Chapter 35
My heart was still thudding
I stepped out of his office, barely able to breathe. My palms felt clammy. I kept rubbing them against my skirt, trying to calm down. I wasn’t even sure what had just happened. The moment his hands were on the. the way he looked at me, the panic in his eyes–it threw everything out of place.
I told him I was fine. I wasn‘
I walked fast down the hallway and turned into the staff corridor. My heels echoed behind me. Every step felt heavier than the last. I got
to my desk, dropped into my seat, and leaned forward, elbows on the table, trying to slow my breathing
What was wrong with me?
I glanced at the door to his office. He hadn’t come out.
I hated how my chest tightened every time I thought about that woman. Gypsy.
I stared down at the file in front of me, flipping through the pages even though I wasn’t reading a single thing. My fingers clenched around the paper. I tried to keep my expression blank. It wasn’t working
Why did it bother me this much?
She was just another employee. That’s what she said. She’d be working here now. So what?
I reminded myself of the deal. One year. I only had to be here for one year. That was the plan. After that, whatever he did, whoever he wanted to bring into his office or his company–none of it would matter. None of it should matter.
So why couldn’t I stop clenching my fists?
I sat back in my chair, raking my fingers through my hair, and let out a low breath. My legs bounced under the desk. I reached for my mouse and clicked into the shared company email tab just to distract myself.
A new message sat at the top, marked “Urgent – Announcement”
I opened it.
As my eyes scanned the lines, the heat in my chest crept up to my face.
It was an internal invite. Company–wide.
There would be an official announcement party tomorrow evening, hosted at the top floor lounge. The subject; celebrating the formal appointment of Miss Gypsy Caldwell to a prominent executive position within the firm.
I blinked hard, then read it again.
It wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t a suggestion. It was happening. Everyone was expected to attend.
My jaw clenched.
So that’s what this was about?
He didn’t just want her back in the building. He wanted everyone to know she was hack. He wanted them to see it, praise it, celebrate it.
I shut the laptop harder than I meant to. My hands dropped into my lap. My eyes stung, but I wasn’t going to cry over this. Not now. Not here.
It wasn’t like we were real, it wasn’t like he owed me anything but then why did this feel like a betrayal?
The second it was time to clock out, I didn’t wait around. I left before Karl even emerged from his office and slid into the backseat of the black car waiting out front. The driver didn’t ask questions. I didn’t offer explanations. 1 kept my arms folded tight across my chest the whole way back to the house and went straight up to my room without touching a single thing in the kitchen.
By the next evening, I’d barely slept.
Still, I picked my best outfit. Fitted black dress. Hair slicked into a bun. Simple jewelry. Clean makeup. I wasn’t going to be the girl who looked like she didn’t belong. Not in front of everyone.
S
Chapter 35
I hadn’t seen Karl since yesterday, and maybe that was for the best. Every time I thought about Gypsy working here, my stomach turned.
The venue was already buzzing by the time I arrived. Staff dressed up for the occasion, music playing softly in the background, glasses of champagne already passed around. I adjusted my purse strap and stepped inside, scanning for Karl.
There he was.
I took a step forward, ready to walk up and ask why he’d been so distant. But before I could, a voice cut through the crowd.
1 stopped
Gypsy.
She walked up to him with a smile, her arm brushing his, her laugh bright and familiar. He turned to her, and the expression on his face made my throat tighten.
The announcement began shortly after.
One of the board members stood in front of the crowd, tapping a mic gently. “Thank you all for coming. As you know, we’ve recently welcomed a new leader to one of our creative divisions. Please join me in officially welcoming Gypsy Monroe to the executive team. She’ll be overseeing our branding and partnership strategies moving forward.”
Applause erupted, Cameras flashed
I clapped slowly, my jaw locked tight.
After a few minutes, I turned and nearly bumped into her.
Gypsy
She smiled casually. “You’re that secretary, right? Karl’s assistant?”
My fingers clenched around my glass.
She didn’t know.
She didn’t even know I was his wife.
He spent all this time dragging me into a fake marriage and didn’t even care enough to tell her.
I didn’t answer. I turned, ready to walk off, but she reached out, placing a hand on my arm.
“Are you okay?”
I shoved her hand off without thinking.
She tripped.
It wasn’t hard, but the heels she wore were too high, the floor too slick. Her ankle twisted. She stumbled backward
A gasp went up from the crowd.
Gypsy hit the ground with a sharp cry, clutching her foot
My hand flew to my mouth. “Oh my God,” I whispered.
Footsteps pounded behind me, fast and sharp.
“Сурку”
Karl
He dropped to his knees beside her, checking her ankle. “It’s swelling,” he said under his breath.
“I can’t stand,” she whimpered. “It hurts.”
He didn’t waste a second.
Chapter 35
He scooped her into his arms like she weighed nothing. She cling to his shirt, eyes wide with pain. His jaw was clenched, his gaze focused only on her.
The chemistry between them was impossible to ignore.
I stood there frozen.
He carried her OUL
1 turned, heart burning, throat tight, and walked away from the party.
I stepped out into the night and waved down the nearest taxi. I didn’t even wait to see if anyone was watching me leave.
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