“Nothing.”
Jonathan downed the entire bowl of medicine, feeling his stomach settle almost instantly.
Seeing the relief on his face, Marina smiled. “You really need to take better care of that stomach of yours. If you end up in the hospital again, it’s not just Marigold who’ll have a heart attack–I will too.”
“Sorry to make you worry,” Jonathan replied, looking at Marina with the same gentle eyes as always.
That look gave Marina a sense of reassurance.
Sure, Jonathan still hadn’t divorced Niamh yet. But Marina was certain it was only a matter of time.
She didn’t return to her own department all afternoon. Instead, she stayed in Jonathan’s office–the only person in the entire Thomas Group with that privilege.
After work, Marina made plans to go shopping with her best friend. Jonathan drove
her to the mall.
On the way back, as he sped past the Thomas Group’s high–rise, he noticed that while the glass façade was pitch black, a single office window was brightly lit–impossibly conspicuous.
He drove past in a flash, but as he reached the next intersection, the black Maybach suddenly made a sharp U–turn and headed back.
Design Division.
The only department in Thomas Group that still had its lights on at 10 p.m.
Jonathan walked in quietly and found Niamh slumped over her desk, fast asleep. Piles of folders surrounded her, while every other desk in the room had only the usual odds and ends and computer monitors.
He gently lifted Niamh into his arms. He half–expected her to wake up, but she didn’t–not even when he picked her up. She was so deeply asleep, she’d even started to snore.
Jonathan frowned, realizing she felt much lighter than before.
Underground parking garage.
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Niamh didn’t wake until Jonathan was sliding her into the car. The unfamiliar surroundings–and Jonathan’s dangerously handsome face–made her tense up in
alarm.
“Where am I? How did I get here?”
Her panic made Jonathan’s lips curl into a smirk, though his eyes grew colder. “I came back to the office for some paperwork and found you asleep. This is the parking garage.”
As he explained, Niamh pieced things together herself.
“Sorry, I was just exhausted,” she said, rubbing her aching temples.
“Starting to see the perks of being a housewife now?” Jonathan’s sudden question caught her off guard.
It took her a moment to realize he didn’t suspect Marina of sabotaging her; he just thought she couldn’t handle the demands of a designer’s job.
Before she could protest, Jonathan leaned in close. She caught the warm, earthy scent of his cologne.
He reached over and buckled her seat belt for her. “Honestly…” His voice was low, his lips curved in a half–smile. “As long as you don’t expect my heart, my body is still yours.”
His mouth was hot against her skin, but Niamh turned her face away at once.
At that moment, Jonathan’s phone rang, the sound echoing clearly in the quiet of the parking garage.
He didn’t seem disappointed that she’d dodged his kiss. Calmly, he straightened and answered the call.
“Hello?”
Niamh, fumbling with her seatbelt, could just make out Marina’s unmistakable
voice on the other end.
“Jonathan, my neighbor’s doing some kind of remodeling–there’s all this banging and drilling. It’s driving me crazy and honestly, I’m a little scared. Can you come pick me up?”
“Sure,” Jonathan replied without hesitation.
7
“I want to go to Jade Peak Place.”
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Niamh’s grip on the seatbelt tightened.
Jonathan owned plenty of properties, but of all places, Marina had chosen the home he and Niamh had bought together as a couple.
“Jade Peak Place is closer to your office. I don’t want to be late for work tomorrow…” Marina started to explain, but Jonathan interrupted her.
“Alright.”
By now, Niamh had unfastened her seatbelt. Without another word to Jonathan, she got out of the car and walked toward the exit on her own.
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