<b>Chapter </b><b>103 </b>


    <b>+15 </b><b>BONUS </b>


    When Xena avoided his eyes, Zac’s expression darkened. “Are you hiding something from me?”


    “No… Mr. Lincoln, have you been drinking tonight? Let me make you some tea<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    She quickly got up and started toward the kitchen<b>, </b>but before she had taken more than a few steps, he blocked her path.


    “Xena, you had better not be lying to me.”


    Her face paled, though she forced a smile. “I’m not, really.


    Zac said nothing more. He brushed past her and sat down on the sofa. Seeing that he was no longer pressing the issue, she hurried into the kitchen.


    Zac watched her retreating figure, words rising and falling in his mind that he never spoke aloud.


    Finally, he took a deep breath and walked toward the door. I still have work to do at the office. I’lle by another day.”


    Xena turned quickly, but by the time she looked back, he was already gone.


    *


    The next morning, Liz was woken by the sound of her phone ringing. She groped for it on the nightstand and answered groggily, “Hello, who’s this?”


    Josh’s voice came through the line. “Ms. Smith, this is Josh Stevens. Do you have a moment? I’d like to talk.”


    The name made Liz’s eyes snap open. She pushed herself up from the bed and nced at the clock. Seven–thirty in the morning.


    “Mr. Stevens,” she said tly, her voice stillced with sleep. “You’re calling awfully early. Is there something important?”


    Josh gave a light chuckle. “I heard you left your firm. I was wondering if you’d be interested in joining Zenith Law<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    Liz didn’t even hesitate. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m not looking for a new job right now. And one more thing


    -next time, you should wait until after nine to call. People are still sleeping at this hour.<b>” </b>


    “Ms. Smith, if you still want to practice in Stanley City, Zenith is the best ce for you.”


    “<b>I’ll </b>think about it. But for now, I’m going back to sleep. Goodbye, Mr. Stevens.”


    She hung up decisively, switched her phone to silent, and rolled over.


    When she woke again, it was nearly ten<b>. </b><b>She </b>couldn’t remember thest time she had slept in like this. After years of nonstop work, the simple pleasure of waking up naturally felt almost foreign.


    Pulling back the covers, she got out of bed, drew the curtains open to let in the sunlight, and stretched before heading into the bathroom. By the time she finished washing up, fifteen minutes had passed.


    She was about to make breakfast when the doorbell rang.


    Liz frowned. “Who would be visiting at this hour?” she wondered.


    She walked to the door and looked through the peephole. To her shock, the person standing outside was her grandmother, Mrs. Smith Sr.–thest person she ever expected <b>to </b><b>see</b>.


    12


    For a moment, Liz just stared, unable to believe it. Back when she had lived with the Smith family, her grandmother had been the only one who treated her with real kindness, the only one who truly saw her as a granddaughter.


    Butter, Liz had disappointed her. She had chosen Zac over her family, severing ties for his sake. Her grandmother had been furious, calling her foolish and warming her that she would one day regret it. She had said that if Liz really turned her back on the family, then she would no longer recognize her as a granddaughter.


    Blinded by love, Liz hadn’t listened. She had visited a few times after that, but Mrs. Smith Sr. had refused to see her. Eventually, Liz stopped going.


    Only now did she realize how right Mrs. Smith Sr. had been


    Taking a deep breath, Liz opened the door, unable to meet her eyes. “Grandma…”


    Mrs. Smith Sr.’s gaze shed with anger for a second, but it was quickly reced with raw concern.


    “You’ve lost weight.”


    Just those words made Liz’s eyes sting. She blinked hard to push back the tears and forced a smile. “Come inside, Grandma.”


    She stepped aside to let her in.


    Mrs. Smith Sr. walked into the small living room, barely two hundred square feet. The sight made her chest tighten with both pity and anger. She turned back to Liz.


    “He lets you live in a ce like this?”


    Though Mrs. Smith Sr. lived quietly, away from most affairs, she wasn’t ignorant. She had heard three years ago that Zac had made it big.


    She had assumed Liz was living in a house at least–maybe even a vi. Instead, she found her in an old building, in a shabby one–bedroom apartment.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>104 </b>