Niamh was lost in thought.
Her gaze was fixed on the window display of the suit shop, but it was clear her mind was miles away.
Julian watched her closely.
Niamh was beautiful–easily the most stunning woman he’d ever met.
But right now, the expression on her angelic face made his heart ache.
In his memory, Niamh had always been resilient.
Yet there was that one person who could make even the strongest woman’s eyes fill with tears and leave her quietly shattered.
Julian clenched his fists.
“Come on. Let’s go. Forget the suits.”
Without warning, Julian grabbed her hand and pulled her
away.
Niamh was so stunned, she simply let herself be led down the street, their hands still joined.
“Julian, what’s wrong?” she finally asked, sensing a strange tension in him.
“Sorry, it’s my fault. If you still want to buy a suit, we can go back.”
Niamh assumed he was annoyed at how long she’d been spacing out.
“It’s not that, I’m not mad about that, I just…”
Julian trailed off, leaving Niamh completely confused.
It was only then that she noticed his hand, still wrapped around hers.
“Oh–sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean-”
Julian let go as if he’d been burned, his face flushing deep red, still feeling the lingering coolness and softness of her skin on his fingertips.
In the end, Niamh led Julian back to the suit shop to get him measured for a
custom suit.
Julian tried to be frugal, picking out the cheapest options.
But Niamh wouldn’t hear of it.
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20.02
“No way. My money, my choice. I’ll pick.”
For once, Niamh put her foot down, insisting on the finest Italian wool–just like she’d once chosen for Jonathan, though Jonathan had never appreciated it.
By the time they left the shop, Julian was still fretting about the money she’d spent, but Niamh was practically glowing. Clearly, splurging made her happy.
Meanwhile, across town, Marina was enjoying a spa treatment at the salon when her phone buzzed. It was a message from Lily on WhatsApp.
Lily: Guess what I just saw?
Marina almost ignored it, finger hovering over the lock button, when suddenly Lily flooded her with photos.
The more Marina scrolled, the more delighted–and devious–her smile became.
The next morning, as soon as Niamh walked into the office, she noticed her coworkers whispering and glancing her way.
It wasn’t until Peter called her into his office that she found out she was trending on social media.
The headline read:
Serendipity Publisher Neville Media Group’s New CEO Spotted in a Secret Relationship! Wedding Bells Already Ringing?
The photos left Niamh speechless.
There she was, shopping for suits with Julian.
There was a close–up of their hands entwined, and several shots of her holding up different suits against him, looking for the perfect fit.
Strung together, the photos really did look like a couple picking out a wedding suit.
But what really floored Niamh was the final photo–one she’d never seen before.
It was from Neville Media Group’s recent ribbon–cutting ceremony.
There was Julian, standing center stage among a group of executives, dressed in the very suit she’d chosen for him, his hair slicked back.
Niamh almost didn’t recognize him. Gone was the unassuming college kid; in his place stood a poised, confident executive.
Calling him an executive was probably underselling it, she realized as she read the
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Chapter 48
article. Julian was the eldest son of the Neville Corporation, one of the industry’s
titans.
And her own identity had been dragged into the spotlight, too. The story claimed that the only reason Serendipity partnered with FY was because Julian had pulled strings for her.
The rumors were spreading like wildfire.
At the same time, Jonathan, who was supposed to be at work, had rushed home.
He ransacked his walk–in closet until he finally unearthed a suit he’d never even
worn.
20.02
