Chapter 4
Zach froze for a second but didn’t push her away.
“Mr. Mitchell, when are you going to break up with Serena?”
“I can’t wait any longer to be with you. Do you know how miserable I feel every day, seeing you with her?”
“Or… do you still love her more than me?” Hannah asked, her voice dripping with grievance.
Zach parted his lips as if to speak, then pulled her into his arms instead, patting her back like one might soothe a child.
“She could never compare to you?” he murmured, “It’s just… now that the company has grown, if I dump her and start something with you, people will gossip. I don’t want that kind of talk to hurt you.”
“Give it a little more time. It won’t be long.”
“Oh, I knew it, you really do love me the most,” Hannah cooed.
The two of them, wrapped up together like that, looked every bit like a couple in love.
A bitter laugh escaped me, and I turned my back on them. Back in our private room, I downed a few more drinks. We reminisced until nearly dawn before everyone finally called it a night.
As we walked into the underground garage, Diana suddenly tugged me toward a fully loaded Porsche and asked if I liked it.
I blinked and nodded, thinking it was her new car. I was about to compliment her when she pressed a set of keys into my palm.
“It’s yours,” she said, grinning and giving me a wink. “You’ve been driving that old junker for years, it’s way past time you upgraded.
Perfect timing for a new ride.”
I opened my mouth to refuse, but she cut me off like she already knew what I’d say.
“I heard Zach gave that new assistant of his a car. If she can get behind the wheel of a luxury ride with her lousy driving, then you sure
as hell deserve one too.”
She leaned in, her tone sharper. “Honestly, I’ve seen that girl’s work. Her style changes every project, and it obviously plagiarized. I
don’t even know how she’s still at the company…”
Maybe it was the alcohol, but she vented without a filter. I stayed quiet.
She wasn’t wrong. Those projects? They were mine, or the team’s. Almost finished every time, then Zach would hand them over to
Hannah at the last second.
That’s why her so–called “style” was all over the place. Even an outsider could see it. But Zach refused to.
I stared to refuse again, but she cut me off with a pretend scowl. “Don’t think of it as a gift. Think of it as an advance deduction from your future salary. Don’t you dare waste my kindness.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. With the price of that car, if it were really coming out of my paycheck, I’d be paying it off for years.
I knew it was just her excuse, so I didn’t refuse again. Instead, I thanked her sincerely.
After chatting a little longer, we both called drivers and headed home.
I assumed Zach wouldn’t be back yet. He usually stayed out until three or four in the morning whenever he was with Hannah,
But when I opened the front door, there he was, sitting on the living room couch.
“Where were you? Weren’t we supposed to meet? Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting?” he snapped the second I stepped
inside.
I blinked in surprise. So early? That was rare.
But then, the memory of him and Hannah wrapped around each other in that hotel room flashed across my mind, and nausea churned in my stomach.
“Dinner with friends.” My voice was flat as I set my purse down and pulled out the authorization form.
Chapter 4
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I’d barely taken two steps when Zach blocked my way, frowning. “You’ve been drinking? Didn’t I say you’re not allowed to drink when
I’m not around?”
I almost laughed out loud. So I could only drink if it was to serve his business deals? I didn’t answer.
But Zach’s expression shifted, a smug little smile tugging at his lips.
“You’re still mad about me going out with Hannah, aren’t you? If you don’t want me to see her alone, just say so. Why drink yourself sick over it?”
“You’re overthinking,” I said, lowering myself into a chair. “My drinking has nothing to do with you two.”
I slid the condo authorization form across the table toward him. “Take a look at this.”
