Chapter 44

My assertiveness made Tracy press her lips together, and she stayed silent after that. Honestly, all she had to do was make a few suggestions. If I agreed, she’d swoop in and take credit for my hard work over the past few days. But if I rejected her, her plan would fall apart.

Jared glanced at me, probably surprised, either because I had shown a bit of what I could do or just from how confident I was. Either way, Jared was a good husband. In the end, he said, “Since Victoria is managing the Harmonia Hotel, it’s only natural she makes the decisions.”

As Jared left the conference room, Tracy stood up and said with a smile, “I never expected you to come up with such a unique design, Mrs. Holcomb. I’ll have to pick your brain sometime.”

I forced a smile, looked her in the eye, and replied, “Oh, sure. If anything, I should thank you, Tracy, for all the big contributions you’ve made to the company. Jared always praises you.”

As I expected, Tracy’s face changed. As the other woman, she probably didn’t care much about her reputation, but her family did. As long as Jared and I were still married, her relationship with him would always have to stay secret.

“If you ever need anything, just let me know. It’s the least I can do for the company,” Tracy said before walking out. A few senior executives followed her.

Once we finalized the room and lobby designs, I had a few more experienced people work on them. Once the blueprints were ready, we could start the construction.

Standing at the entrance of the Harmonia Hotel, I couldn’t help but smile, thinking about how Jared had said half the hotel’s profits would go right into my pocket. With all that money, I could invest in everything, like real estate in 2016 and gold in 2023.

Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind me. “Ms. Murphy…”

I turned around to see Nathan stepping out of a black Mercedes-Benz.

“Hi, Mr. Hallman,” I said with a smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Just passing by,” Nathan replied, glancing up at the entrance of the Harmonia Hotel. “Is everything going okay?”

I shook my head. “No, just came by to have a look.”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to be so business-minded,” Nathan said, a small smile curving his lips.

Noticing a few people coming over, I knew how to keep things proper, so I said, “I’ve got something to take care of, so I’ll leave first.”

“Are you avoiding me?” Nathan’s eyes darkened, his voice dropping to a soft, almost haunting tone. “Relax. I’m not reckless enough to put you in a difficult spot.”

I turned to look at him. He kept his voice low so that no one else could hear, but it still made my heart race with nerves.

“Mr. Hallman, please show some respect,” I said firmly. Just because you’re handsome doesn’t mean you get a free pass with me. I’m still married, and even if I weren’t, I’m not the type to get tangled up with just any man.

Nathan’s deep, intense eyes locked with mine. He blinked twice, looking like a lost puppy. He seemed so pitiful that it almost made my heart ache. But I didn’t want him to flirt with me.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Nathan murmured. “The people at the charity wouldn’t tell me anything. First, they said the files were lost, and then they said they were burned—anything to keep your identity from me.”

I frowned, confused. “Why were you looking for me?” I asked cautiously.

“I’m not really sure,” Nathan replied, his voice tinged with bitterness. “Actually, I saw you from a distance the day you made that donation. I ran outside to find you, but you were already gone.”

I shrugged. “What? Did you see I was young and pretty and try to track me down for another donation?”