Chapter 31

Sean POV

I sat back in my office chair, the meeting with the board finally over.

The afternoon sun filtered in through the windows. I tugged at my tie, the fabric slightly too tight around my neck, and my thoughts began to drift.

The image of Angela tying my tie this morning flashed into my mind. The way her fingers moved so carefully, the quiet focus in her eyes, and that kiss.

It was only the second time I had kissed her since I'd proposed the divorce.

The first kiss was when I'd forced her to take the fever medicine-one of those strange, almost accidental moments.

But this time, it had been in front of my grandmother, a performance, nothing more than a charade to maintain appearances.

Two kisses. Neither one meaningful, not really.

Still, my mind kept returning to them, as if something had shifted that I wasn't willing to acknowledge.

I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts. I'd made my decision. If I was going to walk away from this marriage, I had to let go completely.

As I scrolled through my phone, I found myself dialing Angela's number without even thinking.

"Where are you?" I asked. "You weren't at the meeting today."

"I just dropped Grandma off at the nursing home," she replied.

"I'm on my way there now. Wait for me."

I checked my watch. It was still early enough to make it to the nursing home.

The heavy glass door of the meeting room clicked shut behind me as I stepped into the bustling corridor.

My thoughts were still lingering on the tense board meeting, and I barely noticed Christina until she called out to me, her voice ringing clear and loud in the quiet hallway.

"Sean!"

I turned, and there she was-Christina, wearing a white dress that seemed to glow under the fluorescent lights.

The sight of her immediately drew the attention of a few nearby executives, and I could feel their eyes on us, watching closely.

It made me uncomfortable, more than I cared to admit.

Lately, Christina had been showing up at the office more and more.

Sometimes it was for business-something I could rationalize-but other times, I had no idea why she was here. She didn't always have a reason.

And I couldn't ignore the subtle whispers from a few board members who had pulled me aside, suggesting I keep things professional.

"Keep it low-key, we don't need any rumors spreading around here."

I understood their point.

I was still technically Angela's husband, and if word got out about me and another woman, it would hurt the company's reputation-maybe even tank the stock price.

I wasn't willing to risk that, no matter how complicated things had gotten on the personal front.

Christina smiled brightly as she approached, but I didn't return the warmth.

Instead, I furrowed my brow and asked, "Is there something you need?"

Without missing a beat, Christina reached into her bag and pulled out a small, beautifully wrapped box. She held it out to me with a grin.

"I made you some cookies! I know you've been working late, so I thought you might want a snack. You can have them tonight if you get hungry."

A few executives, still loitering nearby, chuckled.

"Sean, you're lucky!"

"Christina's looking more beautiful every day!"

Christina's face flushed bright red at the comments, and she lowered her gaze, clearly flustered.

My gaze shifted to the executives, and I shot them a sharp, cold look.

"Got nothing better to do?" I snapped. "All this nonsense, and not one of you could speak up during the meeting?"

The room immediately fell silent. The executives quickly averted their eyes, shuffling awkwardly as they scattered, clearly unsettled by my outburst.

Christina, now wide-eyed and a little taken aback, looked up at me.

"Sean... what's wrong?"

I hesitated for a moment, my anger simmering beneath the surface. Then, taking a breath, I softened my tone and forced myself to calm down.

"Nothing," I said, "It's just... today's meeting didn't go well."

"Ah," Christina nodded, her hand still holding the box of cookies in mid-air, uncertain of what to do with it.

I took the box from her and set it down on a nearby table.

"Thanks, but you didn't need to bring this. You know... this is a workplace." I gave her a quick, polite smile.

I glanced at my watch, already feeling the weight of my responsibilities pulling me elsewhere.

"I have something I need to take care of. I'll have the driver take you home."

Christina looked surprised.

"What?" She tilted her head, a small smile forming again, though I could sense a little confusion. "Sean, what's so urgent? If you're not going to be gone long, I can wait for you in your office."

I gave a small shake of my head, not wanting to drag this out.

"Sorry, I'll be out for a while. You go ahead and head back."

She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to argue, but before she could say anything more, Peter appeared beside us, cutting the tension.

I nodded at her quickly, said a brief goodbye, and left in a hurry.

When I arrived at the nursing home and pushed open the door to Grandma's room, I found Angela sleeping beside Grandma's bed.

For a moment, I stood frozen in the doorway, watching the peaceful rise and fall of her chest. Her breathing was soft and even, a stark contrast to the tension I'd been carrying with me all day.

I stepped inside, the faint scent of lavender filling the room, and closed the door behind me with a quiet click.

Grandma's eyes flicked up to meet mine, a knowing smile curling at the corners of her lips.

She motioned toward Angela with a finger pressed gently to her lips, signaling for me to stay quiet.

I nodded, understanding.

Moving as silently as I could, I approached Angela. She looked so vulnerable in that moment, her face softened in sleep.

I bent down slowly, careful not to wake her, and reached out to lift her. She stirred for a brief second, but her eyelids remained closed, her body completely relaxed in my arms.

I moved her carefully, laying her down on the small bed beside Grandma's. She instinctively nuzzled into the softness of the cushion, pulling the blanket closer to her chest as if she were still wrapped in a dream.

Grandma's voice broke the silence. "She probably hasn't been resting well lately."

I didn't respond right away. My eyes lingered on Angela's face, noticing the dark circles under her eyes-the telltale signs of sleepless nights.

I felt a pang of guilt, wondering if it was something I hadn't noticed, or something I had overlooked.

I lowered my head, my fingers hovering near her face as I carefully reached for a few stray strands of hair that had fallen across her cheek. Before I could touch her, though, Angela's eyelids fluttered open.

Her gaze locked onto mine, momentarily disoriented.

"Sean?" she murmured, her voice hushed and sleepy.