CHAPTER EIGHT

“I want to tell you something…”

Angelie’s voice was low and shaky, but Jeffery heard it. The air felt still around them, and he waited, eyes locked on hers.

She look so beautiful that he was almost tempted to kiss her, but he knew better not to. In as much as he hated to admit it, she is her brother’s.

The mere thought of it made his face deepen in anger.

But the moment shattered too quickly.

Footsteps.

Then a voice, smooth and familiar, curled through the doorway like a ghost

“Oh, Angelie. You’re here. I’ve been looking for you.”

Lucas.

He was monitoring her and saw when she left her room. Just as he assumed, he was right.

He stepped into the library, casual like always, hands in his pockets, dark eyes. He glanced between them.

Angelie instinctively stepped back.

Jeffery still retains his expression.

Lucas smiled, too widely. “Didn’t mean to interrupt the heart-to-heart conversation. Just thought I needed to be with my wife now.”

Angelie turned, stiff. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Lucas tilted his head. “Afraid I can’t wait, we have a schedule for tomorrow, and you know how much I hate not keeping to time.”

He stepped closer, voice low now, but meant only for her.

“Besides,” he said gently, too gently, “you remember what we agreed to, don’t you?”

Angelie didn’t reply.

Lucas smiled wider. “It’s in the contract. You break the terms, someone pays, and you know who that someone is, right?”

Jeffery’s brows furrowed, trying to read the room. 

Lucas didn’t give her time to answer.

“Tim,” he said softly. “It’s always Tim.”

Angelie’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart dropped, and her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

Lucas reached out and brushed a finger against her elbow. “Let’s go, love. Big day tomorrow.”

She didn’t look at Jeffery again. Couldn’t.

Instead, she turned and followed Lucas out, eyes stinging, mouth shut. Behind her, Jeffery stood rooted in silence, his chest rising and falling with a slow burn.

The hospital smelled the same.

Sterile, cold nurses doing their normal routine.

Angelie stood in front of Tim’s door, gripping a small bag of snacks he used to love. Her hand hovered over the handle for a second. Then she pushed it open.

The lights were dimmed, machines softly beeping in rhythm.

But then—

“Ange?”

Her heart stopped. She blinked.

“Tim?”

He was awake. Groggy, pale, weak… but his eyes were open, and they were on her.

She ran to him, grabbing his hand, laughing and crying all at once.

“Oh my God. You’re awake.”

He gave a weak smile. “You’re crying. That’s never good.”

She laughed through tears, brushing his hair off his forehead.

“I’m crying because you scared the hell out of me.”

“You gave me a panic, please don’t do that again,” she said in between sobs. 

Then slowly, she wiped her eyes.

He looked around. “Where... am I?”

“St. Nicholas Hospital. You’ve been here for a while. There was a donor, and the surgery went well.”

His eyes widened. “What? Who... how?”

She hesitated. Then smiled tightly.

“A good Samaritan. Someone... helped us, paid everything.”

Tim blinked slowly. “Why?”

“Because they could. Some people still do good things, Tim.”

He frowned, like he didn’t quite believe it. But he didn’t press.

“Glad you’re here,” he whispered.

She squeezed his hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Back at the estate, Angelie tried to move through the day like normal. But her heart wasn’t steady.

Not after seeing Tim, he is finally awake, and sooner or later, he will find out the truth. Not after the library, not after Lucas’ reminder.

She walked past one of the rooms and stopped.

Anita was inside. On the phone. Her voice was low but cruel.

“I don’t care if she looks innocent. The girl’s a joke, broke, basic. She still wears Payless heels, for God’s sake.”

Silence. Then laughter.

“And Jeffery? Please. He’s too smart to fall for someone like her. He doesn’t even like poor women. Never has.”

Angelie’s blood ran cold.

Anita kept going, venom sugar-coated in a whisper.

“She settled for less, Luca, of course. A bloody gold digger”

“She can’t compete. Not with me. I was born for this life. She was just... convenient.”

Angelie backed away before Anita could see her. Her heart pounded.

The words weren’t just cruel. They were a knife to everything she’d tried to ignore.

She ran upstairs, locked the door, and sat on the bed.

The envelope was still there.

The offer.

Paris.

Her fingers hovered over it.

And then a memory hit her.

Years ago. A little café downtown.

She’d been new there. Twenty and pretty naive, holding two trays and praying not to drop either.

Jeffery had walked in like he didn’t belong. Because he didn’t.

Tailored coat, black leather shoes.

He was the finest man she had laid her eyes on, his brown eyes mesmerized her. 

He had smiled at her, it has a strong effect on her. Her hair stood up; that was the cutest smile ever. 

“Hot chocolate with cinnamon,” he’d said. “Do you do that here?”

She’d nodded, too fast. “Yes. I mean….I can.”

He’d waited, and she’d nearly spilled it twice.

He immediately helped her out; her clumsiness was getting the best of her.

But he had tipped her fifty dollars and said, “For the smile.”

She never forgot that day.

Later, when she found out who he was, she applied at Lu Corp just to see him again. Just to be in the same building.

They barely spoke, but he noticed things. When her shoes wore out, when her lunch breaks were skipped.

And once, when her eyes were puffy from crying about Tim, he’d handed her a tissue and said nothing.

And then there was the elevator.

Rainy night, dim lights. Just the two of them.

He hadn’t said a word. But as the doors opened, he’d kissed her, gently, like a secret.

And walked away.

Now he was offering her Paris.

She stood up, got dressed up and headed out.

Jeffery’s office was quiet. The staff barely looked up when she passed.

He oozes this dominant aura; only a few people know he is soft within, but he portrays another picture outside.

He was alone, behind his desk, shirt sleeves rolled, tie loose.

He looked up.

“Angelie.”

She walked in, hands shaking.

“I lied to your secretary that you were expecting me, I’m the investor you have been waiting for.”

“I want to take the offer,” she said, her voice steady.

He stood slowly.

“But…” she added, eyes locking onto his.

“I don’t want to leave the country.”