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Chapter 44

Author: Vivi Anne
last update Last Updated: 2025-02-16 20:51:33

Olivia

I inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself. The encounter with Preston had left me shaken, and my hands still gripped the contract a little too tightly. I had spent months avoiding him, and now, in one afternoon, I had been forced to sit across from him, listen to him speak, and acknowledge that our lives would be entangled again—at least professionally.

I exhaled and walked toward my car, my heels clicking against the pavement. I needed to get out of here, away from the weight of his presence, away from the suffocating reality that we would be working together again.

I slid into the driver’s seat and inserted the key into the ignition. I turned it. Nothing.

Frowning, I tried again. The engine gave a pathetic sputter before falling silent. My heart sank. Not now. Not here.

“Great,” I muttered under my breath, slumping against the seat.

A soft knock on my window made me stiffen. I turned my head, already knowing who it was.

Preston stood outside, hands in his pockets, watc
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