Chapter 101 Suspicious
Chapter 101 Suspicious
“No really, I’m fine. Don’t sweat it.”
:
Janice’s voice came out too sharp, almost like she was snapping.
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She caught herself, forced augh, and tried to y it off. “I mean, think about it. We’re all drowning in work. Having one lunch together is more than enough. Nobody needs to get that close.”
She wasn’t joking.
The way Ethan’s eyes pierced her at lunch…
It had felt like a spotlight cutting through her. Like he had peeled back everyyer and seen the little schemes she thought she kept hidden. If she tried anything else, she could forget about promotions. She could lose her job altogether.
She had only wanted to climb higher. Getting burned would be worse than staying stuck.
Dawn stared, thrown off by the sudden change in tone, but before she could ask, Janice slipped back into her office and shut the door.
“That’s … weird,” Dawn whispered, lowering herself into her chair.
Her phone buzzed a momentter. Ethan’s name glowed on the screen.
“Forgot to ask earlier,” his voice came warm through the line. “Do you want me to bring you something to drink?”
Dawn smiled, shaking her head even though he couldn’t see her. “It’s alright. The office has plenty.”
“Alright.”
He was driving. Sunlight streamed across the windshield and carved light across his sharp features. Even the small curve of his lips looked like something out of a painting. “Then tonight I’ll pick <i>you </i>up. We’ll go home together.”
Dawn had been ready <i>to </i>brush it off, to tell him not to trouble himself. But those words–go home together–settled in her chest like warmth she couldn’t ignore. She said yes.
When the call ended, Janice wasted no time going on to the next agenda. She summoned the design team for a meeting.
17:24 Thu, Sep 18 <b>N </b>
Chapter 101 Suspicious
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She set a thick stack of sketches on the table. Her tone turned clipped and professional.
“The boss is very happy with Dawn’s designs. Next quarter’s line will take her style as the main theme. Dawn, your task is to expand this into a full series. Push your current projects to the rest of the team. If anyone refuses, send them to me.”
Her voice carried through the room, steady and controlled. No one challenged her. The only thing that passed between the designers were quick uneasy nces.
Dawn blinked, confused. “Wait. I thought the boss wasn’t even here today.”
“I mean, yeah, you’re right.”
Janice’s eyes flicked her way then shifted aside.
She lifted her chin like she was stating a fact. “He isn’t. He’s busy. Most of our conversations with him are online.”
“Makes sense,” Dawn muttered, her lips pulling into a thin smile. That was how rich men always were. Too busy, whether it was real or just an act.
The meeting stretched for two long hours. When it finally broke, Dawn and Janice left side by side, their footsteps echoing across the polished floor as if the walls themselves were listening.
Janice leaned closer and lowered her voice. “You know, you might want to get your fiancé’s opinion when you’re working on a design.”
Dawn arched her brows. “He doesn’t really know much about that.”
“How can you be sure?” Janice asked, looking dead serious.
“He doesn’t need to be a designer to have taste. Most people can tell when something looks good. It wouldn’t hurt <i>to </i>listen to him. Just saying.”
Dawn pressed her lips together and smiled faintly, leaving the thought unanswered.
There was something off in the way Janice spoke about Ethan.
It felt strange, though she couldn’t figure out why.
She didn’t have time to think about it. Work swallowed her whole once the project orders
came in.
The afternoon blurred past her, and when Ethan’s call lit up her phone, she realized almost everyone else had already left the office.
17:24 <b>Thu</b>, Sep 18 N
Chapter 101 Suspicious
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Her shoulders ached, so she rubbed the back of her neck as she grabbed her bag. “Give me a second. I’ming down now.”
When she stepped outside, the night had already taken the sky.
The rush–hour crowd was gone, leaving the street quiet. A pair of headlights cast a wide glow across the pavement, so sharp and steady she spotted them right away.
She jogged toward the car and pulled open the passenger door.
“Sorry, I totally lost track of time.”
Ethan chuckled as he pulled the car into gear. “Most people can’t wait to clock out, but you’re the only one who gets so caught up in work that you forget what time it is.”
Dawn crossed her arms and leaned back in the seat. Her voice carried a yful spark. “That’s because you don’t get it. Anyone can chase a paycheck. But when you put your heart into something and people actually love it, that’s worth more than money. That kind of satisfaction makes it all matter.”
“Absolutely,” Ethan said, his tone so serious it made herugh.
“Especially when it’s your work we’re talking about.” <fn3df7> Readplete version only at find·novel</fn3df7>
He wore such a straight face that she burst into giggles.
She shot him a mock re, then let theughter fade.
The car filled with soft folk music that drifted like a gentle tide. Outside, streaks of pink and gold still lingered between the towers of the city. The hum of the air conditioner wrapped the space in calm, and for one fragile stretch of time, the world felt like it belonged to spring.
Dawn began humming with the music, her chest warm and light.
A thought flickered through her: if life stayed like this, then she already had more than she could hope for
The song was still ying when Ethan’s phone lit up. A name glowed on the screen. Tony.
Her stomach knotted tight. If Tony was calling, that meant an answer hade.
She caught her lip between her teeth as Ethan picked up. His voice was clipped and calm.
“Mr. Jackson, we found it.”
17:25 Thu<b>, </b><b>Sep </b>18 N
Chapter 101 Suspicious
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Ethan gave a quiet nod, switched the phone to speaker, and slid it into the holder. “Go ahead.”