Chapter 33
Chapter 33:
This realization made Jenessa’s eyes sting, and a lump formed in her throat.
On second thoughts, she found his words made sense.
He and Maisie were so in love; they were meant to be together, while she was just an unwelcome outsider. If she had never entered the picture, the happy couple would have had their happily ever after long ago.
But as fate would have it, two years ago, Nadine had fallen seriously ill and insisted that Ryan honor the marriage arrangement between their family and Jenessa’s, essentially forcing him to marry Jenessa.
As these thoughts plagued Jenessa’s mind, she clenched her fists. The sooner she could leave the picture and let the happy couple be together, the better.
Still, her throat felt inexplicably tight, which made it hard for her to speak.
“Sorry,” she croaked hoarsely, “but I just remembered that I still have work to do. Please excuse me p>
However, as she turned to leave, Ryan grabbed her wrist.
“You shouldn’t work overtime. Come home with me. I don’t want you getting into more trouble with no one around to help you p>
His words weren’t exactly kind, so Jenessa couldn’t help but retort, “I won’t get into trouble all the time and I don’t need you to ‘help’ me p>
Ryan grew increasingly irritated at her stubbornness. In the end, he resorted to scaring her into compliance.
“I only did a quick fix on the electrical panel. I can’t guarantee the electricity won’t p>
“If you insist on staying, don’t blame me if you find yourself trapped in the darkness once more p>
The tales you love are at gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․cøm
Hearing this, Jenessa’s eyes widened in fear, and she quickly changed her mind.
“Fine, I’ll go home with you p>
At this, Ryan’s expression finally softened.
“Good, let’s go p>
Jenessa looked up at him with her clear, bright eyes.
“But, Mr. Haynes, I can’t rest easy just yet. Can you give me a moment to check my computer one last time p>
Her big, doe-like eyes plucked at Ryan’s heartstrings. All of a sudden, he realized that his breathing was a bit uneven.
He looked away, trying to hide his feelings.
“I’m giving you three minutes—and not a second longer, understood p>
“Got it!” Jenessa hurried to her desk and rebooted her computer.
Ryan watched her scurry off like a mouse and felt amused, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Just then, his phone rang, snapping him out of his reverie. He glanced at the caller ID and frowned slightly.
“Maisie,” he greeted as soon as the call connected, “what’s up p>
At the mention of that name, Jenessa’s hand on the mouse stiffened for a moment before she adjusted her expression and continued working.
On the other end of the line, Maisie sounded confused.
“Ryan, where are you? Did you forget that it’s Kane’s birthday today? We were supposed to celebrate at the bar, remember? We’re all here, waiting for you p>