113 113- Kate’s Plans 
Kate pushed open the apartment door, balancing her brown paper bags filled with bakery stuff against her hip as she came inside. 
The smell of fresh bread and pastries filled her small kitchen. She set the bags on the kitchen counter and sighed in relief. 

Heading to the fridge she took a bottle of ice water and glued it to her mouth instead of using the glass. 
After emptying almost half of the bottle, she placed it with a thud and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. 
Leaving behind the bread, she picked up the bags with pastries and croissants and started walking to the living room. 

Her kitchen was right at the entrance and after a small narrow passage, there was the living room. That was the reason she couldn’t see Amir lounging on the couch, his feet up on the coffee table. 
He barely glanced up from his phone as she entered the living room. 
“Where were you exactly, she felt his tone a little accusatory, but she didn’t reply to him. 

She paused, took a deep breath, and went to her room quietly with the bags. He didn’t even offer her to help. But there was nothing new about it. 
She began unpacking the bags and started placing croissants and assorted pastries on her nightstand. 
She became aware that he was coming after her in the room when she felt his soft footsteps 

behind her. 
“You never liked eating such stuff. Then why now?” Amir continued, his voice dripping with disdain, “You know it’s not good for your health.” 
She didn’t respond and kept arranging the pastries neatly. Just yesterday she had bought a multiple floored tray stand for that purpose. 

Now placing all the bakery stuff was making it worthwhile. 
“You still haven’t told me, what you were doing that morning in that hotel? Since when started keeping secrets from me?” 
you have 

Kate who was still busy arranging the croissants on the upper tray was taking her sweet time, as if this was the most important thing… the only important thing to do. 
“Kate. I’m asking you something! What were you doing in that hotel?” he got a little louder and Kate’s hands got still for a moment but then they again got busy with her task. 
He couldn’t forget how she called him that day while crying. He was sleeping so peacefully in bed when he received her call. 

“You need to come and get me, Amir. They aren’t letting me go unless I pay them. She was crying hysterically, 
Amir’s brain was already half asleep and half dead, and on top of it all, her shrill crying was giving him a headache. 
“For God’s sake, tell me where you are, Kate. I’ll come and get you!” he snapped but all he wanted to do was kill her and go back to sleep. 

Lately, she had been acting strange. Like he wasn’t enough for her. It felt like even his money couldn’t satisfy her anymore. 
“Can you hear me, Kate? You made me pay so much for that damn hotel room. Why were you even staying there? I tried talking to hotel people, but they weren’t ready to share the 
information. Damn these big brand names and fu*ck we their secrecy.” 

In his rage, he wanted to destroy the world. 
He hated secrets. 
He was pacing around in the room like a madman, “Money doesn’t grow on trees, Kate, and you made me spend all my hard earned money on your little silly escapade! 

A sarcastic smirk appeared on Kate’s face. 
Hard earned money? Funny! 
“Kate. Listen to me!” he wanted to shake her hard but then controlled the urge and sat on the edge of the bed, “My money is in question here, so I need to know what happened. I have the right to know, Kate. My money! My rules! I want to hear every damn detail. I hope you faithful to me and there is no fishy thing going on behind my back…” 

are 
He kept blabbering about the same thing and by now Kate’s ears hurt due to his constant complaining. 
It was the first time, he must have spent something big on her and he was being so stingy about 

it. 

She always spent her own money but if he was in the habit of making everything so big and so dramatic then maybe she needed to take a step back and have a look at their relationship. 
His pettiness had started getting to her mind and she could feel the weight of his words. pressing down on her, but she remained silent.. 
Instead of giving him any satisfaction with her response, she kept herself busy with the edibles she was arranging like a record holding sloth. 

She was glad that at least Amir knew how it felt to witness laziness. Amir sighed loudly, clearly frustrated by her lack of reaction. He got up from the edge of the bed and stalked out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. 
Kate stood up, feeling happy that now she was alone in the bedroom. 
The rustling of paper bags appeared when she started crumbling the empty ones. She took a deep breath and picked up a caramel pastry bringing it near her mouth. 

113 113- Kate’s Plans 
“You deserve it!” she told herself with a smile and put it in her mouth savoring the taste. 
“Umm! Heaven!” 

She closed her eyes in bliss. 
Sitting on the bed, she opened her laptop and started doing what she had been doing for the past few days ever since her return from that hotel. 
Looking for Valerie Sinclair. 

She even contacted a few people on the internet who could provide her with Mrs. Sinclair’s contact number in return for a small fortune. 
But till now nobody had provided her any proof. 
“Hello!” a chat appeared on the corner of her laptop. 

“Yeah?” she asked with disinterest. 
“I’m Jake22. You wanted Valerie Sinclair’s number?” oh. Another liar! 
“Yes. But you’ll be paid only after confirmation. Not before that.” Obviously, she was ready to spend money on it. 

Jake22: “Yeah. You can pay me later. Is it only Valerie or do you need Nina’s number too?” 
“Nina?” Kate frowned before typing. 
Jake22: “Valerie’s mother–in–law!” 

What would she do with Rafael’s mom’s number? She had seen her info on the internet. She was 
a businesswoman and didn’t need her son’s money at all. 
A well–known designer who was worshipped by several models… And the whole fashion industry. 

Jake22: “Valerie is Rafael’s wife so it’s rare if anyone can provide you the number. But Nina can easily give that. Just prove to her, that you are Valerie’s friend, and she would give it just like 
that!” 
Jake22 was right. She should get Nina’s number. In fact, she needed to have as many numbers as possible. 

What if I tell Nina about her grandson and then grab some money from her too? She thought with a smile and reached out to get another pastry. A strawberry éclair. 
After eating it, she licked her fingers, “Fine. Tell me the price of Nina Sinclair’s private number.”