Chapter 383

I smiled to myself—so it was her. Thorsten must have told her my name.

When Sasha arrived, I was lounging in the garden, soaking up the sun. She strutted toward me, radiating an air of wealthy arrogance. "Keira Kay, you've got some nerve making me come all the way here to find you."

"You've got it wrong," I replied calmly. "You came because you wanted to see me."

Sasha's perfectly made-up face contorted into an ugly scowl. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"

She stood, casting a shadow that blocked my sun. I had to admit, from my angle, her hourglass figure was impressive. It wasn't hard to see why a man like Thorsten would be attracted to her. Even I could appreciate her appeal—both visually and practically.

I smiled. "I have no idea. Is your daughter looking for a playdate?"

If not for Milly, Sasha and I would never have crossed paths, let alone be having this conversation. Ironically, it was in this very garden that I'd first encountered her and Thorsten.

"Cut the act," Sasha snapped, attempting to assert dominance.

I pursed my lips. "Act? Please, everything about me is entirely authentic."

Her body was flawless—so flawless it was obvious she'd had surgical enhancements. My comment struck a nerve. Sasha's face flushed as she pointed a perfectly manicured finger at me. "I know you're jealous of me, but for the record, I'm all-natural. If you don't believe me, feel free to get it checked."

I burst out laughing. Wow, did she really just say that? She had the looks, certainly, but the intelligence? Not so much. Then again, it made sense. A smarter woman wouldn't have ended up as Thorsten's mistress.

I decided to be direct. "Alright, enough. Why are you here?"

"You know why," Sasha said, barely containing her anger.

Honestly? I had no clue. Her fury seemed entirely self-generated.

"Ms. Grey, you have three minutes. I suggest you get to the point," I said, adopting the authoritative tone I'd cultivated over the years. Before joining OceanixCorp, I'd been Jace's assistant, and thanks to our engagement, my position had always been just below his, but significantly above most others.

Chapter 303 (Note: This appears to be a misnumbered chapter, likely a continuation of the previous one.)

Sasha blinked, momentarily taken aback by my sudden shift in demeanor. The arrogance on her face faded, replaced by uncertainty. Her lips trembled as she finally said, "Stop trying to seduce Thorsten."

Oh.

I almost laughed again. No wonder Ron had said she was approaching me like a wife catching a mistress. She'd completely misunderstood the situation.

I stood, meeting her gaze directly. "If you'd done your homework, you'd know my background. Do you really think I'd be interested in some old man?"

Sasha's face paled. She wasn't much older than me—perhaps the same age—and yet she'd chosen to be with someone like Thorsten. I could see why, though. With Thorsten's wealth and connections, it made sense. Maybe it wasn't love; maybe it was survival.

As I began to walk away, I softened my tone, offering one final truth. "I get it. You're scared. If Thorsten ever took an interest in me, it could affect your position. And, to be honest, I bet you're even more worried about the inheritance you and Milly are banking on."

Her eyes widened, her composure crumbling as she realized I'd hit the mark. It wasn't about love between her and Thorsten; it was about money. I didn't care to delve any deeper, so I smiled and said, "Goodbye."

I'd barely taken two steps before she called out, "Keira."

I turned, seeing her standing there, her confidence shattered. Her gaze wavered as she asked, in a much softer voice, "Can we… can we be friends?"