Chapter 1860:


    Christina exhaled, fairly certain it was Robin again with another attempt at pinning her down. She answered and slipped into the low, worn male tone she used for that persona. “Robin, I’m tied up right now—”


    “Where are you?” The voice on the other end was unsteady.


    She straightened. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”


    “Just tell me where you are.”


    “I’m at the offi—”


    “Stop lying, Christina!”


    The shout came through the phone and from somewhere directly behind her at the same moment.


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    A jolt of rm ran through her. She had intended to sit Robin down and exin everything properly when the time was right. Being caught like this had never entered the picture.


    Phone still in her hand, she turned slowly and met Robin’s gaze. His eyes were burning.


    “Hi,” she said, with a weak smile.


    “Hi? Seriously?” He closed the distance between them, his expression tight with fury. “You’ve got a lot of nerve. Lying to my face like that — how could you?”


    “I didn’t mean to—” Panic crept into her voice as she grasped for the right words.


    “You came back without a single word! You actually thought you could keep this from me?” His anger only seemed to build.


    She had told everyone she was traveling abroad for work, without naming a destination. No one had known where she had gone. And then she had slipped back into the city in silence. For Robin, that was evidently far more than he could let pass.


    “It’s personal. I don’t owe you an exnation. You don’t get to interrogate me,” Christina replied, her tone firm — but the edge in her voice softened when she caught the redness rimming his eyes, and her words lost their conviction.


    “So that’s how it is,” Robin said, his voice wavering. “You don’t even see me as a real friend. That actually hurt.” His eyes glistened, tears pressing close to the surface.


    “I’m sorry. Truly. I got back in the middle of the night and didn’t even have time to tell Davina,” she said, her voice gentler now.


    To Christina, Robin had always felt like a younger brother. Watching him stand there, so visibly wounded, left her somewhere between resignation and reluctant amusement — with resignation winning. Did he really need to take it quite this hard?


    Robin felt a wave of relief wash over him when he realized that Christina hadn’t told Davina about her return either, despite how close the two women were. That had to mean something. It had to mean he held a real ce in her life.


    “So you’re saying I’m actually on the same level as Davina?” Robin asked, unable to keep the growing smile from his face.


    Christina’s expression became serious. “No. Davina is definitely more important than you,” she said inly.


    The smile copsed. Robin looked thoroughly deted.


    He had gotten ahead of himself. Clearly, he did not rank as high in her estimation as he had hoped.


    Catching the look on his face, Christina softened slightly. “We’re not as close as Davina and I are, but you still matter to me. You know that.”


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