<h4>Chapter 175: A Rumor</h4>


    "Even though it was a mistake that brought you here, it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Mnie. And I hope we will be able to have more business in the future."


    Mnie shook hands with Mr. Peterson as she stepped out of therge timber holdings office, a small smile tugging at her lips. It was odd. She hade here because she’d been told there would be an auction. But Mr. Peterson—the man supposedly retiring—was in perfectly good spirits and clearly in no mood to step away from his business.


    So it seemed someone had tried to sabotage him. And in the process, she’d been caught in the middle of it.


    Thankfully, even though there had been no auction, she’d managed to strike a deal that would solve her oak and walnut wood problems for the foreseeable future. High quality, steady supply, reasonable terms—better than she’d hoped for, really. So, all in all, it had been worth the trip to Maniwa.


    But now... with her business concluded, no auction to attend, and her return ticket set for tomorrow, she was left wondering what to do with the rest of her day.


    She paused on the steps outside, ncing up at the sky. It was still early afternoon. The sun hung low but warm, the quiet hum of the small town carrying on around her.


    She hadn’t nned for free time. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. For a moment she thought of calling Adam. She’d barely had time yesterday with the sudden travel ns that she’d simply messaged him that she would be here for the next two days. But he hadn’t called which was unlike him. So, should she call him or just roam around Maniwa? She sighed.


    She really had no interest in ying tourist. She rubbed her empty stomach for a moment and sighed. Why did shee here on an empty stomach? Oh yes! Because she’d been worried that she would bete! Now her stomach was growling and making it almost impossible for her to think. It was better to eat something and then maybe check if she could change her return tickets to today.


    Spotting a small café across the street with wide windows and wooden chairs scattered outside, she crossed over. <i>The Forest Table,</i> the sign read—charming enough, and it smelled like fresh bread and roasted garlic, which was more than enough to draw her in.


    A bell tinkled as she pushed the door open, and a soft hum of conversation met her ears. She chose a table near the window, dropped her bag on the chair beside her, and picked up the handwritten menu.


    Mnie ordered a grilled mushroom sandwich and chamomile tea, craving something simple andforting.


    She was just settling in, absently watching the steam rise from the ss teapot, when her gaze wandered—and froze.


    There, in the far corner of the café, was Adam.


    And sitting next to him,ughing at something, was Saira Vaugn. Even from here, she could see the woman was sitting too close to him.


    Her breath caught.


    Her eyes narrowed. What was he doing here? And that too with Saira so close?


    She watched as Saira leaned in, her hand lightly brushing Adam’s arm as she said something with a too-sweet smile. He didn’t smile back and even seemed to be trying to put some distance between them but that was not the point.


    Her fingers clenched around her water ss. She wasn’t the jealous type, she knew that. But this... this stung more than she expected.


    She tore her eyes away and looked down at her phone, thumb hovering over his name in her messages. Should she call him? Ask where he was? And what he was doing here? Why he hadn’t told her?


    By the time she came to a decision, the chat was already open, and that’s when she saw it.


    His message, fromst morning: "Just a heads-up—I’ll be in Maniwa . Last-minute change, I know. I’m with Saira to meet the child."


    And below it, the message she had typed out yesterday. "Heading to Maniwa for two days. for supplier meetings. See you when I get back."


    Still sitting there. Unsent.


    Mnie blinked. Once. Twice. The quiet in her head suddenly louder than the tter of dishes around her.


    <i>Well then...</i>She stared at the screen, at the unsent message, and felt a wave of heat crawl up her neck. Great. Now it would look like she had followed him. That she’d shown up unannounced and uninvited and was probably stalking him. Ahhhh!!!!!


    She took onest look toward their table. Saira was still talking, her hand still resting a little toofortably on Adam’s arm. Mnie couldn’t tell what he was saying back, but his expression was calm. Neutral.


    The best course of action was to escape here, without making contact with them. Later, when the two of them met again, she would exin everything and they could probablyugh about it.


    Hurriedly, she signaled the waitress to pack her order of the sandwich and the bill.


    But as she walked out of the cafe, her mood was much worse than those few moments when she had seen Adam and Saira together. Because now, the truth that Saira had told her struck home... struck true. That they shared an unbreakable link between them.


    Adam might im that he would keep the child away and maybe he was resolved to do only what was extremely necessary. But it was impossible topletely break things off.


    Because from what she’d seen back in that café, "necessary" looked a lot like familiarity. Like closeness. Like something she wasn’t part of.


    He hadn’t done anything wrong. Not really. He’d told her that he wasing here to meet his child. But suddenly, she felt a lot like the abandoned wife... The way she had felt inthe past. The only difference? By the time things hade to an end, she’d already been used to the indifference and the absence... With Adam... all these things were yet toe but her fear of these? Was already here.