Chapha 105
Chapter 105
In the end, Niamh popped into a small clinic and picked up some anti–inflammatory painkillers. Surprisingly, Jonathan granted her five days of paid sick leave–without docking her salary.
She didn’t kid herself into thinking Jonathan actually cared about her.
Her face would be back to normal long before five days were up, but the extra leave also conveniently gave the office gossip more time to die down.
By the time Niamh returned to work, the whispers and sidelong glances had mostly
faded.
At first, she was puzzled, until she heard that Jeffrey had been fired.
Given her background and short tenure, it should have been her, not him, packing up her desk.
But the termination paperwork for Jeffrey was filled out by Jonathan himself, and no one in the company dared say a word.
Though people were dying to know what was really going on between Jonathan and Niamh, they kept their curiosity in check for fear of getting themselves
involved.
Today, Marina was uncharacteristically holed up in her own office. Normally, during the eight–hour workday, she could be found in Jonathan’s office for at least seven of them.
Now, Marina had locked her office door and was buried in her phone, glued to WhatsApp. Joker’s icon kept flashing on her lock screen.
With the office chatter dying down, Niamh felt the atmosphere finally clear. She could actually focus, and her productivity soared.
That day, just before closing time, Jonathan suddenly appeared in the Design Division.
Nobody was surprised to see him–he dropped by often enough that everyone assumed he was there to see Marina.
But instead, he walked over to Niamh’s desk.
“Put this on. I’m taking you somewhere tonight.”
Niamh, thoroughly confused, took the package Jonathan handed her and headed to
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Chapter 105
the changing room.
Inside was a dress.
A pure black satin dress, with a row of pearls tracing the neckline.
The design was modest, but the cut was sharp and elegant, giving Niamh an effortless sense of grace and poise.
She stared at her reflection, uneasy.
If she remembered correctly, this was the first time Jonathan had ever given her something black to wear.
Niamh never cared much about color, though she preferred cooler, darker shades. The only thing she really disliked was pink.
She couldn’t help but laugh, remembering how, during three years of marriage, Jonathan had filled her entire wardrobe with nothing but pink dresses.
And now…
Jonathan had actually chosen a black dress for her.
Was this his way of changing for her?
And he’d given it to her in front of the whole office, completely unbothered by what anyone might say.
What if Marina got the wrong idea?
‘Niamh’s thoughts spiraled.
She lingered in the changing room longer than she meant to, and when she finally emerged, most of the office had cleared out.
Jonathan barely glanced at her, his expression unreadable.
“Touch up your makeup in the car.”
Niamh blinked, then nodded. “Okay.”
It almost felt like… he was taking her on a date.
But this time, Jonathan wasn’t driving. Prescott was at the wheel.
Niamh sat in the backseat of the black Maybach, feeling oddly nervous.
Every so often, she stole glances at Jonathan beside her.
He looked completely unruffled, silent as ever.
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everal times, Marrh was tempted to ask where they were going, but the question ded on her lips. Wherever Jonathan was taking her–even to hell–she had no right
They pulled up in front of The Celestia Palace Hotel.
To Niamh, this wasn’t a place Jonathan usually frequented.
But she had history here–a history she’d rather forget.
It was here, last time, that she’d smashed a bottle over Daniel’s head and sent him to the hospital
Niamer’s instincts told her Jonathan hadn’t brought her here by accident.
The flicker of hope in her chest faded, replaced by apprehension.