Why was I making myself sick to appease these people? I roughly set down my chopsticks and pushed the rice away from me.


    “I’m full.” I announced. “I’m going to go back to work.”


    Then, I left the room, gripping my stomach as I walked away.


    In Alexander’s office, I grabbed myptop and logged into my work email. Even though I was sitting down and barely moving, my nausea just got worse. Part of me wished that I could throw up to feel better, but I couldn’t force myself to.


    When Alexander returned to his office, his cheeks were red, and he seemed refreshed after a hearty meal. I stared up at him as my stomach rolled. He looked like the opposite of how I was feeling. But I tried not to let my sickness show.


    “You can getfortable on my couch and start reviewing one of Harris’s financial statements,” he instructed and handed me a piece of paper with a bunch of numbers on it. “Make sure that you review it carefully. I want to make sure that there are no mistakes. Harris is one of our most important clients.”


    I nodded and straightened my shoulders, getting straight to work. For a few hours, I worked quickly, but diligently. I didn’t want to make any mistakes, but I also wanted to get out of here with enough time to get a decent night’s sleep.


    When the clock struck eleven–thirty at night, we weren’t even close to finishing work. My eyes were starting to water from staring at a screen for too long. I excused myself and grabbed my purse from my desk. In the quiet bathroom, I put in my eyedrops to help my stinging eyes.


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    Even though my eyes were still watery, I left the room because I knew that they would dry by the time I got back to Alexander’s office.


    But when I walked out of the door, Alexander was standing right in front of it with his fist raised like he was about to knock.


    His cheeks reddened when he looked down at me. “Oh, I’m sorry to intrude on you in the bathroom, I just wanted to check on you because you seemed unwell…” He trailed off when he got a closer look at me. “Olivia, are you crying because we’re workingte? You’re free to go home if you’re upset.”


    Embarrassment washed over me like a tidal wave. “No, of course I’m not crying,” I rushed out. “My eyes just became sore from staring at a screen for too long. I just put some eye drops in.”


    “Oh, well, that makes sense,” he said, and his face flushed further.


    It wasn’t fair that when Alexander blushed, he was even more


    attractive.


    Back in his office, Alexander handed me another financial statement to review, but when I grabbed the paper, he didn’t let go of it. Our eyes locked together, and the serious expression on his face made my pulse quicken. Alexander used my grip on the paper to pull me closer to him until our bodies were just a breath away. I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat as my legs trembled.


    “Listen, I’m sorry for losing controlst night in the elevator,” Alexander murmured, his dark eyes boring into mine. “I hope that I didn’t scare you. That’s thest thing I ever want to do.”


    I was about to reply, but then his gaze shed down to my lips for a fraction of a second, and my stomach swooped.


    *Olivia*


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    Chap 168


    My heart raced as Alexander looked back into my eyes. Had he actually nced at my lips, or had I imagined that? Had it been wishful thinking on my part?


    I swallowed thickly as I tried to remember what he had just said. It took me longer than it should to reply. Finally, I remembered that he had apologized for cornering me in the elevatorst night.


    “I–I ept your apology,” I said and licked my suddenly dry lips.


    This action didn’t go unnoticed by Alexander. His eyes darkened with an emotion that looked pretty close to lust. But was I deluding myself into thinking that?


    Alexander stepped even closer to me until his warm body was almost pressing up against mine. My whole body was flushed and begging me to close the distance between us. I was terrified that my heart was beating so loudly that he would be able to hear it. I couldn’t help but lower my gaze down to his lips. They were full and looked softer than velvet, but they still somehow appeared masculine.


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