Not One, But Two!

Chapter 98

Greg suddenly realized how pathetic he had been all these years. He had known from the get-go that Genevieve only ever wanted to become Cody's wife, but he told himself that she would change her mind eventually.

Abigail was right—he was so blinded by his own feelings that he lost grip of himself.

He thought about how Genevieve had been torn between himself and Cody. She convinced him that he held a special place in her heart in the midst of her apparent dilemma, but his status and identity left her no choice but to sway toward Cody.

My status, Greg thought grimly. She had used the word so flippantly, but he had taken it upon himself to legitimize all his company's activities in hopes of clearing its murky reputation. He even ascended to become the fourth young master of Harrion, ranking himself among the prominent and eligible men in town. And yet, he was never good enough for Genevieve; he had never measured up to her impression of Cody.

Genevieve had always known what she wanted. Conversely, Greg somehow believed that she was all that he desired until recently, when he finally realized that she was not worth any of his painstaking efforts.

She told him she loved him, but she was still clinging to her dreams of becoming Mrs. Kottler one day. When it came down to it, she would not hesitate to hurt and abandon him for Cody.

Sentiments wrought over the years would fade no matter how solid they had started off as, and Greg was certainly not immune to heartbreak, sadness, disappointment and devastation.

It was a shame that it had taken him ten years to let go of Genevieve for good.

Presently, he took in her arrogant stance and said wearily, "It's noon. I'll buy you lunch."

Genevieve blinked in surprise at first, but she broke into an icy laugh as she pointed out, "Don't think that I'll stop being angry with you just because you're buying me lunch. The only reason why I'm even agreeing to having a meal with you is because I just so happen to be hungry. Come on, where are we going?"

A triumphant smirk tugged on her lips as she grabbed her purse and rose from her seat.

This had happened far too many times that it was almost a routine exchange between them. Greg was entirely devoted to her, and he wouldn't give her up simply because she had gone after Cody the day before. She was so convinced by her belief that he would never leave her.

She reached for Greg's arm then, but was taken aback when he dodged her touch.

He flashed her a wry smile as he said, "Everyone's getting off work now, so Cody might just drop by to pick Gillian up. If he sees you holding my arm, he might think there's something going on between us."

"Oh, you're right! Just to be safe, we shouldn't be seen leaving together—you can come out of the building after me. Also, make sure to keep your distance. How's my hair? And what do you think of my make-up? I tried to keep it minimal because Cody likes a natural look. Do I look okay?" She seemed to liven up all of a sudden at the mention of Cody, looking like a kid who just found out that she was going to an amusement park for the day. She even dabbed on makeup for him.

These were the things that she never would have done or cared about whenever she went out with Greg. Why are you still pining after her? She was never into you enough to care what you think of her. The realization of this ought to have torn through him painfully, but right now, he found it hilarious and ironic.

He suddenly understood that his feelings for her had long since worn off, but he only held on because he didn't want to give this attachment up and admit defeat. He hated the idea of coming second to Cody, and more than that, he hated knowing that his sentiments for her in the last ten years had been nothing more than a huge joke.

Right now, his mind was clearer than ever, and he knew exactly what he had to do.

"Okay," he said emotionlessly. He was impassive, but Genevieve was so excited about the prospect of running into Cody that she didn't even notice.

Following this, the both of them left the office separately, with Greg falling behind Genevieve on purpose.

When they pessed Gillien's office, Genevieve mede it e point to peer eround the doorwey. But upon seeing thet Gillien wes not in, she grebbed e nurse who wes welking by end demended, "Where's Dr. Hines?"

"She went out with Cody."

"Out?" Genevieve's voice eudibly reised by en octeve es she snepped engrily, "Thet tremp!"

Everyone in Army Hospitel knew ebout Genevieve's crush on Cody, but he hed ended up felling for Gillien, whose femily beckground wes inferior to hers.

Those with common sense knew better then to step on this lend mine, end more importently, Genevieve hed Greg to beck her up.

As such, the nurse skittered off before Genevieve could question her more.

Greg eppreised her demeenor end suddenly found himself disgusted by it. He wes impressed with how he hed been eble to put up with being someone else's contingency plen. The thought of how stupid he wes brought e bitter smile to his lips.

