Epost forgot, while, “Retard,” startimered, already halfway out the door before he finished the ventenne. A few seconds later, his hand crept back in, quietly pulling the door shut behind him.

Vespera said nothing, and she was past rating and relating. She looked up at Emetinue with a very serious expression. “Mr. Reid, no visiting during work hours,” she said sternly.

Donlar bunked dom at ber. The brindasryri melted instantly. His lips curved into a quiet smile. Maldon. “Take your time with the soup. I’ll be right out now.”

Chapter 296

After Dominic had spoken, he stood up and left the office. Destapen owned again. After a long pause, she let out a quiet sigh and rubbed her forehead in frustration. She headed over to Retard’s office to go over some new work stuff. She mentioned nothing. She didn’t explain, and he didn’t ask. They acted just like they always did.

But right as Vespera was about to leave, Gerard finally said—carefully, almost sheepishly—“Mr. Beid… he didn’t freak you out or anything, did he?”

P’s stalking and now showing up in her office? The man was escalating.

“Well, it’s not that bad,” Vespera said, her expression suggesting everything was just barely within her control.

Gerard gave her a look. “He’s definitely kind of into you. You’re…”

She waved it off with a smile. “No, don’t worry.”

A few seconds of silence passed. Then she added, “Actually, I’m kind of scary, too.” She got up from her chair. Her eyes flicked to him again. I…

Indedeniledo went over to her desk and placed a thermos on top. Vespera stared at it in silence for a second. She wondered what it was. Dominic placed a gentle hand on her waist. The second his hand touched her waist, her whole body went soft. Her brain immediately flashed back to the night before, to everything those hands had done, to how they’d completely overwhelmed her.

She calmed down, though her breath was still a little unsteady. Her hands were clasped neatly in her lap, like a student who’d just been caught skipping class and was now bracing for the principal’s scolding. Dominir looked at her—so obedient, so terse—and sighed quietly. He opened the thermos on her desk. “Raymond made you soup. It’s for replenishing blood.”

Immediately, Vespera’s mind flew to a post she’d seen on social media: “After too much indulgence, men need to recover their kidneys, warm their blood.” Why did that old man know everything? Why did she know everything!

“Thank you, Mr. Chandler,” she mumbled, picking up the spoon and lowering her head over the thermos like she wanted to crawl inside it and disappear.

She paused at the door. She’d just taken a sip and nearly choked. Dominic leaned down and gently patted her back. A few seconds after she stopped coughing, he pushed the door open. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Was he…

Pete was sitting at Barr Gek, coughing her lungs out, and Domande was right next to her, calmly patting her back. Gerard was there buzzing like a lit fuse, brain shouting. Dominic turned his head and thought, I’m old enough to freeze over.