"What's wrong?" Norah asked, caught off guard.

"Nothing," Gonzalez replied evenly.

He paused for a moment before asking, "How much longer are you going to be working?"

"About an hour or so," Norah said, flipping through the thick stack of documents left in front of her.

"Is the bidding conference in the morning or afternoon?" Gonzalez asked.

"Afternoon."

"Then go to sleep now. Do it tomorrow morning."

Norah replied lazily, "I have other things to do tomorrow morning. Plus, I want to finish it tonight so I can sleep in."

Gonzalez's tone grew heavier. "Listen to me."

Norah took a beat before replying, "Alright, fine. I actually am a little tired, so I'll finish it tomorrow morning."

"Good. Go to sleep," Gonzalez said.

Norah's voice was soft, carrying a hint of a smile. "Good night."

"Good night."

After Norah hung up, Gonzalez set his phone down. He reached for a cigarette and lit it, the hollow ache in his chest finally easing just a fraction.

If someone had told him in the past that his emotions would be dictated by a girl- that he would be plagued by this constant anxiety of losing her he would have laughed in their face.

But now that it was happening to him, he finally understood the uncontrollable nature of falling for someone.

It was as if all his repressed feelings had found a release the moment Norah was hit by that car. The emotions had come surging out, far exceeding anything he could have imagined, completely beyond his control.

Sometimes, he comforted himself with the thought that this wasn't the universe

punishing him. It was just a reminder that he still had the capacity to love.

*

The next day, it was already evening

by the time Norah and her team returned to the office from the bidding conference. To reward. everyone, Adrian had ordered lavish afternoon tea and planned to treat them to dinner and karaoke later that night.

Everyone gathered around the table, snacking and chatting about the afternoon's conference in a relaxed, joyful atmosphere.

Their company had prepared meticulously, boasting the strongest capabilities and professionalism, so the results were practically a given.

"Norah!"

Hearing her name, Norah turned to see Gillian York, a colleague from the

neighboring department, calling her over.

She walked over with a smile. "What's up?"

Gillian handed her a cup of coffee. "You worked hard today. I brewed this myself, try

it and tell me what you think."

Norah's intuition immediately

flagged that something was off. As

she took the coffee, she followed Gillian's gaze. Turning her head slightly she caught Jenny Jordan seizing the opportunity of her

absence to ship right into her

previous spot, standing right next to

Adrian.

FindNovel.net

Norah found it slightly amusing. If Jenny wanted to get close to Adrian, she could

have just walked over. There was no need to resort to military tactics.

She handed the coffee back to Gillian with a laugh. "You should save this for Jenny."

Gillian looked a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, Norah."

"It's fine!"

Norah didn't take it to heart. She was just about to find a seat and review her notes from the day when she heard Adrian call out, Noran i had someone specifically buy your favorite Taro Paste Crepe Rot. Get over here!"