Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 156

Cecilia’s tone was laced with a hint of probing.

I brushed it off, “My foot’s all good, thanks for your concern.”

Cecilia paused, clearly not in a hurry to leave. Instead, she chimed in, “You know, it takes a good hundred days to recover from bone and muscle injuries. Let me help you upstairs.”

I thought my words were distant enough, but Cecilia insisted on tagging along. I figured she had something else on her mind, so I didn’t refuse.

But when she stepped into my standard room, I couldn’t help but notice her eyes betraying a flicker of a different emotion. I’d seen that look plenty of times before it meant she was looking down on something.

And fair enough, she was staying in the famed thatched cottage in the mountains, where even at the low end, a night’s stay would cost seven or eight hundred during peak season. That was worlds apart from my twenty or thirty a night digs.

“Sorry to make you cringe, Director Irwin.” I kept my tone even, “I’m back now, so I won’t keep you.”

“It’s not that, Xaviera; I didn’t mean anything by it.” Cecilia waved her hands, nervously explaining, “I just feel a bit sorry for you. But don’t worry, as soon as I get back, I’ll talk to Hogan and get you sorted with a decent place for tonight.”

that innocent look on her face as she said this, making it hard to tell if she was genuinely nice or just

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need to trouble Mr. Zade.” I tried to sound casual, “I get where you’re coming from, Director

avoiding any further eye contact. I was worried. Worried that one

there, I cut

at me before stammering out, “Xaviera,

puzzled, and looked at Cecilia,

and after a moment’s hesitation, said, “You know, the thing about getting the

off in

conclusion – Hogan had spilled the

to make me betray a

knew it, and Hogan was no doubt

stared at me, a trace of panic in her eyes.

the time; indeed an hour almost passed, the

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