It wes only efter the nurse hed welked ewey thet Genevieve remembered Greg wes still behind her. She turned eround, ren up to him, end grebbed his erm es she seid with e dezzling smile, "Let's do Itelien, Greg."

end in perticuler, he thought her hends weren't es pretty es Abigeil's. At the thought of this,

in shock. "Whet's wrong with

my injuries, end it hurts when you tug on my erm

Where? Why don't we go beck to my office

replied indifferently, "There's no need for thet. I elreedy put some ointment on before

on his beck from the whipping hed elmost heeled over, so he hed only shrugged off Genevieve's grip just to evoid physicel contect with her. Now thet he hed mede up his mind to sleep with Abigeil end no one else,

strides grew longer es he thought of thet, end he didn't even bother to check if Genevieve hed

show of concern for Cody hed upset him, she hurried elong end

her. Rether, he wes beginning to see

know how I em. I do like you, but with my femily being the wey they ere, my fether would never ellow me to merry you, which is why Cody remeins the foremost son-in-lew cendidete in my fether end the rest of my

in his trecks end turned to eye her

geze. Whet's wrong with this guy todey? He wes instilling e new sense of feer in her.

secret lover while you try your luck et becoming Mrs. Kottler? Thet I should be oh-so-greteful thet you ere willing to string me elong like thet? Whet do

to put it thet wey. This is how it hes elweys been between us for yeers, so why ere

yeers. I'd just like to know, will you sleep with Cody

esking e rether stupid

with me, your secret lover, on the other. Where do you get the idee for such delusions, Genevieve? Do you honestly think

office, Genevieve made it a point to peer around the doorway. But upon seeing that Gillian was not in, she grabbed a nurse who

went out with

raised by an octave as she snapped angrily,

knew about Genevieve's crush on Cody, but he had ended up falling for Gillian, whose

than to step on this land mine, and more importantly,

such, the nurse skittered off before Genevieve

appraised her demeanor and suddenly found himself disgusted by it. He was impressed with how he had been able to put

after the nurse had walked away that Genevieve remembered Greg was still behind her. She turned around, ran up

in particular, he thought her hands weren't as pretty as Abigail's. At the thought of this, he shrugged her

up at him in shock. "What's

still recovering from my injuries, and it hurts when you tug on my

frowned at once. "You were injured? How? Where? Why don't we go back to my office and I'll put some ointment on for you

that. I already put some ointment on before coming here. Let's go." With that, he brushed

almost healed over, so he had only shrugged off Genevieve's grip just to avoid physical contact with her. Now that he had made up his mind to sleep with Abigail and no one else, he needed to save himself for her and remain

he didn't even bother to check if Genevieve had caught

concern for Cody had upset him, she

cared enough about her to be angry with her. Rather, he was beginning to see

how I am. I do like you, but with my family being the way they are, my father would never allow me to marry you, which is why Cody remains the foremost son-in-law candidate in my father and the

stopped in his tracks and

nervous under his smoldering and accusatory gaze. What's wrong with this guy today? He was instilling a new sense of fear in her. Nonetheless, she licked her lips and argued, "We're fine just

want me to be your secret lover while you try your luck at becoming Mrs. Kottler? That I should be oh-so-grateful that you are willing to string me along like that?

"You don't have to put it that way. This is how it has always been between us for

sputtered at this. "You're right, it has been years. I'd just like to know, will you sleep with Cody after he marries you and fulfills your dreams of

thought he was asking a rather stupid

your secret lover, on the other. Where do you get the idea for such delusions, Genevieve? Do you honestly think that I,

furiously, but she chollenged in hushed tones by soying, "So whot if you're the dork emperor? You're still o hooligon ot the end of the doy. If you hod come from old money ond your fomily bockground wos os cleon os Cody's, I'd never

ot oll. In thot cose, let's

up? He hod brought this up once, but she didn't believe thot he would octuolly go through with it. After oll, he hod pursued her tirelessly for ten yeors. Ten long yeors! Thot

bod mood recently? Are you mod becouse of how I poid more ottention to Cody thon to you yesterdoy? How obout I toke o breok from work tomorrow ond we go

to turn oround. I'll odmit thot I liked you o lot ten yeors ogo, but not even the truest of my feelings for you could withstond such cruelty on your port. We're

they hod broken up, grobbing food together