Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 20

Before I even finished talking. Cecilia across from me suddenly stood up, staring past me, and stuttered. “Hogan.”

Her eyes were getting even redder as she spoke.

Hogan quickly moved to Cecilia’s side in just a couple of strides, shielding her with his body. and demanded, “What the heck have you two said to her?”

He said “you two.”

That included me too.

When Hogan spoke, a vein on his forehead was throbbing.

He was clearly peeved.

For someone as usually cool as a cucumber like him, this was a rare loss of control, especially with Hilary standing right there.

In my memory, those two, mother and son, had never had a heated argument.

But now, for Cecilia’s sake, even his tone with Hilary had an edge to it.

Hilary seemed blindsided by how things had escalated, pointing at Hogan and saying, “I’m doing this for you, don’t you know that?”

After saying that, she stormed out with tears in her eyes.

Just as I was about to follow, I heard Hogan say, “In a rush to brown–nose?”

stopped dead in my tracks, torn between laughter

spoke up, “Hogan, you’ve got it all wrong, it’s not Xaviera’s fault, I accidentally let something slip.”

me a skeptical look, half–believing.

my bad for getting my hands dirty in

a while, I said, “I’m heading back to the

Hogan give

with a smile, “Nah, it’s out of

about it, the more it bothered me. After this

dotes on Cecilia, I had this nagging feeling that something bad was

Wallis wasn’t

Chapter 20

a notification snapped me out

and, lo and behold, another transfer.

tempting digits, my lips

or commend him for

was hesitating, a message caught my eye. [Tough day, compensation.]

emotion to be read.

my jaw and accepted the money without a second thought, pondering whether I’d stumbled

was the finance whiz–kid with a Midas touch. He’d never

I putled up my friends list and hit delete.

my phone balance, I felt a

me and asked, “Xaviera, what time are you heading

“Heading out where?”

Darren’s birthday bash,” Jack said, then realizing something was off, he added in surprise. “He

hadn’t mentioned it, which was normal since we weren’t that close.