Chapter 10

I was not putting on airs; it simply had been necessary for us to stay this late. I had worked my way up from the bottom in this company, and I didn't deserve to be betrayed by my ex-fiance with my own half-sister. What hurt me the most was being accused of being the mistress of a married man who had only been kind to me. How could they be so cruel?

The doors suddenly opened, giving me a second to wipe my eyes, though it wasn’t enough. Lucius was on the other side of the elevator and must’ve realized that I had been crying. He was slightly surprised by this, just for an instant. Then he entered and stood beside me, pressing the button to close the doors.

This was, at the very least, uncomfortable. I blinked rapidly to dry my eyes. I couldn't touch them again.

"Do you usually leave at this hour, Marianne?" he asked to break the silence.

"It was a special circumstance this time, because of the assigned project, Mr. Brown," I replied.

"Oh. Were you thinking up a worse name to call me