Chapter 67

 67:
Seeing how Cynthia had no intention of backing down—let alone apologizing—Linsey’s gaze sharpened. “So that’s how it is. You don’t plan on apologizing at all. Instead, you want to turn this into a spectacle.”
Cynthia opened her mouth to snap back, but before she could, a few colleagues stepped forward and tugged at her sleeve, whispering urgently, “Cynthia, let it go. Collin might show up any second now. If this blows up, none of us will be able to deal with the consequences.”
“Exactly. Look at how sure Linsey is. What if the guy really is her husband? If you keep pushing, we might be the ones who end up suffering for it.”
Cynthia’s frown deepened. She hated how smug Linsey looked, but her colleagues had a point. If Linsey’s connections really outranked hers, this could come back to bite her later. Right now, what mattered most was finding out the truth—who exactly was that man? Only then could she put Linsey in her place once and for all.
Forcing down her anger, Cynthia clenched her fists and muttered stiffly, “Fine. Linsey, I was wrong earlier. I spoke without thinking. Don’t take it personally.”
Linsey instantly saw through her forced apology, but she wasn’t interested in dragging this out any longer. She replied flatly, “Alright then. Just be careful about what you say next time.”
Cynthia gritted her teeth in frustration, stomped her foot, and stormed back to her desk.
“Damn you, Linsey! I won’t let this go. You’ll pay for this sooner or later,” she fumed silently.
Her nails dug into her palm as a malicious thought took root. Even if the man in that luxury car really was Linsey’s husband, she had clearly been hiding him. That could only mean one thing—he must be someone embarrassing. Maybe he was some old, balding fossil on the verge of kicking the bucket.
She needed to find out who he was, and soon. And when she did, she would make sure the whole company knew about it. Once the truth was out, Linsey wouldn’t have the guts to show her face at CR Corporation again.
gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․çom has it all
That evening, as soon as work ended, Linsey didn’t linger and headed straight back to Vista Villa. For some reason, after everything that had happened today, she actually found herself looking forward to seeing Collin.
But as she neared the villa’s entrance, a sudden wave of nerves washed over her.
She pressed her lips together, recalling the little misunderstanding in the car earlier. The thought of facing Collin again made her cheeks flush. What was she even supposed to say to him?
Letting out a small sigh, she cupped her face and gave herself a silent reminder not to overthink it. She just needed to act normal. Taking a steadying breath, she stepped inside.
However, as she walked into the living room, she came to an abrupt stop. Collin was nowhere to be seen. Neither were the few subordinates who were usually by his side.
After a brief hesitation, she turned to the butler and asked, “Collin hasn’t come back yet?”
The butler responded with a polite smile, “Mrs. Riley, Mr. Riley mentioned that he’s busy tonight and won’t be returning home.”
Linsey blinked, momentarily caught off guard. A wave of disappointment settled in her chest before she could stop it. She had told Collin that she was going to see him at night.
But after a pause, she let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh. That was just her talking—Collin never actually said he would be back.
She had no reason to be upset. Collin was always busy. It wasn’t unusual for him to stay out late or not come home at all.
Still, knowing that didn’t stop the foolish feeling creeping in. She had hyped herself up on the way here, only to be met with an empty house. She didn’t let any of this show in front of the butler. Offering a faint smile, she simply nodded and headed upstairs to freshen up.
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