“Marina, you seriously don’t mind? That Niamh has no shame at all, does she?” Jayne’s voice rang out by the coffee machine, just loud enough for Niamh to overhear.
“Come on, Mr. Thomas is clearly into you. He’s been chasing after you for ages, and she still has the nerve to throw herself at him.”
Marina could only offer a wry smile. “What can I say? Jonathan’s just too much of a catch.”
She was the only one in the entire Thomas Group who dared to call Jonathan by his first name so intimately.
“Oh please, you two are so disgustingly close,” Jayne teased. Marina, blushing, ran her fingers over her cheek and stole a quick glance in the direction of Niamh’s desk. Niamh was never one to get ruffled by office rumors. Besides, everyone assumed she and Jonathan wouldn’t last much longer–half the company thought Jonathan and Marina made the perfect couple, and Niamh never bothered to correct them.
But being branded the “other woman“? That was something she couldn’t stomach.
She figured the gossip would pass in a few days–people just needed something new to talk about. But for some reason, the rumors only grew wilder, and more coworkers started taking Marina’s side. Even the lunch lady in the cafeteria cornered her one day. “I don’t serve homewreckers. If you want lunch, go buy it somewhere else,” she huffed, arms crossed over her apron.
Niamh couldn’t even blame her; who didn’t despise a homewrecker? But she couldn’t let this slander keep spiraling–her reputation was on the line.
It was Marina who was getting involved with a married man, so why was Niamh the one taking the fall?
“Ma’am, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m not some homewrecker. I have a boyfriend–he’s amazing, actually. And honestly, with my background, if I wanted to marry someone rich, there are plenty of options out there. Why would I bother with someone who’s already taken?”
The lunch lady paused, considering her words. She’d always liked Niamh–she was polite, always thanked her, and had a pretty face to boot. But when the whole company was whispering that Niamh was chasing after Jonathan and trying to sabotage his relationship with Marina, even she had started to believe it.
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“That’s what I’m saying–someone like you could have anyone. Don’t go ruining your life, sweetheart,” she said, though her eyes revealed skepticism.
Niamh could only muster a tired smile. Clearly, her explanation hadn’t entirely
landed.
“Maybe when I bring my boyfriend here, you’ll finally believe me.”
“I’d like to see that-” the lunch lady started, but a new, sharp voice cut through the
conversation.
“I’d like to see that too.”
Niamh froze. She turned to see Jonathan standing behind her, a half–smile playing on his lips.
“I wonder who Secretary Rivers‘ boyfriend could possibly be,” he said, his gaze cold and mocking.
Under the weight of his stare, Niamh felt her confidence waver.
“Come to my office after lunch,” he ordered, then turned and strode away.
She watched as Jonathan made his way to Marina’s desk, sitting down beside her as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The entire cafeteria’s attention shifted to them.
Lunch tasted like cardboard. At the next table, people giggled and whispered, eyes darting between Niamh, Marina, and Jonathan.
Afterwards, Niamh knocked on Jonathan’s office door. No answer.
As his secretary, she had a key, so she let herself in.
Jonathan had asked her to come by after lunch, yet he kept her waiting for a whole hour–a rarity for someone as punctual as him. There was only one reason he’d be late for work: Marina.
When Jonathan finally arrived, he paused upon seeing her, then said nothing, acting as though it was perfectly normal for her to wait that long.
He dropped into his chair, flipped open a folder, and spoke without looking up.
“You’ll need to come to the manor this Saturday. I want you to cook.”
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Chapter 75
