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“And what about you?” I arched an eyebrow. “You know I’m never going to fall for you again, so why are you still hung up on this?”
Jared just shrugged. “I’m not hung up. I’m just trying to figure out where I went wrong in my previous life.”
I arched an eyebrow. “And did you?”
Jared nodded. “Yeah, I did. If someone wants to reach the top, he can only truly devote himself to one thing- love, wealth, or power. Obsession with just one makes it easier to seed.”
His expression grew darker. “In my previous life, I turned my back on wealth and wasted my years on love.”
“Serves you right,” I shot back.
Jared just grinned, totally unfazed. “Then in this life, I’m putting all my focus on wealth. Let’s see if I can make it to the top this way.”
I knew Jared was stubborn and had irond willpower. With this choice, he was unlikely to go wrong.
“Well, good luck with that,” I said, standing up to leave.
This time, Jared didn’t try to stop me.
A month slipped by before I knew it. The new subsidiary was moving forward, but the office wasn’t set up in a separate location–Jared had cleared out a whole building for us, just a hundred meters from his own.
I’d been so swamped with work that my head was spinning, barely able to think about anything else.
Nathan had asked me out to dinner several times before I finally made it to see him.
“Victoria, have you been swampedtely?” Nathan asked when he saw me, looking a little exasperated.
Work really does give you confidence. Even though I was crazy busy, I felt a lot more grounded, and that confidence just seemed to shine through me. Hachester had gotten even colder after the New Year, and my style had leveled up too–I was dressing sharper, more put–together. I wasn’t about to drift through life clueless like I did in my previous one.
A woman should really go all out and dress up for herself while she’s still young.
When Nathan saw me again, his eyes shone even brighter, and there was an extra warmth in his gaze,
“Does your injury still hurt?” I asked.
Nathan shook his head. “Nah, it’s all good now. Is Mr. Hob working you too hard? He really doesn’t know how to treat ady right.”
Iughed. “No, it’s just that I still have a lot to learn. I need more experience.”
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“You’re not made of steel, you know. No matter how important work is, you still need to take breaks,” Nathan said, looking at my face. “You’ve gotten thinner.”
“I’m actually trying to slim down. I think being skinnier is better,” I replied.
Nathan shook his head. “No way, you look amazing as you are. That fuller look? Honestly, that’s what guys. really love.”
I didn’t want to keep talking about this, so I switched topics. “I’m heading overseas in a few days–to the United Kingdom.”
Nathan’s eyes widened. “What are you going to the UK for? Is it for work?”
“No, I’m actually going to study at a university there,” I replied.
Nathan’s eyes went wide. “How long are you gonna be gone?”
“Around six months,” I said.
Nathan froze up, his fingers clenching on the table. “This is all Hob’s doing, isn’t it?”
I froze for a second.
Nathan gave <i>a </i>tight, humorless smile as he looked out the window. “You just got back to Hachester, and he’s already rushing to send you overseas. What’s he so afraid of, I wonder?”
His words hit me all at once. Was Jared pulling the same trick as before–worried I’d reconnect with Nathan, so he was shipping me off again just to keep us apart?
He might not want me himself, but he definitely didn’t want his rival to have me either. Is that really how he thinks?
Nathan suddenly let out a dryugh. “Has Mr. Hob not had enough of his little games yet? Does he really think shipping you off to another country is going to change anything?<b>” </b>
“Nathan…” I could tell he was upset, <i>so </i>I quickly said, “It’s not just Jared’s idea–I want this too.”
Nathan managed a smile, trying to keep his emotions in check. “If it’s such a great opportunity, you should take it. It’ll be good for you.”
“Okay, but… can you not make things difficult for Jared? He’s really not scheming or anything,” I said, trying to smooth things over. I just didn’t want their business ties to get messed up because of me.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to have a proper talk with Jared,” Nathan said, his smile a little too gentle.
But I could sense the edge beneath that warmth.
I brought up the shares, but Nathan got all serious and didn’t even want to hear another word about it.
It was actually the first time I’d seen Nathan mad at me–just because I tried to hand the shares back.
Since he wouldn’t take them, I just let it go.
As my departure date approached, if I wasn’t working, I was spending time with Yvonne.
Just then, the PI Ryan had hired at my request suddenly sent me a video.
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In the footage, Sophia Langley was wearing a mask, holding onto some guy’s arm as they walked out of a luxurious hotel, then bent down and got into a Mercedes–Benz.
Next came a series of photos–Sophia in a private room, feeding fruit to a middle–aged man mouth–to- mouth, her eyes full of seduction, the whole scene dripping with innuendo.
Those pictures made my head throb. Just as I suspected–trouble was brewing.