Chapter 549
Chapter 549
Jonathan had assumed Niamh would drive straight home after work.
Instead, he found himself trailing her white BMW 3 Series as it pulled up to a newly opened hotel.
His expression grew steadily darker, his gaze sharpening with every turn.
What business did Niamh have, alone, at a hotel this late at night?
Gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, Jonathan followed her, watching as she entered one of the guest rooms.
He’d never imagined he’d stoop to stalking someone like this. Yet here he was, standing in a dim hallway, fishing a cigarette from his pocket only to shove it back, unlit.
They weren’t even divorced yet.
That gave him every right—at least in his mind-to barge into that room and see if his wife was meeting another man.
He strode purposefully toward the door, but before he could reach it, it
swung open.
Niamh stepped out, alone.
Jonathan pressed himself flat against the nearest door, wishing he could melt right through it.
She didn’t notice him at all, simply heading straight for the elevator.
He exhaled in relief, only then realizing how ridiculous he must look.
He wasn’t even sure what he was doing anymore. All he’d planned tonight was to show up after Niamh’s shift, hoping to see her face, maybe ask if she liked the purse he’d painstakingly picked out for her.
Instead, she’d handed the gift off to her assistant without a second thought.
A twinge of pain tightened in Jonathan’s chest, mixed with a rising sense
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of panic.
He was following her almost on autopilot now.
But when she’d driven to a hotel, curiosity-and something darker-had taken over. Who was she meeting? What was she doing?
He felt almost possessed.
After Niamh disappeared into the elevator, he stood nearby, silently counting the floors as she ascended.
The hotel’s rooftop boasted a newly opened, all-glass Michelin-starred restaurant.
That’s where she was headed.
When Elmer arrived, he found Niamh waiting at a table she’d reserved, looking poised and calm.
Tonight, it was Niamh who had invited him to dinner.
Elmer had even gone out of his way to change into a fresh suit before coming. Sure, he wore suits to the office, but nothing too fancy-no need to show off at work, especially when his job rarely involved meeting clients.
But dinner with Niamh, in the city’s famous crystal restaurant, called for something special. He’d chosen his favorite: a crisp white suit from a designer label.
Niamh had come straight from work as well, and Elmer had expected she’d still be in her business suit.
He didn’t expect her to show up in an evening dress, looking absolutely radiant.
“You look stunning tonight,” Elmer said as he took his seat across from her, unable to hide his admiration.
“Only tonight?” Niamh teased, arching an eyebrow.
Elmer froze, caught off guard. “No, I mean… tonight you’re even more
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beautiful than usual”
His awkward correction made Niamh laugh, her bright smile outshining even the glimmering crystal around them.
The reason Niamh had invited Elmer to dinner was simple: she felt quilty for dragging him into her mess.
News had broken online that she and Jonathan weren’t divorced yet, and Elmer had already gone public as her boyfriend.
She’d braced herself for the usual backlash-accusations of being fickle, of playing two men at once.
To her surprise, this time the internet’s fury had turned on Elmer instead.
Now he was being called every name in the book: homewrecker, seducer, the man who lured a married woman away. Every accusation was pinned squarely on him.
