Chapter 37

Naomi turned around and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Can we talk?" Chloe asked.

Naomi knew Chloe had ulterior motives. She invited her to her meeting room and poured her a cup of coffee. "For you to visit me this early, you must have a lot of free time, huh?"

Chloe took the coffee with both hands. "We don't see each other often, so we don't have many chances to chat."

Naomi sat beside her. "So, what's the matter?"

Chloe held the coffee cup tightly and stared at Naomi. Then she said, "Naomi, my relationship with Brendan isn't what you think, and it's not like what others say. I don't even dare to get close to him. I know my worth. That time at the hotel was a misunderstanding."

Naomi sipped her coffee and smiled. "Are you worried I might get rid of you?"

She had seen Chloe holding Brendan's arm in public. It was humorous, considering Chloe's explanation.

Chloe explained, "No, I'm not worried. You don't consider me an opponent. With my background, I'm not worthy of being his mistress, let alone being with him."

Chloe paused, appearing conflicted. "To be honest, I'm a pawn, meant to cause an argument between you two."

She was following Brendan's orders to get close to him. "I won't deny he's been kind at work. It's because I saved him three years ago. I resemble his former girlfriend, Sophia, so he sympathizes with me."

Chloe took a breath. "Whatever Brendan does isn't because of me. He's never forgotten Sophia. He still misses her."

Naomi remained calm, but felt a deep sense of mockery. It was even more heartbreaking knowing Brendan and Chloe had nothing going on. He had never forgotten Sophia Brown Martin and still missed her. Her two years with Brendan had been a sham!

Naomi looked directly at Chloe and said expressionlessly, "You're devious, Chloe."

Chloe quickly explained, "Naomi, everything I said is true. I'm saying this because I don't want to antagonize you, though I never stood a chance."

Chapter 37

(The sentence "Even though she already did" is unclear and should be removed or rephrased within the context of the previous chapter.)

Naomi sat up and put down her coffee. "Chloe, you don't have to explain. I'm not going to fight you."

Chloe was smart. She wouldn't challenge Naomi directly. Besides her honesty, she was diligent. Brendan would naturally keep someone like her as his secretary. But she wasn't stupid; she could recognize genuine feelings.

Chloe stood up. "You can continue your work, Naomi. I'll be leaving now."

Naomi's smile faded as she watched Chloe leave. Chloe's words echoed in her mind: "He's never forgotten about Sophia. He still misses her." Chloe was smart; she knew when to speak the truth and how to divert attention.

That evening, Naomi surprisingly finished work early and asked Bailey out to dinner. At the restaurant, she was shocked to see Bailey with a black eye and a scratch on her cheek. "Bailey, what happened to you?"