Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
"What game are you playing at?" Viktor's tone was cold.
"I'm in love with your sister."
"Fuck you."
"I'll protect her with my life—-"
"You mean you'll try. Because you can also fail, just like you failed in protecting the old man who raised you like a son."
Keiran's hand tightened around the phone. "I learn from my mistakes."
"We'll see."
Viktor hung up, and Keiran handed the phone back to the woman.
"Any instructions from the boss?" she asked.
"None—-"
Fuck!
The woman had caught him off guard as she managed to land a kiss on his mouth.
"You know how this works," the woman said with a shrug. "No one can know who she is...or who sent me."
Damn her. Damn Viktor. And damn this world they were all born to.
Keiran took a shower and brushed his teeth thrice before he felt marginally better about slipping back into bed and pulling his wife into his arms.
"Where have you been?" she whispered.
"I thought I heard a noise in the living room. Nothing to worry about." He kissed the top of her head. "Go back to sleep."
He closed his eyes as well as he said this, and it was why he didn't see the way his wife's face turn ashen...because she had seen him through the bedroom window earlier.
Talking to a woman across his house.
And that woman kissing her husband like she had a right to.
She had seen him do all of these things, and that was why she no longer knew what to think...at the way he so had just lied to her so, so easily.
Cadence
PRESENT TIME
The drive to the meeting is spent in silence. Again.
I think there was one point that Onesimus looks as if he's dying to speak, badly.
And he's not the only one, to be honest.
I want to talk about the past. I want to ask for his forgiveness. But the moment either Onesimus or I open our mouth, Keiran gives us a look, and we both shut up.
Our shared master wins again, 2-0.
Heads turn as soon as our limo cruises to a stop...at my own restaurant?
Seriously?
Gemma rushes to me, whispering, I thought you said you couldn't come to work.
I thought so, too, but obviously not, and so all I can do is smile weakly. "It's complicated."
I follow Keiran inside our largest function room. Everyone on the table is a familiar face, and all eyes are on Keiran, then me.
He makes no explanation of my presence, only taking a seat on the head of the table before causing multiple jaws to drop as he calmly asks me to sit on his lap.
When he said he wants me to earn him back, he clearly wasn't joking.
I meet his gaze and say cheerfully, "Don't mind if I do."
Three years ago, I hurt my husband by letting other people's words get between us.
Never again.
Keiran says nothing as I take a seat on his lap, but his arm curves around my waist as soon as I do. He then makes a slight gesture with his hand, and it's as if everyone's bottoms are on fire.
His VPs start talking. Fast. I do my best to listen, but he's hard. I mean, it's hard. Because of, well, that. It's really, really hard, and twitching just as hard.
Is it just me or do I need to call someone to check if our AC is working?
“We’ve gone through the updates," a woman in a blazer is reporting nervously. "Our only concern is the zoning on the west lot. The original environmental study flagged potential traffic overflow.”
"And your proposed solution?" Keiran asks.
An idea occurs to me, and I start typing on my phone. My dad used to get me involved in planning corporate events, and I had really enjoyed the logistic side of it. I'm guessing, for Keiran's upcoming hotel, we could have a private shuttle for guests and event staff. We could also plan a re-routing for a secondary drop-off—-
Keiran swipes my phone from my hand, and my cheeks turn red as I listen to him share the suggestions I've jotted down in a silky tone.
Eep!
I'm about to apologize for being so presumptuous...when everyone on the table suddenly starts speaking at the same time, thanking and praising me for my input with looks of visible relief on their faces.
Huh.
Were my suggestions really worth considering—-or were they just happy for me to be a distraction that effectively got Keiran off their backs?
The meeting rolls on. Keiran asks me point blank at certain points, and I end up answering two more questions and correcting one minor error in a materials report.
By the time the meeting ends, everyone is officially confused, and even I'm not sure what just happened. Did I somehow misjudge him? Isn't me being his mistress Keiran's way to punish me for the past? So why give me a chance to demonstrate I'm not as brainless as most people may have assumed?