8: New Ally
I stole him from her, or at least, that‘ s what everyone says. Georgia, the poor girlfriend, and me, the shameless side. chick, Keith’s convenient bed warmer. That’s the story they’ve written for us, and I’ve given up trying to correct it. People believe what they want. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.
Hours after my argument with Keith, I finally got myself together. I took a quick bath, threw on a plain gown, and called a taxi. Georgia had given me an address earlier, and it led me to a hotel. As the car approached, unease settled in my chest. Who was this mysterious buyer? Why did Georgia involve me at all? Questions swirled in my head, but I swallowed them down, keeping my face neutral.
The moment I walked into the hotel lobby, my feet froze. There they were, Keith and Georgia. Together. My stomach dropped.
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Their arms were casually linked, the kind of intimacy that made my chest ache. My mind raced. If Georgia planned to meet the buyer, why did she give me the file in the first place? This wasn‘ t a coincidence. It was her game.
But I wouldn‘ t let her see me crack.
Holding my head high, I walked
over,
handed Keith the file, and said nothing.
11
Not even a hello. My anger simmered just beneath the surface, the argument with him earlier still fresh in my mind.
Keith accepted the file without a word, his expression unreadable.
“Now that my part is done, I’m leaving,” I said, already turning toward the door.
“You don’t need to leave just yet,” Georgia‘ s voice chimed in, sticky sweet.
“We need to cross–check the file.”
I stopped in my tracks, turning to face her.
“Cross–check? The way you gave it to me is
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8 New Ally
the way I’m returning it,” I snapped. My patience was hanging by a thread.
“She’s right,” Keith said sharply. “But it’s best we check.”
I sighed loudly and crossed my arms.
“Fine,” I muttered, not even trying to hide my irritation. I hadn’t touched the file since Georgia handed it over. It was exactly as she left it.
Keith opened the file and began flipping through its pages. His face darkened with each turn, his frustration building. Then, with no warning, he hurled the file to the ground. The loud slap of papers hitting the floor made me flinch.
“You don’t know how important this is to me!” he roared, his voice trembling with anger. “How dare you mess this up? One simple task, and you can’t even do that right!”
His words stung like a slap to the face. My hands trembled as I bent down to pick up
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the scattered papers. Skimming through the file, my stomach churned. It was a disaster. Pages were missing, sections were out of order… it was a mess.
My eyes darted to Georgia, who stood there with a smirk so smug it made my blood boil. This was her doing. Her scheme. Her trap. And I had walked right into it.
Rising to my feet, I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Georgia, you conniving bitch!” I spat, the words dripping with
rage.
The slap came out of nowhere. Sharp and hot, it snapped my head to the side. Keith had slapped me.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My cheek burned, but the pain went deeper than that. It cut into my pride, my dignity, my very being.
“Don’t you dare blame Georgia for your incompetence,” Keith growled, pointing a finger at me like I was some child who
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needed to be scolded. His voice was cold, his words a dagger twisting in my chest.
I stood there, stunned and silent, my pride bleeding out in the middle of that hotel lobby. Georgia‘ s smirk widened, her satisfaction impossible to ignore. Anger, humiliation, and a simmering hatred bubbled inside me, threatening to spill over. Before I could say anything, the door.
swung open.
The buyer walked in.
The moment he stepped into the room, the atmosphere shifted. His presence was commanding, his posture exuding
confidence. His eyes scanned the scene: the papers scattered across the floor, my flushed cheek, Keith’s still–raised hand, and Georgia‘ s smug grin.
“What’s going on here?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that demanded answers.
Keith, still bristling with anger, turned to
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him with a glare so sharp it made me flinch all over again. “Noah Grey, I assume you’re here for the item. But it’s not available. The file isn’t complete,” Keith said, his tone dismissive and rude.
The tension between them was palpable, like two predators circling each other.
Noah didn’t flinch. Instead, he smirked and calmly reached into his bag. He pulled out a file and held it up. “Actually, the file is right here,” he said smoothly. His eyes flicked to Georgia, his smirk deepening. “I noticed Ms. Georgia here swapped it for a fake earlier. Nice try, though.” He licked his lips as if savoring the moment before. turning back to Keith. “You really are gullible, trusting someone like her over your wife.”
Keith’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. He stepped closer to Noah, his voice low and threatening. “Stay out of my business.”
I stayed frozen in place, the sting of
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Keith’s slap still fresh. But the pain wasn‘ t just physical, it was emotional, cutting into the last shreds of strength I had. Keith had hit me because of Georgia’s betrayal, yet he still stood by her side. My chest tightened with anger and hurt, the hatred for him simmering in my veins.
Noah, unbothered by Keith‘ s hostility, opened the file and casually flipped through it. “I‘ ll need to review this before I sign. Ms. Eden can wait to return it to you once I’m done.”
Keith’s response was curt, dripping with impatience. “Fine. Just don’t waste my time.”
Noah smirked, clearly enjoying himself.
“Oh, you’ll have to learn some patience, Keith. Because once I sign this, we’ll be working together. Better get used to it.”
Keith’s expression darkened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he turned on his heel and left, dragging Georgia along with
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him. Their footsteps echoed down the hallway, leaving a heavy silence in their wake.
Now, it was just me and Noah. His eyes. lingered on me, steady and sharp, making me shift uncomfortably. “Your husband…” he began, but then paused, studying me as if trying to read my thoughts.
“What about him?” I asked, my voice cold, masking the storm inside.
A faint smile crossed his lips. “Keith is a lucky man to have you,” he said softly.
I blinked, confused. Lucky? How could anyone call Keith lucky? Our marriage was a sham, born from Pa Greg’s wish. There was no love, no care, not from Keith, anyway. What was Noah getting at? And how did he even know about my marriage? It was supposed to be a secret.
Noah tilted his head slightly, as if sensing my confusion. “Ms. Eden, don‘ t stress
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yourself trying to figure out how I know. Let’s just say I do.”
“Well, I don’t care how you know,” I snapped. “And honestly, I shouldn’t even be here. I’m done.” My voice was firm, my frustration bubbling over. I was tired of the lies, tired of Keith, tired of everything.
But Noah didn’t flinch. His sharp gaze held mine, unyielding. “That’s exactly why I want you to work with me, Ms. Eden,” he said. His tone was calm.
