Chapter 0278


    It’s the question I’ve been dreading because the answer isn’t going to be something that they want to


    hear. But everyone is staring at me, and I can’t bring myself to lie.


    “Stories,” I say finally. “Real stories about real people. That’s what matters to me.”


    There’s a moment of silence, and a flicker of something that looks like disappointment shes across


    Elise’s gaze. “How... quaint,” she manages, before turning her attention to Meg’s phone, who is


    scrolling through her most recent bikini pictures and talking about her breast augmentation.


    All I can do is sit, my spine stiff in my chair. My gaze meets Marcus’ from across the room, who just


    shoots me a subtle nod and a thumbs-up. It makes me want to roll my eyes.


    Just then, my distracted gaze lifts past his shoulder, and for a fleeting moment, my heart leaps into my


    throat.


    There, in the doorway, a figure appears, a silhouette backlit by the golden chandeliers, and for that split


    second, it’s Abby.


    It''s her shape, her grace, the way she holds herself. Her golden hair cascading over her shoulders, her


    eyes lit up as she looks at me. My breath catches, and I’m rising from my seat.


    But then reality crashes over me. It’s not her. It could never be her. It’s a different woman entirely, a


    trick of the light, a mirage in what feels like the driest desert on the.


    I sit back down, the disappointment crashing over me like a wave.


    “So,” Marissa says, leaning in and smelling too strongly of floral perfume, “Karl… What do you think?


    Diamonds or pearls?” She’s holding her phone out to me, but I’m not looking. My gaze is transfixed on


    the window, through which I can see my car sitting in the driveway.


    Waiting. Beckoning to me.


    “Karl?” she asks, wiggling her phone a bit with a giggle. “He’s so cute when he’s distracted, isn’t he?”


    Then, with a rity that feels like I’m just awoken from a very long dream, I know I can’t do this


    anymore. Not another minute of feigned interest, not another second of nodding along to stories that


    mean nothing to me.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    “Excuse me,” I interrupt. My chair scrapes on the floor as I stand abruptly, and the conversations


    around me fall silent.


    Marissa looks up at me, her eyes slightly widened, her mouth parted in surprise. “Is everything alright,


    Karl, dear?” she says.


    I offer a smile, one that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “I just remembered, there’s something I need to


    do. Please excuse me.”


    Before Marissa or any of the other women can retort, I’m pushing away from the table and crossing the


    room. My hand is moving to loosen my tie, and I’m unbuttoning my suit jacket. I pause for a moment by


    the door, thinking, then grab a bouquet of flowers out of a vase, not caring that water and loose petals


    stter all over a tray of petit fours.


    It’s then that Marcus’ hand ps over my shoulder.


    He furrows his brow, his gaze sliding down to the flowers in my hand before they slide back up to me.


    “And where, exactly, are you going?” Content of Drаm??ovels.cоm


    “There’s a more important woman that I need to see right now.”