FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 164

CHAPTER 164

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97

– CHLOE

The problem with happy people was that they loved talking about how happy they were.

And when they weren’t talking about it themselves, there was always someone else willing to do it for them.

I stood barefoot in the kitchen of my apartment, my phone wedged between my shoulder and ear while I stirred coffee that had already gone cold, listening to Kelly complain for at least five straight minutes about some woman in Finance.

“I swear to God, Chloe, she sent the spreadsheet back because I used navy instead of the company-approved blue.”

“There’s an official blue?”

“Apparently.”

I laughed.

“Sounds like a healthy work environment.”

“You have no idea. And Simon’s made it worse.”

My hand stopped for a beat.

“Our boss?”

“Who else?” Kelly huffed. “Ever since this whole wedding countdown started, he’s been insanely demanding.”

“That seems contradictory.”

“Not with him. The man is trying to cram three weeks of work into ten days because he doesn’t want anybody calling him on his honeymoon.”

I took another sip of coffee.

“Okay, that makes sense. At least he has a reason.”

I managed to say it without letting anything leak into my voice.

It was a skill I’d been getting very good at.

“It’s almost annoying,” Kelly went on. “You look at the two of them and think, okay, universe, we get it. They’re in love. Meanwhile, I’d just like to procrastinate for five minutes without my boss breathing down my neck.”

My fingers tightened around the mug.

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“Miss Jamie does seem happy.”

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“Very. You should’ve seen her yesterday before she left to try on wedding dresses. She’s ridiculously happy. But what woman wouldn’t be, marrying a man like Simon?”

“Actually, I did see her. I went to the dress appointment too.”

There was a pause.

Brief.

Dangerous.

Then I added casually, “I went because of the kids.”

“Oh, right. How are they?”

“Good. I’m actually a little bummed this week because I have to work over the weekend,” I murmured as I walked into the living room.

I looked out the window.

“Work? Why?”

“Jamie asked me to stay with the kids.”

“On Saturday? That sucks.”

I smiled.

“Yeah.” I let a small pause hang between us. “I was thinking about going out, but it’s fine. Comes with the job. And honestly, I like being with them.”

Kelly laughed.

“I just think it’s shitty that you have to work while the rest of us are out having fun.”

I frowned even though she couldn’t see me.

“You guys are going out?”

There it was.

“Shit.”

“What?”

“I don’t think I was supposed to say anything.”

A laugh slipped out of me.

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“Well, now you have to tell me.”

“It’s not exactly a secret.”

“Kelly.”

“Fine.” She sighed. “We’re throwing Jamie a bachelorette party.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

But my voice stayed light.

“Really?”

“Nothing huge. Me, Elizabeth, Claire, a few girls from the company… None of that ridiculous cliché stuff.”

“What cliché stuff?”

“You know. A bunch of shirtless guys and drunk women grabbing at six-packs.”

I laughed.

“Jamie’s is going to be tame. Drinks, music, food, a few games. Mostly we just want her to relax. She’s been through so much… We wanted to do something nice for her.”

I stared at my reflection in the window.

“That’s sweet.”

“She deserves it.”

“She really does.”

That time, I almost believed myself.

“So where are you having it?”

I asked as I walked back toward the kitchen, as if I were more interested in rinsing out my mug than in her

answer.

Kelly told me the name of the place.

I knew it.

Not personally, but well enough.

“Nice,” I said. “Jamie will like it.”

“I hope so. And don’t tell her some of the details, okay? They’re supposed to be a surprise.”

“Relax, girl. They don’t even know we’re friends, remember?”

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She laughed.

“Oh, right!”

We talked for another few minutes.

When we hung up, I kept staring at my phone.

Then I smiled.

》。7)

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Forty minutes later, I was still on the bike.

The city changed the farther I got from the bright avenues. High-rises gave way to squat buildings, aging storefronts, and streets that grew darker block by block.

I parked near a narrow alley and killed the engine.

The silence settled almost immediately.

I pulled off my helmet, climbed off the bike, and cut through the alley at a quick pace. I passed through a rusted door and headed down a short flight of steps until I found a man leaning against the wall.

He looked up at me.

Recognition hit instantly.

Unfortunately.

“Holy shit. Look who crawled back from the dead.”

“Save the emotion for your funeral, Cobra.”

His grin widened.

“Still a fucking ray of sunshine.”

“And you still talk too much.”

I walked past him and stopped in front of a table.

“I need something.”

“What kind of something?”

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