FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 211

CHAPTER 211

SIMON

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It was already dark when I left Hart & Co. The Bugatti was waiting in the garage, but I sat behind the wheel for a few minutes, staring at the last text I’d sent Jamie: “We need to talk when we get home.”

She’d read it. She hadn’t replied. Fuck. Nothing new there.

That afternoon, my wife had taken two work calls, replied to an email I’d been copied on, and approved document preservation instructions for the team. All with her usua efficiency. But for me? Not a word.

I’d pissed off my wife. And the worst part was, she had a point.

Hiring Mitchell had been necessary. The company needed someone experienced to coordinate its response to the crisis, and I didn’t regret that decision. My mistake was doing it without talking to Jamie.

I’d only wanted to protect her, but I’d fucked up and steamrolled her in the Loving her didn’t give me a free pass to make her decisions for her.

Before pulling out, I called Robert.

“Simon?” he answered.

process.

“We got ahead of ourselves with the announcement about the head of legal. Don’t change any reporting lines or responsibilities until we’ve worked out the structure with Jamie and outside counsel.”

There was a pause.

“Understood. I take it the conversation didn’t go well.”

“It didn’t.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m happy to take on whatever role you think is the best fit, Mr. Hart.”

I looked up at the garage ceiling.

“Thank you, Robert. That’s exactly what I needed to hear today.”

He was kind enough not to laugh.

Reporters were gathered near the building’s main exit as I pulled toward the street. A

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FAKN DATING WITH BENEFITS: MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

few recognized the car and approached with their cameras raised.

Nept the windows up and eased forward until I could merge into traffic.

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The case involving Hart & Co. had turned my family’s everyday life into a public spectacle.

Jamie had already left with the driver through the secured exit. Kelly had told me ane’d asked him to pick her up. I wasn’t surprised. After an argument like that, my wife wasn’t going to wait around so we could ride home together.

I got home shortly after she did. Her coat was hanging in the entryway, and I could hear voices in the kitchen. I followed the sound.

Jamie stood at the counter, helping Lily decorate cookies. She was still wearing her burgundy pants, but she’d traded the blazer for a cardigan. A strand of hair had slipped out of her ponytail.

I watched her for a moment, overwhelmed by that ridiculous urge to hold her that showed up even on the days she wanted to strangle me.

“Evening,” I said.

Lily looked up.

“Yay! Uncle Simon!”

I kissed the top of her head and moved closer to Jamie.

“Hey, baby.”

She added more icing to the cookie.

“Lily, easy on the sprinkles in that corner. We don’t want the roof caving in.”

“Jamie.”

“What is it, sweetheart?” she asked Lily without looking at me.

Lily frowned.

“That was Uncle Simon.”

“Oh.” Jamie finally raised her eyes. “Hi, Simon.”

Her greeting couldn’t have been cooler.

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“Can we talk before dinner?”

m busy right now.”

I studied the lopsided cookie in Lily’s hand.

“I can see that. Some very delicate engineering going un here.”

Lily laughed. Jamie didn’t, though I caught the faintest twitch of her mouth

“Later,” she said.

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I didn’t push. I took off my jacket and went to wash my hands. By the time I came back, Jamie had taken Lily into the living room.

A single cookie sat on a little plate on the counter, a folded napkin beside it. She was angry with me. She’d still left me a cookie.

I was halfway through it before I registered how good it was.

At dinner, the kids dominated the conversation with stories about school, a drawing that was due, and a surprisingly serious argument over who’d stolen whose eraser.

Jamie joined in, asked questions, poured water, and reminded the kids to eat their vegetables while Chloe helped with the little ones.

Apparently, I was the only invisible person at the table.

“Jamie, could you pass the salt?” I asked.

She handed the shaker to Jack, who was sitting closer to me.

“Pass that to Uncle Simon, please.”

“Thank you,” I said, looking at my wife.

“You’re welcome,” Jack replied.

Lily had been following the exchange closely.

“Aunt Jamie, are you playing telephone?”

Jamie raised her eyebrows.

“Why, honey?”

“Because Uncle Simon talks to you, and then you talk to us. I can deliver the messages if you want. But you have to pay me.”

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