Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 35

Hilary and | went up to greet him at the same time.

“Didn't you say you'll stay for several days?” she asked, taking the rolling suitcase from Hogan’s hand. “Have you eaten?” His piercing eyes suddenly landed on my face, and Hogan frowned. “Why is she here?”

The disdain in his voice couldn’t be more obvious.

It seemed that he was about to show me the door.

“Xaviera was invited over by me.” Hilary defended firmly. “Be nice.”

Hogan glanced at the red wine on the table, his frown deepening. “Drinking again?”

Clearly not pleased.

| admitted casually. “Just had a bit with Mrs. Hilary.”

Hogan’s face turned to steel a look demanding an explanation.

Hilary couldn't stand it said soothingly. “Come on, it’s just a minor slip—up at work, isn’t it? Is it really such a big deal?” She thought the beef between Hogan and me had to do with work

But Hogan, smart cookie that he was, smelled a rat from just one sentence and scoffed coldly. “Now you’ve started snitching too?”

“Xaviera didn’t say anything, it's my guess.” Hilary cut in standing up for me with a glare at Hogan, “Now that it’s out in the open, let's just put it behind us.”

Hogan kept at it. “Encouraging subordinates to badmouth others, shouldn't there be a lesson?”

Just a few fair words from me, and in Hogan’s eyes, | was stirring up the troops.

| bowed my head, forcefully swallowing the discomfort in my heart..

But Hilary caught the crux of the matter, incredulous. “The “others you’re talking about, you don’t mean Ms. Irwin, do you?” Hogan paused for a moment.

Not my fault, he’s the one who let it slip.

Sure enough, in no time, Hilary switched into lecture mode.

Standing there. | felt out of place, so | carefully said, “Mrs. Hilary, Mr. Zade, it’s getting late, I'll take my leave.”

Hilary’s anger subsided, and pointing at Hogan she said. “It’s so late, you should see Xaviera

out.”

C35

“She’s thorough, must've called a cab already.”

| took the hint. “Yes, it's almost here.”

With that, | left.

As | passed through the big iron gate, | had to steady myself on a green plant at the entrance, barely standing upright. The aftereffects of the wine were strong.

| walked and summoned a ride, but this was the suburbs, cabs were rare.

In the end. | resigned myself to trudging forward with feet that seemed to float.

The temperature difference between day and night in Rivertown was huge, and the chilly night breeze was freely invading my collar, making my teeth chatter in no time.

Suddenly, | thought of the snowy mountains Cecilia mentioned over the phone and, in a prankish spirit, told myself | was enjoying the snowscape.

Alone.

But just then, a strong light inexplicably shone from behind, and | stopped, puzzled, only to see a sedan had pulled up beside me.

The window slowly rolled down, revealing the man’s sharply carved profile.

Hmm, good bone structure, smooth facial lines, definitely a looker.

It was just that his appearance reminded me of that icy, merciless God-like man from my memony.

“Get in

God actually spoke to me.

| smirked. “My God has finally come to save me.”

In the passenger seat. Lcocked my head to look at those hands gripping the steering wheel the more | looked, the more familiar they seemed.

Long, pale, just like Hogan’s hands. “Are the snowy mountains nice?” “How much did you drink?”

His answer was beside the point.

| turned my face away in frustration, quietly watching outside the window, then heard Hogan warn. “Don’t say | didn’t remind you, keep your little schemes to yourself.”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

| closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and asked, “What schemes?”

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His tone was ic “Thinking of achieving your goals through indirect means, not even checking if the path is right or not.”

Oh, so he knew

| couldn't keep anything from him.

| went with the defiant approach. “Mr. Zade, you are right. I’ve always been way off the mark.”

Just then, the screeching of tires on pavement abruptly sounded by my ears, and my body lurched forward and then shook, before setting back to normal.

| opened my eyes in contusion, only to see the car had stopped at the roadside, and Hogan, unusually was intently staring at me. Even the arms holding the steering wheel tensed up a bit.

| caught a whiff of danger for no reason.

Before | could speak, he beside me suddenly leaned in.

His knuckles graced my shoulder blade, stirring a shiver in the dim light.

The biting scap scent invaded my senses, his hot breath sprayed on my face, and in a daze. | heard his voice say “Xaviera, louder.”

| dreamed again of those hands, tightly gripping my waist.

But when | woke up. | was already lying in my place.

Athrobbing can accompanied by muscular soreness assaulted my brain.

Locking down, | saw a fading tattoo beneath my collarbone, now bruised purple, like someone deliberately stamped mark My sleepiness vanished instantly.

Everything in the dream seemed real.

Yet, there was no trace of Hogan having been in the room.

| went to the office in a daze.

As soon as | entered, Wallis pulled me into her office, jubilant, “Xaviera, that roundabout tactic of yours is pretty good. Hogan has loosened up.”

My heart skipped a beat. “When did that happen?”

“First thing this morning Assistant Zachary called me, but Hogan also said, if Candy can’t get the results Cecilia wants, we'll still need to fire her.”

| felt slightly uneasy.

The timing, too coincidental