Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 168

Hogan was dead serious when he said it.

Right in the spotlight.

I

And that kinda threw me for a loop. All I could muster was a weak “uh–huh,” my face totally betraying me.

After all, this whole “work” thing was just smoke and mirrors.

But I was not ungrateful. I was crystal clear that without Hogan stepping up to bat for me in tonight’s farce, I’d have been left high and dry.

But why, though? Mr. Brainiac himself surely knew the can of worms he’d open by speaking up for me, yet he went ahead and did it, way out of left field.

“All this hustle’s killed my vibe.”

That crisp voice snapped me back to reality. Next thing I knew, Hogan and Cecilia had vanished into the crowd, gone with the wind.

The others, seeing Timothy all wiped out, tried to cheer him up. But the guy was dead set on teaving. Looping his arm over my shoulder, he was all, “Xaviera is beat. Gotta take her home, right, Xaviera?”

Timothy gave me those innocent puppy dog eyes as he dropped that last line, grinning from ear to ear.

knew he was giving me

played along. “A bit,

leading me out of the hall and towards the

lot.

in my tracks and saw Hogan and Cecilia not too far off.

hanging low, sniffling, “I just don’t get

pierced my ear

was in on it?

sighed softly, his long fingers brushing her cheek, “I

11:02

Chapter 168

His reasons.

quickly looked away, my heart thumping like

so I nudged Timothy, “Is the

he read my mind, “It’s chilly here. Let’s wait up front.”

me off at the hotel.

head, he said with a hint of regret,

humiliation, I sheepishly said, “I should be the

of urgency in his voice. “None of

the image of that mechanical cufflink flashed in

if, Sean really was FreeMan, Timothy’s guilt