Wife by Day, Boss by Night by Thalia Quillspeak

Chapter 51

Natalie paused mid–search, her fingers hovering over the cluttered surface of her desk. She was pretending to look for something, but the hesitation hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Brian narrowed his eyes as he watched her. Without saying a word, he picked up his laptop and came up behind her, sliding it into her suitcase.

Natalie clenched her teeth and stood up to face him, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m broke, Brian. Dead broke. But I love gadgets, okay? I couldn’t bring myself to part with it. That’s all.”

“That’s your explanation?” Brian stared at her intently, almost unblinking.

“I gave you enough to cover four years of college, Natalie. Ten million dollars would buy you a new laptop.”

“Ten million?” Natalie blinked in surprise.

Brian locked eyes with her unreadable expression, then fell silent. It was clear from her reaction that she had no idea about the ten million dollars he had given to send her abroad. Even as the Howard family faced financial ruin, he had managed to scrape together the sum for her.

the real reason behind it.

a few seconds of silence, Brian

years ago, which she had adorned with stickers of her favorite things and had clung to as if it were a

him, she had cherished a mere trinket he had given her for five whole years.

room earlier, the first

the small and sleepy voice of Nate, who

to pick up his son and

times. Natalie managed a small smile

and patted his little

home for dinner,” Brian said. Then, turning slightly, he glanced

Natalie alone here posed too much of a risk trouble had a way of

Chapter 51

deflect. “No need, take Nate home. I’ll just grab his clothes from

had barely taken a few steps away when Brian’s hand clamped down on her arm.