Our Accidental Forever
Chapter 105: Long Game

Chapter 105: Long Game

Joanna POV:

As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, the forced smile I had plastered on my face vanished, replaced by a scowl so deep it hurt my jaw. My fingers clenched into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms.

In the elevator, I hit the button for the lobby harder than necessary, letting out a sharp breath through my nose as the doors closed.

My reflection in the polished surface of the elevator walls caught my eye, perfectly composed, poised, like I hadn’t just stood in the penthouse of the woman I despised, pretending to care about her happiness.

I exhaled again, shaking my head as I flexed and unflexed my hands, trying to release the tension that had taken over my body.

How could she be so insufferably oblivious?

The elevator hummed softly as it descended, the muted music doing nothing to calm me.

My hands itched with the urge to lash out, to punch something, to scream, but I couldn’t. Not here. Instead, I clenched and unclenched my fists, breathing through my nose in an attempt to regain control.

By the time the doors finally slid open, I was ready to explode.

"Goodbye, Miss Joanna! Have a wonderful day!" the receptionist chirped, her voice grating like nails on a chalkboard.

I didn’t even spare her a glance, let alone a response. My heels clicked loudly against the marble floor as I stormed past her, not caring if I seemed rude. The only thing on my mind was the suffocating anger bubbling in my chest.

The moment I slid into the driver’s seat of my car, I slammed the door shut and let out a venomous, "Fucking bitch."

I gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity, staring out through the windshield but not really seeing anything. The image Ella’s glowing, radiant face as she flipped through the photo balbum I had painstakingly prepared replayed in my mind, making my stomach twist.

Stupid, naive woman.

She hadn’t even realized the point of the album.

That album was supposed to remind her of how much more I knew about Arec than she ever would.

Every carefully chosen photo was meant to show her that I’d been there for Arec through it all, his school days, his childhood adventures, even those quiet moments with his grandmother. I’d seen it all, experienced it all with him.

It was supposed to make her feel out of place, like she didn’t belong in his life the way I did.

But no, she had been too busy gushing over the pictures, too distracted by her own sentimental nonsense to even notice, cooing besotted schoolgirl.

Her gushing admiration, her sentimental tears , they made me sick.

And then there was her remark about Arec’s grandmother being difficult and cautious. That had brought me a small sense of satisfaction.

At least someone in his family had the sense to see through her. That old hag might not be doing what we planned, but at least she wasn’t blindly accepting Ella.

I leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath to calm myself. The truth was, my visit wasn’t just about the album.

It was about asserting myself, about staking my claim, because that penthouse, that life, was supposed to be mine. Arec and I were supposed to build a future together, not this farce of a relationship with Ella at the center.

My fingers curled tighter around the steering wheel as the thought of Ella lounging in that penthouse flashed in my mind. She acted like she belonged there, like it was her space. But it wasn’t. That place was meant for me.

My phone buzzed in my bag, snapping me out of my thoughts. I fished it out, glancing at the screen. Grant.

For a moment, I considered ignoring it, but knowing my brother, he would just call again. And I didn’t need my family pestering me on top of everything else.

I answered, forcing warmth into my voice. "Hi, bro!"

"Hi, princess," Grant’s familiar voice replied. "Listen, Dad’s asking for those snacks from his favorite place. Think you can grab some for him?"

I suppressed the urge to groan, instead letting out a light laugh. "What, have I been demoted to family errand runner now?"

Grant chuckled. "Oh, come on. You know you’re Dad’s favorite. He trusts you with the important stuff, like snacks."

"Lucky me," I teased, rolling my eyes but unable to hold back a small smile. My brother always knew how to diffuse my mood, even if just a little.

"Thanks, Jo. You’re the best," he said, and I could practically hear the grin in his voice.

"I know I am," I replied, teasing him before ending the call after a few more playful exchanges.

The moment the call ended, the smile slipped off my face, replaced by the now-familiar frown. My family had an uncanny knack for interrupting my thoughts whenever I was strategizing about Ella.

I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, the wheels of my mind spinning faster than the ones on the pavement.

Ella’s glowing face flashed in my mind again, making my grip on the steering wheel tighten.

That woman was infuriating. Her naivety, her obliviousness,it was unbearable. She had no idea how hard I’d worked, how much I’d sacrificed, to get to where I was today.

And yet, here she was, living the life that should have been mine. But one thing I’m sure of, is that, She was nothing but a temporary nuisance, a distraction.

And as long as I knew Arec better than she ever could, I had the upper hand.

By the time I reached the snack shop, I had regained some semblance of composure. I walked inside with a polite smile, placing my order and exchanging pleasantries with the cashier. On the surface, I was calm, collected, the picture of civility.

But underneath, my mind was racing.

Ella might be pregnant with Arec’s child, and she might have him fooled for now, but I wasn’t about to let her waltz into his life and take what I had worked so hard to build.

By the time I got back into the car, the snacks safely stowed on the passenger seat, my resolve had solidified into something unshakeable.

I glanced at my reflection in the rearview mirror, smoothing a stray strand of hair back into place. "You’ve always played the long game, Joanna," I murmured to myself.

And I intended to win this one, no matter what it took.