Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 40

Hogan cut into our chat, “We’re gonna be late for the concert.”

Cecilia waved at me with a grin, “So, Xaviera, we’re heading off first, alright?”

Once they were gone, I immediately fired up the N University forum.

Boom, there it was, the top post – Hot rumor: N University’s hunkiest prof, Darren, is off the market!

And slapped right there was a pic of Darren and me chowing down in the student cafeteria.

Gotta hand it to the OP, they’d got some mad candid skills. Smiles, forehead flicks- even I, the subject, felt like there was something fishy in those snaps.

The comments were all over the place.

[Holy moly, is this the legendary match of brains and beauty? That prof’s date’s got some killer looks!]

[I mean, how can someone rock both sweet and icy vibes? She got a celestial face!]

[We totally approve of Professor Yearwood’s love life!]

The more I read, the wilder it got, until my eyes landed on this gem: Ain’t that Xaviera, the one who used to drool over the finance department’s golden boy?

with just a

I decided to play hacker and wiped that gossip post off

misunderstanding about me was fine, but I couldn’t let Darren’s rep

it was the

elevator, I spotted a lean figure in the distance, standing by the window, fingers holding a half–smoked cigarette.

the man’s face obscured in the backlight, murky and indistinct.

I was surprised.

at the concert? What’s he doing here

was just two meters from

paused, puzzled, and looked up at Hogan.

eyes met, and I heard him scoff, “Or is it, you

1/2

12-20 –

yourselves?”

Backups?

so I just came out with it,

of smoke, eyes sharpening as he replied, “Frank’s just being polite for the Yearwood family’s sake. You don’t actually think, with his status, he’d be

beat as I caught Hogan’s insinuation.

Wallis and I approached

my closeness to Darren was just to

any deal we have with your company,” I said calmly, “but still thanks for the high