FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 57

CHAPTER 57

SYMON

The silence in the car was so thick I could hear the hum of the tires against the asphalt.

Jamie was curled up in the passenger seat, her face turned toward the.window, her fingers laced together in her lap. She hadn’t said a word since we left Abby’s place.

“You’re too quiet.” I kept my eyes on the road. “What’s going on?”

She shrugged, the gesture too small to be convincing.

“Nothing. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“The party.” She finally turned to face me. “Abby.”

“What about her?”

“Nothing.” Her voice was too neutral, too controlled. “She just… seems really interested in you, Simon.”

I let out a short laugh. “She’s not interested in me. She’s just being polite.”

“Polite?” Jamie raised an eyebrow. “She basically declared she still has feelings for you.”

“That was Lily who said that. Not Abby.” I shook my head. “Kids exaggerate. Make things up. You know how

it is.”

“I’m not talking about Lily.”

I turned my head to look at her, and for a second I completely forgot I was driving.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing.” She looked away. “You should focus on the road.”

I took a sharp turn, the car leveling out. “Jamie. What did she say to you?”

“She didn’t say anything.” Jamie’s voice was eerily calm. “Nothing you need to know about.”

“What do you mean nothing I need to know about? You’re being vague. And it’s making me uncomfortable.”

“I’m just tired, Simon.” She rubbed her temples. “It’s been a long day. Can you just take me home?”

I glanced at the road. We were a few blocks from my apartment.

“I was going to ask you to stay over.”

“I know.” Her voice was exhausted. “But I just want to sleep in my own bed.”

My jaw tightened. Something about that sentence felt off, but I couldn’t put my finger on what.

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FAK DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

“Fine.”

hanged direction in silence. The rest of the drive was wordless.

When I pulled up in front of her building, Jamie already had her hand on the door handle.

“Thanks for the ride.” Her voice was polite. Distant. “And about the party, it was… interesting.”

“Jamie.” I touched her arm. “Are you okay?”

She looked at me for a moment, something flickering in her eyes. Then she smiled-a smile that didn’ reach her eyes.

“I’m great. See you tomorrow.”

She got out of the car before I could say anything else. I watched her hurry toward the building entrance. her bag clutched to her chest, her head down.

When she disappeared inside, I sat there for a long moment, staring at the closed door.

What the hell just happened?

***

Monday morning, I was in my office, staring at the security camera feed.

Jamie was at her desk, same as always. Hair up in a bun, reading glasses perched on her nose, her usual focused expression in place. She was organizing some papers, her fingers moving with precision.

I watched her for a minute. Then two.

Then she stood up and walked out of the room.

My eyes tracked the screen as she moved down the hallway. Where was she going? It wasn’t lunchtime. There were no meetings scheduled.

That’s when Kelly, my assistant, appeared in the doorway.

“Mr. Hart? There’s a woman here to see you. She says she’s an old friend. Her name is Abigail Lancaster.”

I blinked. “Abby?”

“Should I let her in?”

“Yeah. Of course. Send her in.”

Kelly nodded and disappeared. Moments later, Abby walked into my office, carrying a colorful bag.

“Simon!” She smiled, holding up the bag. “I brought treats. Had way too many left over from the party, and I took the day off to pass them around.”

“You didn’t have to go to all that trouble.” I stood, walking toward her. “I mean… you could’ve just let the kids eat them, right?”

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FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

“They’ve had more than enough.” She laughed, setting the bag on my desk. “Lily was up all night from the sugar. Figured I’d spread the blame around.”

I chuckled, picking up one of the wrapped treats. “Well, thanks. That’s really thoughtful of you.”

“Sit, please.” I gestured to the chair across from my desk. “Can I get you coffee? Water?”

“Water would be great.”

I grabbed a bottle from the mini-fridge and handed it to her. She sat, crossing her legs, and I settled back behind my desk, unwrapping one of the treats.

“So,” I started, taking a bite. “How are you doing?”

“I’m okay.” She hesitated, fingers spinning the water bottle. “Actually, I’ve had an interesting week.”

“Interesting how?”

She let out a short, humorless laugh. “My ex-husband is already dating someone.new. Someone ten years younger. Like he’s completely forgotten he has kids.”

I frowned. “He didn’t come to Lily’s party.”

“No.” She shook her head. “He sent a gift in the mail. A weird one. Lily didn’t even know what it was.”

“With all due respect, your husband’s an idiot.”

“Yeah.” She shrugged, but there was something in her eyes. “More than a decade of marriage, and you only really know someone once the relationship ends.”

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