I Told You To Run But You Didn't (Georgia) novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Georgia’s POV

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Finished

Before I could even form an answer, he pressed his calling card into my hand, his fingers brushing against mine. “Think about it,” he said.

Just then, his lead security agent-his right-hand man-ppeared at my side. “Ma’am, let me escort you out.”

He guided me from the chaotic office and back into the calm hallway, where Patricia was waiting anxiously, Her eyes widened when she saw me. The attack had been silent; no one outside the office had heard a thing.

“What in the world happened to you?” she whispered, cupping my face and trying to fix my tangled hair. “You look like you’ve been through a hurricane. Oh, my god, did you and Estevan…?”

I quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, my cheeks flushing. “No! It was not that,” I hissed. “Come on, I’ll explain in the car.”

A mischievous glint sparked in her eyes as I pulled my hand away. “Oh, I am going to love this story,” she said, practically buzzing with excitement.

As I explained everything to Patricia on the ride home, my own confusion deepened. It just didn’t make

sense.

“He has dozens of bodyguards, elite ones,” I reasoned, mostly to myself. “Even if he’s in danger, he’s more than capable of protecting himself. His team is the best in the world. Why would he need me?”

Patricia, however, was wide-eyed with shock, her mind already bubbling with a dozen different scenarios. “Gia, are you kidding me? This isn’t about him needing one more guard. This is something else entirely!”

“What else could it be?” I asked, frustrated.

“Think about it!” she said, turning in her seat to face me “You said the assassin was a woman he brought to the hotel himself. An inside job! What if he can’t trust his own team? What if someone on the inside is feeding information to his enemies?”

I considered it. It was a possibility.

“And now today,” she continued, her voice rising with excitement, “a sniper aims for him in his own offic The safest place he has! This wasn’t a random attack. It was planned. They knew his schedule.” She leane closer, her eyes gleaming. “He’s not asking you to be just another bodyguard. He’s asking you to be the or person he knows for a fact isn’t on his enemies’ payroll.

“That’s a bit of a stretch, Tricia,” I said, shaking my head.

“Is it?” she countered. “You saved his life. Twice, now. First by helping him when he burst into your hotel room and now by tackling him to the ground. You’re an outsider, a neutral party with a highly specialized skill set. To him, you might be the only person he can actually trust right now.” She paused, a sly smile spreading across her face. “Or… maybe he just wants to keep the woman who looks at his hands like they’re a work of art very, very close to him.”

Before I could even react to Patricia’s wild theory, my phone began to buzz insistently. I glanced at the screen. Jasmine. Oh, for fuck’s sake.

I had only blocked her business number, so now her personal number was popping up. The call log showed she’d already tried several times. With a heavy sigh, I answered, putting the phone on speaker. “What?”

Chapter 17

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Finished

“Georgia, you know that project you were managing before you left the company?” she said, her tone demanding, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I need you to draft a new proposal for it. Have it on my desk by Monday.”

Patricia and I exchanged a look of sheer disbelief. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud. “And why, exactly, would I do that for you?”

“Don’t forget your place,” she snapped, her voice dripping with arrogance. “You’re still my brother’s wife. If I tell you to write it, you write it. It’s that simple.”

Does she really think I’m still that pathetic girl, so desperate for her family’s approval that I’d do anything?

“Your brother’s wife?” I chuckled, the sound cold and sharp. “Last I checked, you were parading Kiara around as your sister-in-law. Why don’t you have her write the proposal for you?”

“Who I consider my sister-in-law is my business!” she shrieked. “But if you don’t get that proposal written for me immediately, I’ll make sure Lucas divorces you so fast your head will spin! He always listens to me. So you’d better prepare yourself for a life as damaged goods!”

“Fine by me,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “In fact I insist. Tell your brother to hurry up and file the papers. I’m waiting.”

With that, I promptly ended the call, leaving her to scream into the silence.

Patricia burst out laughing, her mockery echoing in the car. “Oh, my god, the audacity! Does she actually hear the words that come out of her own mouth?”

“Apparently not,” I sighed, slumping down in my seat. “I can’t believe her.”

“Unbelievable,” Patricia said, shaking her head. She slammed on the accelerator, the engine roaring as we sped down the street. “Alright, that settles it. No more drama for today. Where to, boss? My place for wine and plotting, or back to the lion’s den?” She shot me a wink.

I managed a small smile. “Just drop me at the villa. You know I have to stick it out there for another two weeks before the court finalizes the divorce.”

“Oh, right,” she said, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “The secret divorce. I almost forgot. Lucas is so completely clueless. This is going to be epic.”

As I walked into the villa, I was met with immediate chaos. The entire Sterling family was in the living room, and it looked like a bomb had gone off. Fatima was wringing her hands, Jasmine was on the verge of tears, and Lucas was pacing back and forth, phone pressed to his ear, his face a mask of fury. He was glaring down at a document-Jasmine’s proposal, I presumed.

Jasmine was the first to see me. Her eyes widened, and she immediately pointed an accusing finger. “There she is! I told you it was all her fault! She deliberately left out a lot of the key details, which is why I couldn’t write the proposal properly!”

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