FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 213

CHAPTER 213

SIMON

I opened the fridge and took out cheese, sliced turkey, and mustard. I hadn’t car much at dinner. Or maybe I was just looking for something to do that didn’t ve thinking about Jamie’s face when she’d told me to stand beside her instead of Taher place.

I made a sandwich and put it on a plate. As I looked for a glass, I heard soft footsteps in the hallway, Jamie?

The door to the staff wing had opened. I kept my attention on the cabinet until I heard

A VOICE

“Mr. Hart?”

I glanced over. Chloe wore an oversized T-shirt and sleep shorts. Her hair was pulled back haphazardly, and she was gripping the hem of her shirt with both hands. My expression stayed serious.

“Evening, Chloe.”

“Sorry to bother you. I heard a noise and thought someone might need something.”

“That was me. I closed your bedroom door. You’d left it open.”

Her eyes widened, and she brought a hand to her mouth.

“Oh my God. I left it open?”

“You did. Be more careful.”

Chloe lowered her head.

“I’m so sorry. It was so hot… I must have fallen asleep without realizing. Please don’t…”

She trailed off, staring at the floor

“Just pay more attention,” I cut in, keeping my voice level. “Your privacy matters. It isn’t safe to leave your door wide open at night.”

“Of course. It won’t happen again.”

“And you don’t need to be in the kitchen at this hour on my account. Everything’s fine. Go back to bed.”

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She hesitated, as if there were something else she wanted to say.

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re you hungry? I’m no Sylvia, but I make a pretty good sandwich, if I do say so myself.”

I lifted my plate.

“I’ve got it covered.”

“Oh.” She gave me a shy smile. “Okay.”

I picked up my water and started to leave, but Chloe glanced toward the hallway leading to the living room.

“I noticed a blanket on the couch when I came down earlier,” she said quietly. “Did you and Mrs. Hart have a fight?”

The question stopped me.

“Good night, Chloe.”

She flushed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that Jamie seemed so upset at dinner… I was worried. She’s always been so good to me.”

I didn’t answer. I took a sip of water, hoping she’d take the hint.

“I know it’s none of my business,” she continued, with the careful air of someone asking permission to step onto a freshly mopped floor. “But if you ever need a woman’s perspective, I’m here. Sometimes it’s easier to understand a woman if you talk to another one.”

I almost smiled. Jamie was my best friend and the person I knew better than anyone in the world. I didn’t need an interpreter.

Still, the offer gave me an idea of how to explain the problem without discussing it directly.

“Can I ask you a hypothetical question?”

Chloe looked surprised.

“Of course,”

“Say you run a department at my company. You’ve spent years working your way up to that position. Then I hire someone else to do your job without asking you, because I

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think it’ll protect you from a difficult situation. How would you react?”

She blinked a few times.

“You’d do that to protect me?”

“I’m talking about something I’d do for my wife, Chloe. Not you.”

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“Oh, I see. In that case…” Chloe laced her fingers together. “I think I’d be grateful my husband thought it was best for me, I’d trust him. Especially if he was trying to spare me something difficult.”

“Even if it meant losing a responsibility you’d spent years working for?”

“Well, I might be upset at first. But isn’t that what marriage is? Trusting that the person who loves us knows when we need a break?”

Her answer was too simple. Not necessarily because she was lying, but because it didn’t account for everything Jamie had built. Or the difference between offering support and taking away someone’s choice.

“It’s not that simple,” I said.

“Of course not. Every woman is different.”

She moved just close enough to rest her hands on the far end of the counter, keeping her distance.

“Jamie is very strong,” she added. “I admire that about her. She always seems to know exactly what she wants. Maybe when someone’s like that, it’s harder to accept that another person might have a point.”

I looked at her.

“Jamie knows how to admit when she’s wrong.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean she doesn’t!” Chloe gave me an embarrassed smile. “I just think women who are that independent get used to handling everything themselves. They can mistake someone looking out for them for criticism. It’s a shame, because you put so much effort into your marriage…” She hesitated. “Well, if it were me, I wouldn’t make such a fuss just because my husband tried to protect me. But every woman’s different, right? I’m not a selfish person.”

“We’re done with this conversation,” I said flatly.

She went a little pale.

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“I’m sorry, Mr. Hart. I’d never speak badly of her. Mrs. Hart is wonderful. I was only trying to help by giving you my opinion.”

“I understand that was your intention. But you don’t know the details, and you don’t need to. And Jamie isn’t selfish. I know her very well.”

Chloe nodded quickly.

“You’re right. I overstepped.”

“Yes.”

An uncomfortable silence followed. She ran a hand over her hair and glanced at the plate I was holding.

“Jamie is lucky to have someone who cares so much,” she said, almost in a whisper.

“We’re lucky to have each other.”

I didn’t have to think about the answer. It was the truth, even on a night as lousy as this

one.

Chloe lowered her gaze.

“Of course. I’m sorry again.”

I picked up my sandwich.

“I’m going downstairs to eat this. Go to bed.”

“Would you like some company? Just until you finish eating, I mean. I’m not sleepy anyway.”

“No.”

The answer came out curt. I saw no reason to soften it.

She took a step back.

“Good night, Mr. Hart.”

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