When She Ended It With Divorce (Chiara and Titus) novel Chapter 81

**TITLE: Silent Roads Remember by Sawyer 81**
**CONTENT: Chapter 81**

“How are you feeling? You okay?” Queenie’s voice was laced with concern as she leaned closer to Chiara, her eyes searching for any signs of distress.

Chiara shook her head gently, a faint smile attempting to break through her weariness. “I’m fine. I took some medicine, so I should be better in a couple of days.” Her words were meant to reassure, but deep down, she felt the weight of fatigue clinging to her.

“That’s good to hear,” Queenie replied, her tone lightening. She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “Did Mr. Goodman leave last night?”

Chiara’s response was soft, almost a whisper. “Yeah.”

Queenie’s eyebrows shot up, and she couldn’t suppress a couple of giggles. The air was thick with unspoken intrigue as she returned to her desk, leaving Chiara to her thoughts.

Chiara shook her head slightly, trying to focus as she returned to the files spread out before her. She had already meticulously reviewed the first set, jotting down detailed notes. Now, she was diving into the second batch that Noreen had handed over with a sense of urgency.

The morning had unfolded in a quiet rhythm, and Titus’s office remained devoid of any requests for secretarial assistance.

Yet, Queenie couldn’t help but notice that Lena, who sat across from her, seemed unusually distant.

“Don’t you think she’s acting strange?” Queenie asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid of drawing Lena’s attention.

Chiara looked up, her brow furrowing slightly. “A little, yeah.”

Queenie’s gaze darted toward the door of Mr. Goodman’s office. “Did something happen during the trip to Harborton?”

Chiara hesitated, her mind racing. *Of course something happened,* she thought, but she was certain it had little to do with Lena’s odd behavior.

To be fair, that wasn’t entirely accurate. It wasn’t completely unrelated. Lena had a crush on Titus, and she must have heard about Elaine by now.

Today, Lena was definitely off her game. Right after they had disembarked from the plane the previous night, Paul had told her to head home early.

Chiara suspected that Titus had picked up on Lena’s feelings.

That realization made Lena’s unease all the more understandable.

Chiara stole a glance at Lena, who was lost in her thoughts, and then looked away. *This isn’t something I need to dwell on,* she reminded herself. *I need to focus and study while I still have the chance.*

These contracts contained everything she needed to know about Titus.

He had an uncanny ability to come out on top in every business deal.

As lunchtime approached, Lena returned for her shift, and Queenie seized the opportunity to whisk Chiara away for a much-needed break.

The two of them hopped into the elevator, laughter bubbling between them as they exchanged playful banter, while Lena stood in the background, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Paul emerged from his office and noticed the empty desk across the way. *Guess they couldn’t wait to get out of here,* he thought with a smirk.

His gaze shifted to Lena. “Lena, you don’t need to cover the desk today. I’ve got it. Go grab some lunch.”

Lena snapped her head up, her expression a mix of surprise and frustration. His calm demeanor only intensified her internal struggle, and she felt her fists clench involuntarily.

But she didn’t dare let her emotions spill over. Instead, she nodded, keeping her voice steady. “Alright, thanks, Paul.”

Paul acknowledged her with a quick nod before disappearing into Titus’s office.

Lena bit her lip, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. She had always prided herself on knowing how to navigate the office dynamics, convinced she had it all figured out.

But lately, everything felt off-kilter.

First, Chiara had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and now, Elaine had been thrown into the mix.

Lena felt completely unmoored.

Taking a deep breath, her expression carefully neutral, she stood up and walked away. Before she left the area, she cast one last glance at the tightly shut door of Titus’s office, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach.

She knew she had to regain her composure, or else…

She could jeopardize everything she had worked for.

In the cafeteria, Queenie spotted Lena and froze for a moment, surprise flickering across her features. “Didn’t expect to see you down here! Isn’t Mr. Goodman expecting you upstairs?”

Lena slid into a seat across from them, her tone icily detached. “Paul’s covering for me, so I figured I’d come down. Why, am I not welcome?”

Queenie’s mouth fell open, momentarily speechless.

Even Chiara raised her eyes, taken aback by Lena’s abruptness.

Lena surveyed the two of them, offering a half-hearted smirk before diving into her meal.

Queenie’s gaze flitted to Lena’s tray, noting the assortment of diet food and healthy options.

The cafeteria at Goodman Group was exceptionally employee-friendly, particularly since many of the women spent hours glued to their screens.

That was why the company had made it a point to serve nutritious, low-calorie meals.

On holidays and special occasions, they even provided perks like annual gym memberships to encourage everyone to maintain their physical and mental well-being.

“Chiara, you live way out there! How long does it take you to drive in every day?” Queenie asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Eh, about forty minutes, give or take,” Chiara replied, a hint of resignation in her voice.

“Dang, that’s far! I just stroll over in ten minutes,” Queenie exclaimed, a hint of envy creeping into her tone.

Chiara picked out a few more desserts and handed them to Noreen. “Noreen, have some too. I can’t eat all this by myself.”

Noreen didn’t hesitate; she was accustomed to sharing treats with them anyway.

“Alright, thanks. I’ll head upstairs. Enjoy, I’ll leave you to it,” Noreen said, her smile bright as she waved goodbye.

“Okay,” they replied in unison, watching her leave.

Lena’s eyes remained fixed on Chiara, her expression a mix of confusion and longing. Suddenly, her gaze dropped to Chiara’s throat, and she blurted out, “What happened to your throat?”

Chiara blinked, momentarily taken aback by the directness of the question. But she answered honestly, “I caught a cold yesterday, and my tonsils are inflamed. My voice is a bit scratchy.”

The moment Chiara finished speaking, Lena’s face drained of color.

*No wonder that woman’s voice on the phone sounded so raspy that night,* Lena thought, realization dawning on her.

*So it was just her sore throat?* she pondered, a storm of emotions swirling within her.

*Is that why she got parachuted into the secretary’s office, and why Noreen trusted her with all those big contracts?*

Wait, *Chiara’s the woman Paul mentioned? Is she really Mr. Goodman’s girl?* Lena’s mind raced, and the mere thought of it made her stomach churn.

Just contemplating Chiara’s closeness to Titus extinguished Lena’s appetite. She couldn’t bear to look at Chiara’s perfect face for another second, so she abruptly stood up, her chair scraping against the floor.

“I’m full. I gotta go,” she muttered, barely casting a glance back.

“Hey, aren’t you gonna grab some dessert?” Queenie called after her, confusion lacing her voice.

Lena didn’t respond, practically fleeing the cafeteria, her heart pounding in her chest.

“What’s up with her?” Queenie wondered aloud, her brow furrowed in concern.

Chiara shook her head, equally perplexed, though a nagging feeling told her that something deeper was at play.

Lena hurried after Noreen, catching up to her in the hallway, urgency fueling her steps.

“Noreen!” she called out, her voice strained with anxiety.

Noreen turned to her, eyebrows raised. “What’s up?”

Lena’s hands balled into fists, her voice trembling as she blurted out, “Do you know what’s really going on between Mr. Goodman and Chiara?”

The air crackled with tension, the question hanging heavy between them.