Chapter Seven: The Video Confession
The next morning, Khloe found another envelope under her door.
She picked it up with trembling hands.
“Today is the hearing that will decide the future of my company. I don’t know if I’ll lose everything. But at least I didn’t lose my conscience. I just wanted you to know that I still dream about that almost kiss. —Jacob.”
She closed her eyes.
That night, she dreamed about him.
Not the billionaire in a suit.
But the man with calm eyes who laughed when she burned the rice. Who did the dishes in a soaked shirt.
And in that dream, the kiss finally happened.
A week passed.
Then her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
“You need to know what he did for you.”
Before she could respond, another message came through.
An address. A time. No name.
She stared at the screen.
Felt ridiculous for even considering going.
But curiosity won.
The address was a small office building downtown.
A man in a suit greeted her. Gray hair. Serious expression.
“Miss Evans. I’m Thomas. I worked with Jacob for many years. He asked me to give you something personally.”
“What kind of something?”
“The truth.”
He handed her a flash drive. Pointed to the room next door.
“There’s a computer in there. You can watch it alone.”
Khloe entered. Heart pounding.
Plugged in the drive.
One file.
She double-clicked.
Jacob appeared on the screen. Seated. Wearing the same simple clothes from those early days.
He looked tense.
“Hi, Chloe. If you’re watching this, it means I messed everything up again.”
He sighed.
“I wanted to tell you everything from the beginning. I wanted it to be clean. Honest. But I came into your life at a time when disappearing was my only shot at staying free.”
He paused.
“And then you showed up. And somehow, you gave me peace.”
Khloe’s throat tightened.
“I agreed to that wedding because I thought it would be a quick act. An escape. But in you, I found something I didn’t even know I was searching for.”
He looked directly into the camera.
“Truth. I needed that more than I realized. You were the first person in a long time who didn’t want anything from me. No favors. No deals. You just wanted to feed me and talk to me.”
His voice dropped.
“And I fell in love with you before I even realized it.”
Khloe swallowed hard.
“I left this video because I know I might never get another chance. I know I could lose everything. Including you. But if someday you want to know everything—no masks—I’ll be waiting.”
He smiled sadly.
“And if you don’t? I’ll understand. Either way. Thank you for seeing me when no one else did.”
The screen went black.
Khloe sat there. Not moving.
It wasn’t just an apology.
It was a raw, heartfelt confession.
It was real.
When she came out, Thomas handed her an envelope.
“This is for you. Jacob arranged for the apartment to be yours. In case things went wrong.”
“I can’t accept this.”
“He wanted you to have something of your own. Something no one could take away.”
Khloe took the envelope. Didn’t open it.
Her phone vibrated.
Video message received. From Jacob.
She hesitated. Then pressed play.
Jacob stood in front of a window at night. City lights behind him.
“One more thing. I wanted to show you something I’ve never shown anyone.”
The camera turned to reveal a photo wall.
Printed pictures carefully pinned up.
The day she took him to visit her grandmother. A moment of her asleep on the couch. A blurry photo of her laughing in the kitchen.
“I saved every second,” he continued. “Because even if it didn’t last long, it was the best part of my life. And if I have to disappear again, I just want you to know—it wasn’t a performance. It wasn’t a plan.”
He paused.
“It was love.”
Khloe pressed the phone to her chest.
The tears fell.
It was love. Messy. Interrupted. Unlikely.
But it was.
