Niamh’s eyes flew wide open.
Elmer’s handsome face hovered just inches from hers, his eyes crinkling into
crescent moons, as if he’d just tasted something impossibly sweet. That smile was almost intoxicating.
Her chest tightened with nervous anticipation.
She and Elmer had known each other for years–years that had always simmered with unspoken attraction. But this was the first time Elmer had ever pinned her against the sofa.
“Nia… there’s something I want you to know…”
His breath, warm and hurried, brushed her ear. “I’m not lacking in stamina, you
know.”
If it weren’t for the compromising position, Niamh might have laughed out loud at that. As it was, she could only hear the frantic drumming of her own heart.
As Elmer caught sight of pink blooming across her pale cheeks, he felt his mouth go dry. He’d always prided himself on being a gentleman, but Niamh looked too tempting for restraint.
He gently cupped her face in his hands, and Niamh instinctively held her breath.
She should have pushed him away. But she didn’t want to hurt him either.
She knew Elmer liked her. And she knew he was the kind of man she could love,
too.
But she’d never thought of her feelings for Elmer as love–not really. Especially now, so soon after divorcing Jonathan, she wasn’t ready to open her heart again.
Niamh squeezed her eyes shut.
Suddenly, a memory flashed: just last night, she’d been pinned to the sofa as well.
But it hadn’t been Elmer.
It had been Jonathan.
Niamh braced herself, sure Elmer was about to kiss her.
But after a moment, she realized he had let her go.
19:48
Chapter 511
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to force you…” Elmer apologized, guilt and disappointment flickering in his eyes.
He wanted to be the one to make Niamh happy. He wanted her to kiss him willingly–not out of pressure.
But the look on her face earlier had been anything but willing.
Then it dawned on him–just last night, Jonathan had forced himself on her.
He reached out and helped Niamh up from the sofa.
The air between them turned thick with awkwardness.
On the computer screen, a racy film still played–thankfully, Niamh had muted the sound, or things would have been even more embarrassing.
“So… what are you planning to do with this?” Elmer asked, seizing on the first topic that came to mind.
“I was thinking…” Niamh leaned in and whispered her idea into his ear.
Later that night, Preston suddenly posted a cryptic remark on his Twitter account, tagging both The Thomas Group and Marina.
Of course,
the tags were almost pointless–The Thomas Group’s social media wasn’t managed by Jonathan himself, and Sprague would never allow their official account to claim responsibility for whatever Preston was about to say. As for Marina, her Twitter had been a wasteland of debt collectors ever since her
bankruptcy.
Preston’s tweet read: “Sis–in–law, no matter Jonathan’s first love.”
at happens, you’ll always be
The internet caught fire. Within minutes, people were flooding Jonathan’s mentions, demanding to know when he’d marry Marina.
The public’s attention shifted–from accusing Niamh of hiring loan sharks to assault Marina, to bickering over the tangled web between Niamh, Marina, and Jonathan, to suddenly shipping Niamh and Elmer as a perfect match–until finally, the narrative became all about Jonathan and Marina being “endgame.”
At The Thomas Group headquarters, Jonathan sat in his office, eyes glued to the company’s stock ticker.
It was climbing.
Chapter 511
control the damage. But after Marina’s scandal broke, the internet had recast Jonathan as some tragic, devoted lover, and the louder the calls grew for him to marry Marina, the higher The Thomas Group’s stock soared.
Sprague was delighted–a bonus he’d never anticipated. He saw no reason to suppress the trending topic now.
But while Sprague was practically giddy, Jonathan stared at the fluctuating graph on his screen, a storm brewing in his eyes, his brow furrowing deeper with every passing second.
Chapter 512
Chapter 512
