FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

– JAMIE

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The next morning dawned golden and warm, and I woke up with an energy I hadn’t felt in months. The kind of energy that makes you smile for no reason while you brush your teeth, that makes your coffee taste better, that makes every step toward the office feel lighter.

Not that it had anything to do with last night.

Of course not.

It was just sex. Casual sex between two adults who’d agreed on very clear rules. No feelings. No expectations. No commitment. I was perfectly capable of compartmentalizing.

It was just that… Simon Hart was really, really good in bed.

And that was it. Full stop.

I walked into the office with a smile so wide my assistant, Elizabeth, nearly dropped the coffee cup she was holding.

“Good morning, Jamie!” she said, eyes wide. “You’re glowing today. Did something happen?”

I forced my smile to become slightly less obvious.

“Nothing special. I just… slept well.”

“Slept well?” Elizabeth repeated, clearly skeptical. “Jamie, you look like you spent the weekend at a spa. Or…” She paused, eyes glinting with mischief. “Somewhere else.”

“Elizabeth!” I cut her off, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. “Get back to work.”

She laughed but obeyed, and I sat down at my desk with my heart pounding.

That’s when Ethan, the intern, appeared in my doorway, his easy smile in place.

“Good morning, Jamie!” He leaned against the doorframe, green eyes bright. “You look different today. Prettier, if I can say that. Have a good weekend?”

My mouth opened to respond, but my brain short-circuited. Ethan was so young, so innocent, and the way he looked at me was so openly admiring that it made me laugh.

“I had a great weekend, Ethan.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to look casual. “But I need to get to work. Contracts aren’t going to review themselves.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Right, boss.” And he was gone, leaving me there, slightly unsettled.

I took a deep breath and dove into the paperwork. But the stack of documents felt lighter today, the words easier to process. My mood was so good that even the most complicated clauses made sense.

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11:42 Fri, Sep 25

FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS: MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

And then I came across the contract that needed Simon’s signature.

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My hand hovered over the phone for a second. I could email it. I could ask Ethan to deliver it. I didn’t need to go in person.

But my feet were already moving before my brain could argue.

I rode up to the 47th floor with a determination I didn’t fully understand. I knocked on the glass door and pushed it open at the same time.

“Can I come in?” I asked, already crossing the threshold. “I need your signature, Simon, the documents for-”

I froze.

My mother was sitting in the armchair across from Simon’s desk, a box of cookies on her lap, smiling like she was at home.

“Jamie!” she exclaimed, eyes bright. “What a coincidence! I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d bring a box of homemade cookies for my favorite son-in-law.”

My heart stopped, lurched, and stopped again.

“Mom,” I managed, my voice coming out in a whisper. “You can’t just show up at people’s workplaces like this.”

“Oh, honey, don’t be dramatic.” My mother stood up, patting Simon’s arm-Simon, who was sitting behind his desk with a warm expression on his face. “Your fiancé is a sweetheart. He said I could come by anytime.”

“Of course you can, Mrs. Collins.” Simon stood, taking the cookie box with both hands like it was treasure. “Your daughter is lucky to have such a caring mother.”

“See?” My mother looked at me with a victorious smile. “A gentleman. Knows how to treat a mother-in-law.” She turned back to Simon. “They’re chocolate chip. My mother’s recipe. Jamie loved them when she was

little.”

“I’ll take good care of them.” Simon set the box on the desk, his eyes meeting mine for a second. “Thank you,

Mrs. Collins.”

My mother picked up another, smaller box and pressed it into my hands.

“This one’s for you, sweetheart.” She kissed my cheek with a loud smack. “Don’t work too hard, okay?” She looked from Simon to me. “Take care of each other.”

She left with the elegance of someone who had no idea the embarrassment she’d just caused.

I stood frozen for a moment, the cookie box still in my hands, heat rising to my face. Then I walked to Simon’s desk, my steps heavy.

“Sorry,” I murmured, my voice low. “She shouldn’t have come. I swear I didn’t know. She’s never shown up here before, I don’t know what got into her-”

“Jamie.” He held up a hand, cutting me off with a gentle gesture. “Relax. We’re still engaged, remember?”

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11:42 Fri, Sep 25

FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS: MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

67

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I let out a breath, letting my shoulders drop. “I know, but… I’ll get this situation resolved as soon as possible. I promise.

“No rush.” He tilted his head, those blue eyes fixed on mine. “Why did you come to my office?”

I looked at the folder in my hand, almost forgetting it existed. I walked to the desk and set it in front of him.

“I need you to sign these documents. It’s the final approval for the Cavellier contract. The legal team reviewed all the clauses, and finance already greenlit it. Just need your signature to close the deal.”

He picked up a pen from the desk, flipped through the papers with the speed of someone used to reading fifty-page documents in minutes, and signed where I’d marked with yellow Post-its.

“Done.” He closed the folder and slid it back to me. “Anything else?”

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