The Whisper of Tomorrow

“You! So you’re my husband’s mistress!”

The woman’s furious voice rang through the room as she burst through the office door.

I stared at her in confusion, unable to process her accusation.

Before I could utter a single word, she charged toward me and yanked my hair with such force that I stumbled backward.

“What are you—”

Three men rushed forward and restrained her, dragging her out of the room as she struggled and screamed. Beyond the doorway, I caught sight of several people peeking inside, whispering among themselves.

What the hell is happening?

“I was in the middle of a meeting with—”

Before I could finish my sentence, the room around me began to distort. The walls blurred, the voices faded, and the ground beneath my feet seemed to disappear.

Then, everything changed.

“Miss Grace, I can’t believe you had the audacity to embezzle 300 million. Tell us—where did you hide the money?”

My heart skipped a beat.

I was no longer in my office.

I was standing in the middle of a shareholders’ meeting, every pair of eyes fixed on me.

“What...?” My voice came out barely above a whisper. “Three hundred million?”

The accusation struck me like a bolt of lightning.

“Do you have any evidence to support such a serious allegation?” a familiar voice asked from across the room.

“Yes,” someone replied without hesitation. “Her assistant will testify.”

My assistant?

A chill crept down my spine.

Slowly, I turned toward the corner of the room.

There she was.

Standing silently with an almost imperceptible smile curling across her lips—a smile so cold and malicious it sent shivers through my body.

Mistress.

Embezzlement.

Betrayal.

One accusation after another.

What... was happening to me?

A shrill ringtone pierced the silence, jolting me awake.

I winced as I reached blindly across the small bedside table until my fingers found my phone. Letting out a tired groan, I answered the call.

“Hello...”

“Miss Grace, where are you? You have a meeting with Mr. Martinez this morning.”

A meeting?

“Mr. Martinez?” I sat up abruptly.

“What? Don’t tell me you forgot. You have a meeting with him today to discuss preparations for the company’s fiftieth anniversary.”

The company’s fiftieth anniversary...

I remember now.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

The moment I ended the call, my gaze wandered around the room. An odd sense of déjà vu settled over me, making my chest feel strangely heavy.

It felt as though I had forgotten something important.

Just as I was about to get out of bed, I froze.

There was a shirtless man sleeping beside me.

“What the—”

Without thinking, I shoved him off the bed.

He hit the floor with a loud thud.

“Ow!” he cried, rubbing the back of his head. “That hurt!”

I frowned.

That voice...

It sounded familiar.

The moment he looked up, my eyes widened in shock.

“Elijah?” I whispered, unable to believe what I was seeing.

“H-How...”

The words caught in my throat as fragments of last night’s memories suddenly came rushing back.

----------------------

8 Hours Earlier

“Miss Kathrina, we’re here.”

The driver’s voice stirred me from my sleep.

A dull ache throbbed in my head from drinking far too much with the investors.

Damn those investors...

It had taken every ounce of persuasion I had to convince them to support the new project.

Suppressing a groan, I grabbed my handbag and stepped out of the car.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Please be careful on your way home, Miss.”

I offered him a faint smile before walking toward the elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, I stepped inside and pressed the button for the twentieth floor. A wave of nausea washed over me, making me lean against the wall for support.

I really drank too much...

The elevator chimed.

When the doors slid open, I slowly made my way toward my apartment.

Then I stopped.

Someone was standing in front of my door.

A man.

His back was turned toward me, hiding his face, but there was something painfully familiar about his broad shoulders and the way he carried himself.

My body went rigid.

“Elijah...” I whispered, unable to believe my eyes.

At the sound of his name, he turned around.

The moment our eyes met, a smile spread across his face.

“Kath...”

Was I hallucinating?

I blinked several times, trying to clear my blurred vision.

No.

It really was him.

Ten years had passed, yet there was something about him that remained unchanged.

The same calm demeanor.

The same steady gaze that once made my heart race.

Time, however, had left its mark on him.

His youthful features had sharpened into those of a mature man. The once-slender university student now carried a broad, well-built frame beneath his neatly pressed shirt, the result of years of discipline. Even the way he stood radiated a quiet confidence I had never seen before.

He was no longer the young man I had loved.

He had become someone even more difficult to look away from.

Before I could gather my thoughts, he closed the distance between us.

When our eyes met, my breath caught.

His eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as though he had been searching for me for a very long time.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came.

Without warning, Elijah wrapped his arms around me.

The warmth of his embrace caught me off guard.

I tried to push him away, but he only held me tighter, resting his face against my shoulder.

His familiar cologne filled my senses.

He’s still wearing that same overpowering perfume...

A sudden wave of dizziness struck me.

My knees nearly gave out.

“Kath!”

Elijah quickly steadied me before I could fall.

