Chapter 18
Lynne sneezed at the most inconvenient moment.
Flushing with embarrassment, she fumbled for a tissue and dabbed at her nose.
Before she could recover, a heavy black coat settled over her shoulders, enveloping her in the unfamiliar warmth.”
“Mr. Tobin is really sweet to his girlfriend, someone teased. “So, when are you two tying the knot?”
“We haven’t-”
“Soon!” Whitfield interjected, not missing a beat.
Lynne stared at Whitfield, momentarily speechless.
He just smiled and ruffled her hair with his large hand, an affectionate gesture that made her instinctively shrink back–only to find herself leaning even closer to him.
From an outsider’s perspective, the two of them looked hopelessly, intimately tangled.
Mrs. Oliver stood nearby, beaming with delight. “You two are absolutely perfect for each other. When the big day comes, you must let me be there to celebrate with you!“.
Lynne recognized Mrs. Oliver immediately–she was the very person Whitfield had mentioned to her before.
For a second, Lynne wondered if this was all just another step in Whitfield’s well–laid plans. She forced herself to smile and play along, even as her nerves threatened to unravel.
It wasn’t until the party was winding down that Mrs. Oliver finally said her goodbyes, still reluctant to leave.
Once Mrs. Oliver was gone, Lynne felt all the tension drain from her body. She collapsed onto the nearest chair and began to gently rub her aching ankles.
It had been ages since she’d worn heels, let alone spent hours mingling and making small talk.
Tonight, every word exchanged with Mrs. Oliver had been purposeful, calculated–she’d spent the entire evening carefully paving the way for Whitfield.
She was massaging her ankle, lost in thought, when someone suddenly crouched down in front of her.
Whitfield reached out without hesitation, his long, deft fingers moving to examine her foot.§
Startled, Lynne tried to pull her foot away.
“Don’t move,” he said softly.
With surprising gentleness, he massaged her tender ankle.§
“The skin’s broken back here. I’ll go get a bandage–wait here for me, alright?“}
He spoke to her as if she were a child in need of comfort. Something about his tone made Lynne freeze, and before she knew it, she nodded obediently.
As soon as Whitfield left, two men slumped into nearby chairs behind her, groaning and complaining as they caught their breath.
“The boss has been obsessed lately,” one grumbled. “First it’s buying flowers, then sending me to auctions to collect rare stuff for him. Can you imagine? He designed this entire ballroom himself–drew up the plans, handed them over, made me oversee every detail.”
“Isn’t that normal? The Oliver family’s project is a big deal. He wants everything perfect.”
“See, that’s where you’re clueless. Is he really doing all this for the Oliver family? Who else would they partner with but our boss? That project was in the bag from the start!”
“So then why’s he going all out?*%
“Come here, let me tell you a secret.”
Lynne lowered her gaze and barely dared to breathe.
“He’s doing it for Miss Simpson!*
“From the very first day Miss Simpson arrived, the boss gave up two full floors of the company building–had them repainted, remodeled, turned the whole place into an exhibition just for her. In a city where every inch costs a fortune!*%
“And remember the night Miss Simpson agreed to this whole charade? The boss was so excited he couldn’t sleep. Kept me up all night telling stories about their past. I was exhausted, but when I looked up–man, you’ll never guess what I saw.“%
Lynne’s heart skipped a beat.
The other man leaned in, curiosity written all over his face. “What? What did you see? Don’t keep me hanging!”
“He was sitting there, turned away, quietly wiping his eyes! Kept murmuring Miss Simpson’s name under his breath, and said he could
Chapter 18
finally stand by her side, out in the open.”
“No way! Who knew our boss was such a romantic?”
“What are you two gossiping about?”
Whitfield’s voice cut in suddenly, his gaze flickering awkwardly to Lynne, who sat with her head lowered.
The two men froze. Only now did they realize the woman sitting right there was the Miss Simpson they’d just been talking about.
They bolted, scrambling out of the room as though their lives depended on it.”
Whitfield stood there, caught off guard and at a loss for words. Lynne said nothing, and he had no idea how much of that overheard conversation she’d just absorbed.
At this distance, she’d probably heard every word.
But if she’d heard it all, why wasn’t she reacting??
Panic flickered in Whitfield’s eyes, a tinge of disappointment creeping in as he struggled for composure.
And then, softly, Lynne spoke.}]
