Chapter 244

Even though I knew this was coming, my heart still ached. I tossed my phone aside and lay back on the couch, closing my eyes. My eyes stung with unshed tears.

After a while, my phone buzzed with a new message. I reached out and glanced at it. It was from Jared, asking where I was. I ignored him and kept my eyes closed, trying to collect myself.

Jared seemed used to my cold shoulder and didn’t push it.

After half an hour of rest, I headed downstairs. The cleanup was already done, and everyone was about to leave.

Ryan was still there. Seeing me come down, he quickly walked over and said, “Ms. Murphy, you’ve had a few drinks tonight. Want me to drive you home?”

I replied, “Alright, I’ll leave it to you.” With that, I handed him my car keys.

While Ryan went to get the car, I leaned against a pillar by the hotel entrance. The place was glowing with lights, full of life tonight.

Ryan pulled up and opened the back door for me.

Just as I was about to get in, Jared appeared out of nowhere. He asked, “Heading home?” His voice was gentle, but his gaze burned into me.

“Yeah,” I replied coolly.

Jared glanced at Ryan, then turned back to me and asked, “Can I ride back with you to the apartment?”

I said coldly, “No. Go home to Yvonne. She needs you more than I do.” With that, I slid into the car.

Jared frowned at me, a faint sadness lingering on his handsome face.

Ryan closed the door, circled to the driver’s seat, and drove me away.

I glanced back in the rearview mirror.

Jared was still standing at the hotel entrance, the dazzling lights bathing him in gold, yet he looked so alone—like he was silently saying goodbye.

I leaned back in the seat, closed my eyes, and let the tiredness wash over me. But I couldn’t let myself drift off.

I had no idea how good Ryan was behind the wheel, so I forced myself to stay awake and keep an eye on the road, just in case.

My ride was a Mercedes–Benz, definitely a luxury car, but Ryan handled it like he’d been driving it his whole life. We made it back to our complex safe and sound.

Ryan hopped out, handed me the keys, and walked me to the elevator. He said, “Ms. Murphy, get some rest.”

“You did well tonight. I’ll make sure you get a bonus this month,” I said.

Ryan let out a low chuckle and replied, “Thanks, Ms. Murphy.”

I stepped into the elevator, and as the doors slid shut, I caught Ryan still standing there, watching me through the crack with a lingering look.

By the time I got home, it was already late. Yvonne had messaged me a few times earlier, but I hadn’t had a chance to reply. I figured she was probably asleep, so I just left it alone for now.

After a shower, I scrolled through the online reviews for the hotel.

We’d invited a few well–known bloggers to come by and give a detailed rundown of the place’s different styles, and there were plenty of rave reviews in the comments.

The renovation phase was done—now the real work of running the hotel was about to begin.

To Jared, these two hotels were small potatoes—he wasn’t about to waste any real energy on them. What I didn’t see coming was Sally suddenly starting to meddle.

Sally and I were already at odds, and the divorce was set in stone. There was no going back. Now that Sally had Tracy, who was a way better daughter-in-law than I was, she was dying for me to break things off with Jared ASAP.

So, the next day at the meeting, I heard a few voices objecting to my staying on as hotel manager. All of them were related to Sally one way or another.

They brought it up, but Jared shot them down without blinking. After the meeting wrapped up, a few of the higher-ups stopped me.

One of them said, “Ms. Murphy, there’s something we need to confirm with you.”

I turned to look at those old-timers who had real clout in the company, then glanced over at Jared.

Jared was still sitting at the head of the table, absentmindedly spinning a pen between his fingers. His face was dark, lost in thought, and I had no idea what was going through his mind.