The Best Revenge It Wasn't Even Your Child novel Chapter 166

“It’s nothing, just drop it.” Adelina clearly didn’t want to talk about it.

Sarah watched her, convinced Adelina must be feeling hurt and small because of Catherine.

“You know, you two grew up together. Childhood sweethearts and all that. So how did Catherine just show up out of nowhere…?”

***

Catherine was still talking project details with the Golden Horizon Enterprises team, and by the time they wrapped up, it was already three thirty.

Back at the office, she went straight to the CEO’s suite on the top floor. She’d barely stepped out of the elevator when Aaron appeared.

“Catherine, Lance wants you in the conference room.”

She glanced at her watch. There was a senior management meeting at four, and it would drag on for at least two hours.

“Aaron, are you busy in a bit?”

“I’m in that meeting with Lance.” Aaron tapped a pile of documents he was holding.

Catherine pulled out a recorder and handed it to him. “Take this in for me. I’ll come get it after, then I’ll put together a summary and email it to Lance before the end of the day.”

She still had a pile of work waiting for her downstairs.

Aaron understood. He took the recorder and mumbled, “Lance really has you doing two jobs at once. And not even jobs that go together.”

“Thanks.”

Catherine gave him a quick smile and hurried back down.

She’d barely sat down at her desk when her phone rang.

“Upstairs.”

Lance’s voice was low and rough, with a note of irritation.

Catherine’s grip tightened around her pen. She put it down, took a breath, and went upstairs.

She knocked on his office door.

“Come in.”

She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Lance wore gold-rimmed glasses, his sharp eyes flicking up to meet hers for a brief second before dropping back to his screen.

“Why did you miss the meeting?”

That single look made Catherine’s throat go dry. She forced herself to answer.

“There were some urgent issues with the government project. They needed fixing right away. Since we’re partnering with Golden Horizon Enterprises, I didn’t want to keep them waiting.”

What did any of that have to do with Lance?

“Deal with these files.”

Lance nodded at a stack of documents on the corner of his desk.

Catherine picked up the stack and started to leave.

“Do them here,” Lance said, stopping her in her tracks.

She circled back, sat down, and started on the files, working through them one after another.

The sun went down, and dusk settled outside.

Bright overhead lights made the office feel like midday. She stretched her stiff neck, her face calm and distant.

The files weren’t hard, but there were so many that she knew she wouldn’t get out before ten.

On top of that, she was still chatting online with her team about the government project.

Trying to juggle it all, she felt exhaustion settling in. Her eyes began to droop, and finally her head nodded once, then again, until she couldn’t fight it anymore and fell asleep right there at the desk.

Lance watched as she drifted off, her head resting on her arms, completely worn out.