Chapter 824
[ 448 words ]
Chapter 824:
Once the meeting ended, my coworkers gradually filtered out of the conference room.
I shut my notebook, its pages packed with meticulous notes, then instinctively reached for my phone. The screen remained blank, with no message from Ethan waiting for me.
A faint ache of disappointment quietly settled in my chest. I couldn’t help laughing at myself. Since when had I started relying so much on these tiny exchanges with him?
Still lost in thought, I walked out of the room and accidentally collided with a firm chest.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking…” I apologized quickly, only to look up into those familiar deep eyes watching me with amusement.
“What kept you so long?” Ethan asked, taking the files from my arms, a trace of frustration slipping into his voice. “Noah told me the meeting ended ten minutes ago.”
“I was organizing the documents and checking everything one more time,” I replied, unwilling to admit I’d lingered because I kept checking my phone for his messages.
𝖳𝗁o𝘂𝘀𝗮ո𝗱s о𝖿 𝗿𝘦аd𝘦rѕ 𝗼𝗇 𝗀𝗮l𝗇𝗈𝘷e𝗹s.𝘤𝗼𝗆
He reached for my hand, but I instinctively drew it back, my gaze darting toward the hallway where several coworkers were still nearby.
I didn’t want us looking too close at the office. I was afraid people would assume I’d only gotten my job back because of my relationship with him.
Ethan seemed to read my thoughts without a word. Ignoring my hesitation, he firmly took my hand and laced his fingers through mine.
“Lianne, I’m tired of keeping us a secret.” His voice was low and warm, echoing softly through the empty hallway. “I don’t want to hide anymore.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks as I murmured, “But it’s true that I came back because you helped me.”
He stopped walking and turned to face me, his expression completely serious. “I gave you the opportunity,” he said steadily, “but you’ve earned your place here with your own ability. You’ve never been someone who climbed by depending on others.”
His sincere words wrapped around my heart, filling it with warmth that instantly washed away the exhaustion I’d been carrying since the meeting.
“Come on,” he said with a smile. “It’s time to pick up Ruby and Silas from school.”
I quickly pushed my emotions aside and followed him.
The car cruised smoothly down the road. After wrestling with my thoughts for quite a while, I finally spoke. “Ethan… about Rola. I’ve thought about it carefully. I don’t want to keep dwelling on what happened anymore, and I don’t want to appeal the case. If my dad were still alive, he’d want me to live happily, not be consumed by hatred.”
I expected him to feel relieved, especially since Rola was his family.
Instead, Ethan tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his voice unexpectedly resolute.
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