Betrayed and Dumped She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 236

They stepped out of the restaurant, and Rebecca almost missed the steps. She barely caught herself, but Stephen was quick and steady, reaching out to hold her up just in time. Embarrassment flooded her cheeks. That was twice now her boss had caught her in awkward moments. She ducked her head, trying to compose herself. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

Neither of them noticed someone tucked away nearby, phone in hand, snapping a quick photo of the scene.

On the way back to the office, Rebecca glanced up at Stephen. “Did you just get back from your business trip?” Liam had mentioned he was out, and she hadn’t seen him at the office for a while. Running into him at lunch felt like more than just a coincidence.

Stephen nodded. “Yeah, I got back this morning.”

“And you’re already out meeting clients? That’s dedication. You never stop, do you?” The early summer air was warm, and Stephen carried his suit jacket over his arm. His white shirt looked crisp, and the expensive watch on his wrist added to his calm, put-together vibe.

He laughed. “If we’re talking about dedication, you set the bar pretty high. I heard that while I was gone, you landed a bunch of new deals and recruited some amazing talent. You basically finished your annual targets in just two weeks.”

Rebecca blushed and looked away. “Well, it’s only possible because you make it so easy for us.”

Stephen stopped for a second and raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? How do I do that?”

Rebecca hesitated, twisting her fingers together. She wanted to ask him about the thing that had been on her mind, but in the end, she just smiled and let it go.

They reached the building lobby, and suddenly Rebecca’s phone rang. She answered without thinking. “Hello?”

Her neighbor’s voice was shaky. “Rebecca, you need to get to the hospital. Your mom fainted outside your apartment. The ambulance just left with her.”

Rebecca’s heart skipped a beat. Her voice shook. “I’m going right now.”

Rebecca had already suspected it. Her mom always kept up with her check-ups and had been healthy lately. There was no reason for her to suddenly faint. Unless… Alan had come around again, harassing her, and the stress was too much.

Just thinking about it made Rebecca’s blood boil.

After Mona left, Rebecca walked back into the hospital room and finally remembered Stephen was still there. “Mr. Duncan, thank you for bringing me here. I’m really sorry for taking up your afternoon.”

Her eyes were still red, but she tried to smile. Stephen looked at her, a gentle concern in his eyes. “It’s no trouble at all. I didn’t have anything important planned today. You don’t need to apologize.”

Before Rebecca could say more, her mom stirred. Rebecca hurried to her bedside, worry written all over her face. “Mom, how do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere?”

Samantha’s lips were colorless, but she managed a weak smile. “I’m okay. Don’t worry.”