Karina leaned into Rosalynnâs shoulder, her gaze distant.
Then Barlowâs mischievous grin kept replaying in her mind.
âHey, Karina,â Jackâs voice broke the silence.
âAre you done?â Karina straightened up, blinking away her thoughts.
âYeah, here you go,â he said, handing her a piece of chocolate.
âWhatâs this for?â Karina asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
âTo boost your spirits,â Jack explained.
âYou seem a little down.
â
âThat obvious, huh?â
Jack reached out, tucking a stray hair behind her ear and giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze.
He admitted.
âYou look sad.
â
Karina felt a strange pull towards his affectionate eyes.
Taking a step back, she blurted out, âJack, do you have feelings for me?â
Karinaâs question was blunt, startling Jack.
A flicker of discomfort crossed his face.
âKarina, Iâ¦â
âJack, donât develop feelings for me,â Karina interrupted with a serious look.
âStarting tomorrow, someone else will be managing you.
â
His expression clearly showed he had feelings for her.
Carlowâs words suddenly played in her mind: âSo, do you think that attracts men with mommy issues?â
Spot on, Karina thought.
âKarina, why canât I have feelings for you?â Jack pleaded, his voice laced with desperation.
Karina replied, âFirst, Iâve decided not to date or marry ever.
Donât waste your time on me.
Second, youâre a rising star.
Iâve invested heavily in your success.
Focus on your career now.
No dating, no distractions.
If you donât listen, Iâll find someone new tomorrow and cut your resources.
â
She spoke calmly, but her words were stern and serious, not meant to simply scare him.
Jack paused, his head slowly drooping.
Dejection clouded his face.
âThatâs quite harsh,â he mumbled.
Jack couldnât pinpoint when it happened, but he had fallen for her.
He had planned to confess his feelings once he had achieved some success.
But she had preemptively shattered that possibility, nipping his feelings in the bud.