Chapter 14


    Evie


    Jasper heaved a sigh of relief, but the boss was back in his face..


    “If you cost me my client, so help me…” He didn’t even finish the threat, instead miming that he


    would snap Jasper’s neck if he could.


    I avoided his eyes as he retreated into his office, locking the door behind him. If Timothy dismissed


    me after all of this, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was the one responsible.


    “Damn it!” I growled, kicking an empty soda can across the sidewalk. As I marched. along the


    street, I couldn’t keep Timothy’s harsh gaze out of my head. The only person willing to be my client,


    and I had offended him!


    But even more than that, I couldn’t ept that Timothy was taking matters into his own hands,


    specifically my matters. First it was taking it upon himself to apologize to me publicly, but then


    showing up unannounced at my firm and attempting to fire my colleague without my say in the


    matter was going way too


    far.


    I needed to let off some steam somehow. It had been a long time since I took Timothy’s job, so I


    hadn’t been working as an hourly employee at the restaurant for a while. After all that had


    happened, I knew that I needed some manualbor to give myself a break.


    Hopefully it would help me take my mind off Timothy as well. What was I going to do? Was he really


    that angry, or would it simply pass after some time to cool off?


    Those questions swam around in my brain, and I felt the onset of a migraine. Life wasn’t easy


    before, but it was simplerpared to having to work with Timothy.


    He had already somewhat exposed me to the public with his live apology. It made me feel more


    exposed than ever before, having the world focused on uncovering


    my secrets.


    I spotted the restaurant a few feet away and bolted toward the double doors. As I walked in, I was


    greeted with the mixed aroma of breaded poultry and key pastries. Once the doors shut behind


    me, I was enclosed in its familiar warmth.


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    13:01 Wed, 20 Mar S


    “Evie?”


    I blinked out of


    52%


    my daze and nced around. The restaurant owner was standing a few steps away, his eyebrows


    raised.


    “Oh, hello, sir,” I greeted awkwardly, hoping that he hadn’t got my dramatic inhale.


    “Hello, Evie. You’re looking well,” he said warmly. “How are you doing?”


    “I’m doing well. You?”


    “I’m wonderful!” He smiled and the skin near his eyes started to crinkle. “Actually, I’m d you


    came.”


    I raised an eyebrow. As the owner began to walk forward, I noticed a familiar set of red heels click–


    cking behind him.


    “It just so happens that someone was waiting for you to show up,” said the owner, stepping aside to


    reveal the elegant woman hidden behind him. As soon as I met her spiteful eyes, my blood went


    cold.


    Ste.


    The woman twisted her lips, her movements slow as she prowled toward me. She stopped a few


    paces away and looked me up and down. Then she shrugged and gave me a smug grin.


    “Didn’t expect Timothy to have such bad taste,” she said slimily, adjusting the leather purse on her


    shoulder. “You’re definitely not on my level, at least.”


    I furrowed her eyebrows. Not even ten seconds and Ste was already insulting


    1. me.


    “But that’s alright,” Ste continued. She started circling around me, observing met from every


    angle. “I guess this confirms it.”


    “Confirms what?” I asked.


    “That Timothy’s a coward, of course,” Ste said, barking out augh. “He couldn’t reject me


    outright, so he’s using his affection for an old ssmate of his as a shield. He must have figured


    that he couldn’t handle a woman like me.”


    I was almost speechless at the usation. Ste had clearly talked herself into a


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    delusion. “Um, no. Listen, Ste, I’m not interested in Timothy.”


    Ste crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her neck, her expression one of skepticism. With


    those heels on, Ste had about an inch of height over me that was slightly intimidating. When I


    was just a regr server to Ste, she hadn’t been this imposing.


    “Honestly, you don’t have to threaten me if you want to be with him,” I said. “All I’m trying to do is


    work for a living. I’m not interested in your private love/hate- rtionship. That’s all yours.”


    The corner of Ste’s lips curled upward, her sneer growing impossibly more vicious. She took a


    step forward and leaned in, nearly choking me on the strong scent of her perfume.


    “You better be careful, Miss Evie. I’m not such a nice girl when people get way.” Ste’s voice is


    almost a hiss and she seemed to grow disgusted at the mention of my name.


    in my


    Fortunately, she backed away, giving me one more onceover before turning away to leave.


    It wasn’t until Stepletely left the building that I released the long breath I had been holding in.


    That woman was intent on making my existence unbearable, yet somehow, I wasn’t as mad at


    Ste as I was at Timothy. Timothy was the reason Ste confronted me, after all.


    That only made me hold a grudge against Timothy in my heart: for humiliating me a second time by


    a woman who liked him.


    I felt hot tears pricking at the corners of my eyes and I went to hastily wipe them away with my


    sleeve. This wasn’t the time to look fragile. I refused to make myself look more vulnerable than


    necessary.


    The bell above the restaurant door jingled and I was back on alert. I half–expected. Ste toe


    rushing back in to finish telling me off, but I was even more thrown off when Timothy entered the


    restaurant. Had he seen me walk in?


    Timothy didn’t seem to notice my presence there, however. He didn’t seem to be there for me at all–


    like Ste was–instead heading for the bar to sit on one of the stools. After ordering a drink, he


    downed it quickly and asked for a refill.


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    4


    Wed, 20 Ma


    I frowned and turned away, hoping not too much attention had been put on me as I went to clock in


    for my shift. I situated myself at the dishwashing station, scrubbing crusted tes before spraying


    them with steamy water. The work was meant to be mindless, but my brain was still flooding with


    various thoughts.


    I was still concerned about Timothy. He looked like he was in a hurry to get to that bar, like he had


    to drown out his emotions with something harsh. He must have. still been angry with me.


    Was I doing the right thing? At the time, telling him off felt right. It was my life, after all.


    Still, he had looked so broken when I told him not to meddle with my affairs. He had wanted so


    badly to help me, to improve things for me. I couldn’t deny that him handling Jasper the way he did


    also made me wonder about his intentions.


    My phone began to buzz, and I removed one of my gloves. I took the phone out of my pocket and


    answered.


    “Hello?”


    “Evie!” Aria’s cheery voice came through the speaker. “You’re at the restaurant, right?”


    I nodded. “Yep. What’s up?”


    “Stay put. I’ming up there, and I’m bringing a surprise with me!”


    “Interesting,” I said, absentmindedly dipping my gloved hand in the bubbling sink water. “Does this


    surprisee in a package?”


    “Shush. You’re not going to make me spoil it. Just hang tight, okay?”


    With that, Aria ended the call and I couldn’t help but giggle. Aria was good for keeping me guessing.


    She didn’t know it, but she was good at distracting me from everything going on.


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