Chapter 376

 376:
Gorman met her gaze with a playful smile, the corner of his lips quirking up. “Linsey, has it really been that long? You’ve already forgotten me?”
With an exaggerated sigh, he placed a hand over his chest as if wounded. “Ouch. You really broke my heart.”
The instant Linsey recognized him, her expression darkened. Her voice sharpened. “What are you doing here?” Her gaze swept over him from head to toe. He had the audacity to stroll into her office like he owned the place, making himself comfortable in her chair? Unbelievable.
“You’re not welcome here. Leave.” Linsey’s expression hardened as she pointed to the door.
Gorman, unfazed, kept his easy smile. “Is this really how you treat clients? I have to say, I expected better.”
Linsey clenched her jaw, forcing herself to stay composed. Her words came slow and measured. “If someone walks in with an actual business proposal, I’m more than happy to hear them out. But you? I don’t even have to ask—I already know you’re up to something.”
Gorman’s smile faltered, his expression darkening. His brow creased as he leveled a sharp glare at her. “What? You really think I came here just to stir up trouble? Is that how you see me?”
There was genuine confusion in his voice, as if he couldn’t quite grasp why Linsey was treating him this way.
Linsey met his gaze head-on, unwavering. “Gorman, let’s be real—aren’t you just here to cause trouble?”
She crossed her arms, impatience creeping into her voice. “Everyone in town knows you’ve always been at odds with our firm. If someone sees you in my office, what exactly am I supposed to say? You’re clearly trying to stir something up.”
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Gorman listened, then let out a slow, knowing smile. Instead of standing, he leaned back in her chair, settling in even more. “The employees here don’t even know who I am,” he said smoothly. “So what’s there to worry about?”
Linsey didn’t waver. Her tone sharpened. “Gorman, I’m telling you one last time—leave. If you don’t, I’ll call security to escort you out.”
For the first time, Gorman’s smile slipped. A flicker of something—hurt, maybe—passed through his eyes before he masked it. His voice carried a quiet accusation.
“Linsey, do you really have to be this heartless toward me?”
Linsey’s voice was crisp and unwavering. “Gorman, let’s be clear—we never had a relationship to begin with, so let’s not pretend otherwise. If anything, I’d appreciate it if you stop pestering me.” Her firm rejection hit Gorman like a blow.
Back in that quiet fishing village abroad, she hadn’t been this distant. It hadn’t been that long, yet now she looked at him as if he were nothing more than a stranger—maybe even an enemy.
Did she have any idea how much he had endured just to find her? How many obstacles he had fought through over the years just to stand in front of her again?
Gorman let out a slow smirk, though his eyes remained unreadable. “No relationship, huh?”
He turned the words over in his mind, letting the cold edge of them sink in.
“How can you say we have no relationship?” Gorman’s gaze held hers, steady and unrelenting. “Like it or not, I’m your client now. Before I even stepped into this office, I signed a contract with your company—one that guarantees I get a designer I’m completely satisfied with.”
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