“You’ve been drinking.” His brows knitted together with concern. “Are you seriously this drunk?”

I gave a weak nod.

My head felt unbearably heavy.

He let out a quiet sigh.

“You should cut back on your drinking.”

Without another word, he walked to my apartment door and entered a series of numbers on the keypad.

The lock clicked open.

My eyes widened.

“How did you—”

Before I could finish, he gently supported me inside.

He guided me to my bedroom and carefully laid me on the bed before pulling the blanket over me.

“Get some rest,” he said softly.

I caught his wrist before he could leave.

“You...” I stared at him. “How do you know where I live? How do you know my password? What are you doing here?”

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he leaned closer.

“I told you before,” he murmured. “I can always find you, no matter where you go.”

His gaze lingered on mine.

“It’s been ten years, but some things never change.”

He chuckled quietly.

“You’re still using your birthday as your password.”

My grip on his wrist tightened.

“Why are you here?” I asked coldly. “Why come to me in the middle of the night?”

His smile slowly faded.

“Maybe...” he said after a long pause, “because I missed you.”

His fingertips brushed gently against my cheek.

“I wanted to see you so badly.”

For a brief moment, the sadness in his eyes almost made my heart waver.

Almost.

Before I could respond, my stomach lurched.

I suddenly threw up all over his shirt.

“Kath!”

He looked down at the mess before immediately turning back to me.

“Are you okay?”

Not once did he complain.

Not once did he show anger.

You deserved that...

“You need to drink some—”

I slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me!”

The words came out sharper than I intended.

“How dare you show your face in front of me as if nothing ever happened?” I glared at him, my voice trembling with rage. “After what you did to me ten years ago... do you really think things can ever go back to the way they were?”

I pointed toward the front door.

“Leave.”

My breathing grew heavier.

“Or I’ll call the police.”

For several seconds, Elijah simply looked at me.

Pain flickered across his face.

Without another word, he turned around and walked away.

A moment later...

The front door clicked shut.

The apartment fell silent.

I clenched my trembling fists as tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks.

No matter how much I hated him...

No matter how desperately I wanted to erase him from my life...

Seeing him again had shattered the walls I had spent ten years building around my heart.

Curling beneath the blanket, I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep, hoping that when morning came...

Everything about Elijah Javier would feel like nothing more than a distant memory.

----------------------

Present

“I thought you left,” I said.

“I wanted to,” Elijah replied. “But your fever got worse last night. How could I leave you in that condition?”

I let out a bitter laugh.

“Then should I thank you for staying?” I crossed my arms. “Tell me, Elijah. I heard you’ve become a renowned head surgeon in the United States. Why did you come back?”

I stepped closer and locked my gaze with his, waiting for an answer.

Instead, he glanced at the clock.

“You’re going to be late for your appointment.”

Damn.

I still had a meeting today.

A smirk appeared on his lips when he saw my reaction.

He placed a hand on my forehead.

“Your fever’s gone. You should start getting ready.”

Before I could protest, he gently pushed me toward the bathroom.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to suppress my irritation and went to freshen up.

After showering, I changed into a fitted cream blouse and a black pencil skirt. I applied sunscreen, foundation, and began putting on my makeup.

The bedroom door suddenly opened.

Elijah stepped inside and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

“Keep the makeup light,” he said. “And use a nude lipstick.”

I rolled my eyes.

“You’re not my boyfriend.”

To my annoyance, his smile widened.

“Let’s eat,” he said before walking out of the room.

As I reached for a lipstick, his words echoed in my mind.

My lips pressed into a thin line.

Instead of the nude shade, I grabbed the bold crimson lipstick. It would matched my pale skin and almond-shaped eyes

“Why would I listen to you?” I muttered.

When I stepped out of the room, I found Elijah arranging breakfast on the dining table.

The sight made my chest tighten.

He was wearing an apron.

For a brief moment, it felt as if the six years between us had never existed.

“So, you still prefer red lipstick.” He smiled as his eyes lingered on my face. “It suits you.”

I quickly looked away.

“Sit down,” he added.

I reluctantly took a seat. I suddenly remembered the bottles of wine at the corner of my room.

Did he saw it?

Wait... How did he even prepared a breakfast when the fridge was empty... Did he go to the grocery?

Elijah sat across from me and slid a plate containing bread and eggs in my direction.

“Eli...” My voice turned serious. “Let’s talk. Why did you come back?”

His expression remained calm.

“Eat first. You have a busy day ahead.”

Again.

He was avoiding the question.

Showing up in the middle of the night.

Knowing my address.

Knowing my password.

Spending the night in my apartment.

He’s definitely hiding something.

My patience snapped.

I slammed my palm against the table.

The sound echoed through the room.

Elijah’s smile disappeared instantly.

“Are you planning to...”