Chapter 9

"Seven years?"

The boss's wife grabbed Mark's ear, pulling him close. "You brat, pining after her for seven years and keeping it from me?"

"Ouch! Ow, ow!" Mark covered his ear in pain, grinning sheepishly. "But didn't I finally tell you?"

The boss's wife gave him a slap on the back. "You told me about it when she was already with that loser! How was I supposed to help you steal her back?"

No wonder the boss's wife had always taken aim at Ryan—she'd known all along about Mark's feelings for me. Watching the two siblings bicker, my heart warmed at their closeness.

After I was discharged, I switched careers and became a designer, while Mark, now under his sister's firm grip, was pulled in to help manage his family's business empire.

Meanwhile, Ryan, fired from his job, struggled to find decent work and resorted to taking odd jobs to pay off his debt.

I had erased Ryan from my contact list ages ago, but like an annoying, persistent itch, he followed me wherever I went.

"Clar