Loving The Better Brother novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69 Out In The Open

WILLOW

By the time I arrived at the office, I felt like I was in for another treat. Note the sarcasm in my tone.

Finished

The moment I stepped through the glass doors of the building lobby, conversations around me quieted just enough for me to notice. People were pretending to continue whatever they had been doing, but their eyes kept drifting toward me.

Whispers followed.

At first, I tried to ignore it.

I kept my head down and walked toward the elevators, clutching my bag a little tighter against my side.

But the whispers were not exactly subtle.

“That’s her.”

“Right? That’s the one in the photo.”

“No way.”

“Look at her.”

I pressed my lips together and kept walking.

Some people smiled at me politely when our eyes met. But most of them did not. Most of them looked at me with resentment, judgment, or irritation.

I sighed quietly to myself.

The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and I stepped inside quickly, hoping for at least thirty seconds of peace before reaching my floor.

Unfortunately, fate was not feeling generous today. Before the elevator could close fully, Millie and Samantha went inside, the two of them turning toward me the moment they stepped inside.

Their eyes scanned me slowly from head to toe.

Millie raised an eyebrow.

“Well, well.”

Samantha let out a soft laugh.

“Look who it is,”

I pressed the button for my floor and faced forward, determined to ignore them.

Millie crossed her arms and leaned against the elevator wall.

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Chapter 6 Out in The Open

“So,” she said casually, “You’re famous now.”

I remained silent.

Samantha tilted her head.

“Tell us something,” she continued sweetly. “What exactly did you give up to be with Tristan Hale?”

My jaw tightened. The elevator hummed quietly as it began moving upward.

“He’s not exactly known for bending the rules,” Millie added. “So how did you manage it?”

Samantha smirked.

“Yeah. Tristan Hale is the type who does not budge for anyone.”

She stepped a little closer.

“So why you?”

I kept my eyes forward.

“Why is it that you’re with him, huh?” Millie pressed.

Her tone was sharp now. “You must have some connections we do not know about.”

Samantha laughed.

“Yeah. Connections.”

They both stared at me like they were waiting for some grand confession.

Finally, I exhaled slowly.

“Move away,” I said calmly. “I don’t have time for you.”

Millie’s smile vanished while Samantha scoffed.

“Oh wow,” she said. “Someone’s confident now.”

Before I could react, I felt a sudden tug at the back of my head.

My breath caught.

Millie had grabbed a handful of my hair.

The movement was not painful enough to make me scream, but it was enough to make my temper snap instantly.

I turned around slowly and glared at her.

For a moment, the three of us just stared at each other.

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Chapter 69 Out In The Open

Finished

“What are we?” I asked. “In high school?”

Millie released my hair with a small scoff.

The elevator dinged. It was the fourth floor, far from the 25th floor where I was supposed to go.

Still, I stepped out immediately.

I ignored her.

Instead of waiting for the next elevator, I turned toward the stairwell. The heavy door slammed softly behind me as I pushed it open.

With that, I started walking, my shoes echoing loudly against the concrete steps.

By the time I finally reached the hallway that led to my office, I was breathless and annoyed. I pushed open the door and stepped inside quickly.

The quiet of the room wrapped around me. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment. My heart was still pounding.

“I hate this,” I muttered under my breath.

I walked over to my desk and dropped my bag onto the chair before sinking into my seat.

The silence in the room felt too heavy.

So I reached for the remote and turned on the TV. I did not even look at the channel at first.

I just wanted some noise to fill the space. However, the moment the screen flickered to life, my eyes widened instantly.

Sitting on the screen was none other than Tristan, who appeared to be in the middle of a business interview.

The host was speaking enthusiastically while Tristan sat across from him, looking as composed as always.

He answered questions smoothly, discussing business strategies and upcoming projects.

I found myself listening without even realizing it.

The interview continued for several minutes.

Then the host cleared his throat.

“Well,” he said carefully. “There is something the public is quite curious about.”

My stomach tightened.

The host smiled awkwardly.

“The rumors.”

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