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?”

dead in my tracks, torn

Cecilia, standing off to the side, spoke up, “Hogan, you’ve got it all wrong, it’s not Xaviera’s fault, I accidentally

a

bad for getting my hands dirty

“I’m heading back

let Hogan give you a lift.”

declined with a smile, “Nah, it’s

it bothered me. After this

by how Hogan dotes on Cecilia, I had this nagging feeling that something

Wallis

Chapter 20

of a notification snapped me out of

lo and behold, another

stared at those tempting digits, my lips twitching

or commend him for

message caught my eye. [Tough day, compensation.]

emotion to be read.

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

touch. He’d never let me get the upper hand for free.

a moment’s thought. I putled up my friends list

I felt

out, Jack sidled up to me and asked, “Xaviera, what time are you heading out

was clueless. “Heading out

Jack said, then realizing something was off, he added

normal since we weren’t