Too Pretty to Be Your Backup novel Chapter 4

She’d brought in a crew to redo the yard, planted her favorite camellias, and even carved out a patch for chili peppers—her absolute weakness. Within a week, the place was transformed, blooming with color and energy.

Lately, she’d been hunting for the perfect storefront in Rocktown. Opening a flower shop had always been her dream. Now, she was finally ready to make it happen.-

She was out in the garden watering her plants when someone knocked on the door. She figured it was the delivery guy with her potting soil. But when she opened the door, she found Chad standing there in a crisp suit, looking as serious as ever.

Her smile dropped right away. She moved to shut the door, but Chad blocked it with his hand.

Tall, broad-shouldered, always intimidating, Chad was Travis' right-hand man. If she ever needed to reach Travis, she always had to go through Chad first. He was never warm, never even polite. Today was no exception.

His face was unreadable, his voice even colder. “Ms. Tully, Mr. Hill asked me to bring you back.”

Since she couldn’t close the door, Amanda just gave up and crossed her arms. “Get on your knees and beg, and maybe I’ll go back with you.”

For a second, Chad’s poker face cracked—she could see a flash of anger. His words were sharp, practically dripping with disdain. “Ms. Tully, you should know your place. You and Mr. Hill aren’t equals. The fact that he sent me is already doing you a favor. Keep pushing, and you’ll only make things worse for yourself.

“You should know when to quit.”

She never understood why Chad always treated her like trash. He was just Travis' assistant, nothing more.

Much later, she learned the truth. Chad had grown up dirt-poor, way out in the countryside. Getting to where he was hadn’t been easy. His sponsor, the one who’d helped him escape that life, was Leila Price.

Looking at Chad now, Amanda’s eyes turned frosty. “Trust me, I know my worth. That’s why I left Travis. Maybe you should take your own advice and get out of my house. Or don’t blame me if I let the dogs loose on you.”

Chad’s stare was pure ice, his lips curled in that same smug, superior way. “Still playing hard to get? You’re overdoing it, Amanda. Do you really think Travis cares? If he did, he never would’ve canceled the engagement. So stop putting on a show before you take things too far.”