I shot him azy sideways look. “Maybe you’re in love with the person you imagine me to be, not who I really am now.”


    Nathan’s lips thinned into a line as he shook his head, letting out a quiet, almost self–mockingugh.


    I continued, “You’re just chasing after my shadow. But in reality, I’ve been married, had a kid, and now I’m divorced. My career’s only just getting off the ground, and you’re already a powerhouse. Why would someone like you still be holding out for someone like me?”


    “Stop it,” Nathan said, setting his ss down on the table and pulling me into a tight embrace <i>from </i>behind. “Nobody’s perfect. Maybe I’m not any better than you. The way you are now is exactly what I love most about <i>you</i>.”


    As he spoke, his lips pressed softly against the back of my neck, leaving gentle, lingering kisses. “Victoria, when <i>you </i>donated money to me back then, I already knew you were married. They called you Mrs. Murphy when they introduced you.”


    I froze, caughtpletely off guard.


    Nathan’s voice was low and rough as he went on, “I was obsessed with a married woman. I’m the one who’s twisted, not you. It’s not that you’re not enough–it’s me, I’m the one who’s lost in this obsession.”


    Listening to his words, all the thoughts and worries swirling in my mind just faded away.


    Maybe Nathan was even more obsessed with me than I’d ever imagined.


    He gently turned me to face him, his gaze lowered and intense. When his long fingers cupped my face, I could feel them trembling ever so slightly.


    Still stunned, I found myself caught in his kiss.


    And once that kiss started, there was no stopping it.


    Tonight, Nathan was on another level–passionate, possessive, hungry, and just in wild.


    It was like he wanted to burn through every ounce of desire between us, leaving mepletely spent.


    All I can say is, those deceptively slim guys? You really shouldn’t mess with them after dark.


    By the time the sun came up, I’d overslept again. It wasn’t until my phone kept ringing with meeting reminders that I finally threw on some clothes and rushed out the door.


    Nathan said he was off work today and would meet me for lunch.


    <b>I </b>wasn’t really paying him much mind though–my job came first.


    By three in the afternoon, I finally had a moment to breathe. I was propping myself up against a pir by the floor–to–ceiling windows, sipping on a cup of coffee for a much–needed energy boost.


    Nathan had wanted to meet me for lunch, but I’d turned him down. Then, around two o’clock, he texted me that he had some urgent business in Hachester and needed to head <b>back</b>.


    I just told him to be careful on the road, and he <b>sent </b>me a rose emoji in reply.


    Around four in the afternoon, we had a video call scheduled with Jared and his team.


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    On the projector screen, you could see Jared and a few higher–ups. Jared was leaning back in his chair, totally giving off those boss vibes, like he owned the ce.


    I’d left my pride at the door ages ago and was all in on work. Today’s meeting was mine to run, and I was basically doing all the


    talking.


    Jared, though, looked spaced out the whole time, just staring nkly at the camera. Whenever a decision came his way, he’d just toss out a quick “Sure” or “Whatever.”


    A couple of the office gossip queens nearby were trying hard not to crack up. <i>Anyone </i>with eyes could tell–Jared wasn’t really present. He was just off in his own world.


    And the whole time, he was just zoning out, staring straight at me.


    I swear, this guy is something else. Luckily, the meeting onlysted half an hour, and I had them shut off the <i>projector </i>right away.


    Jared called ‘me.


    “Victoria, there were too many people around earlier, so I couldn’t really say this. But I just wanted you to know–you’ve made a lot of progress these past few days,” Jared said, a littleugh in his voice.


    “Thanks for saying that. I’ll keep working hard,” I replied, keeping it strictly professional.


    “Yvonne’s been trying to learn Chinese pinyin these days, but she’s really struggling. I have to personally tutor her tonight…” Jared switched topics, sounding a bit exasperated. “I always thought she was pretty smart, but honestly, sometimes she’s just clueless.”


    Hearing that, I was secretly pleased. First–grade pinyin? I know how it goes–teach her and she just sits there, totally silent.


    Back in my previous life, that was my job. It only took a few minutes for me to go from gentle, patient mom to a raging tyrant.


    “Really? Just be patient. Remember, she’s your kid–she inherited your brains. Stick with it, she’ll get there eventually,” I said, acting all calm. Easy for me to say, since I’m not the one dealing with it now.


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