.

It didn’t matter that the omega was the chairman of a huge corporation.

The law applied to everyone.

And the fact that the Moskowskys had given him three names?

Gods, they were really cruel.

If they wanted him gone that badly, they could have just asked him to leave. They could have taken his life and let him be. Maybe now he would have peace in the afterlife.

Katya’s life was a circus that even he couldn’t control. And defeatedly, he sat to work for the day.

Only that he didn’t feel like doing anything three hours later.

So, he left.

Again.

This time, though, he would get out himself before they sent officers after him. Besides, what was the worst thing that could happen, given he was pushed further away from where he used to live just for the peace of the new Moskowsky family, right?

"Rahim, I’m going out. Handle anything that isn’t urgent. I’ll deal with the rest later," Katya said, not waiting for Rahim to say yes or no. His life was falling apart because of the way, and it was just a matter of time before he died.

Either at the hands of the Moskowskys themselves.

Or at the hands of the trolls who were constantly bombarding his phone.

Or worse, at the hands of the officials of the law who would eventually find Katya and three names.

What a delightful fate, no?

Fuck.