Chapter 55
Then, to Samuel’s surprise, Cora didn’t raise her voice or frown. She just let out a tired sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly. Her eyes, though calm, held a firm distance in them as she looked at him and said, "Well, thank you for your concern. Thank you for showing how worried you are and all that."
She then glanced around the clean, quiet parking lot—lined with trimmed hedges and watched over by security—and continued with a cool tone, "As you can see, I’m fine. There’s no pervert around here. There’s nobody to harass me around here. So, you can get going now and just let me be."
Samuel smiled, but it wasn’t a happy smile. It was the type of smile someone gives when they’re pretending to agree but aren’t planning to back down.
"Well," he said, clasping his hands behind him, "since the person you’re waiting for will soon be here... why shouldn’t I just wait for the person to come before I leave? I mean, it wouldn’t feel right to just walk away after seeing my boss standing all alone in the parking lot." He gave a quick shrug. "You’re my boss now, after all, I know that. I just can’t let that image sit well with me."
Cora didn’t say anything. She just looked at him without expression.
Samuel took that silence as a chance to press on. He didn’t really care who she was waiting for—he already had an idea it was a man. But he didn’t want to know the details. All he cared about was that he had only a small window left to make his next move before the person arrived.
He needed to act fast. The plan was already in motion. His photographer was nearby, out of sight but ready with the camera. He just needed one good shot—one image of him and Cora close together. That would be enough to spin the story. The media wouldn’t even need to confirm it; the image alone would explode the rumor that he and Cora were getting close again.
So he glanced at her once more, then casually reached up and pulled off the sleek, tailored jacket he wore over his shirt. "You know, Cora," he said with a touch of concern in his voice, "I know you look amazing, you always do, but I can tell you might be catching a little cold. The wind tonight is no joke."
Then, just as he took a few steps closer, holding out the jacket like a gentleman, ready to gently place it on her shoulders—
Cora raised her hand, stopping him cold in his tracks. Her voice was calm but firm, "No, don’t. I’m fine."