Chapter 38

Angela POV

I stepped into Sean's office, and the moment the door clicked shut behind me, his voice hit me like a brick.

"Christina just wanted you to try the soup she made. Why did you have to insult her?"

Insult her?

I was already regretting walking in here.

How had Christina managed to twist things so badly?

I glanced at Sean, unsure whether to be angry or confused. He didn't look upset, though-just mildly amused, like he was enjoying this. His lips curled into a faint smirk, and his eyes were almost challenging me, daring me to respond.

I turned toward Christina, who was standing by the desk, her posture too stiff, her smile too sweet.

"Our agreement didn't say I had to eat your food," I said, my tone sharp.

I couldn't help but notice how her eyes flickered with worry when I mentioned the agreement.

Christina's smile faltered for a split second, but she quickly masked it with exaggerated innocence. She took a step forward, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Angela, I really want to get along with you, to be friends. Why do you always reject me?"

I didn't bother hiding my annoyance. "The company hired me to do my job, not to make friends," I said, giving her a pointed look.

I turned to Sean. "Unless Mr. Shaw has something else for me, I need to get back to work."

I turned toward the door, eager to escape the tension, but before I could take a step, Sean was up from his desk, his hand grabbing my arm.

"Why do you always have to be so aggressive?" he said, his voice laced with frustration. "I just-"

"Let go," I snapped, pulling my arm out of his grip with more force than I'd intended.

I didn't understand it. We'd agreed to move on, to leave the past behind, but here he was, trying to drag me back into the mess.

"I just wanted to ask if you've had lunch," Sean said, clearly annoyed now, rolling up his sleeves as if trying to cool off. "If not-"

But before he could finish, Christina screamed, cutting him off.

"Sean, how did you hurt your arm?" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm and inspecting it like it was the most important thing in the world.

I glanced at the mark. A deep, purple bruise had already formed where my teeth had sunk into his skin last night.

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, though I tried to push it away. It wasn't like it was intentional.

"It's nothing, just a scratch from a cat." Sean said quickly, pulling his sleeve down and avoiding my gaze.

But I could see the brief look he gave me, the one that silently said, Don't say anything.

"A scratch from a cat?" Christina asked, her eyes narrowing as she examined the wound more closely. "That doesn't look like a cat scratch."

"It's just a small injury," he said, brushing her off.

"Small injury? If an animal scratches or bites you, you need a vaccine!" Christina's voice was rising now, full of fake concern as she leaned in closer. "It looks like a bite, not a scratch."

I could feel the tension in the room, thick and suffocating. I exchanged an awkward glance with Sean, but I wasn't interested in staying for this.

With a sigh, I turned and walked out, closing the door behind me.

The clock struck noon the next day when Christina walked into the office, exactly on time. I barely looked up from my paperwork, assuming she was here for Sean. But then, to my surprise, she walked straight to me.

"Let's go to that café and talk," she said, her voice devoid of its usual sweetness. Today, there was nothing but coldness in her eyes.

I didn't have time for this. I had to teach Emily some new procedures later, and I wasn't in the mood to deal with Christina's games.

"Why can't we talk here?" I looked up at her, a little annoyed.

Christina didn't answer. Instead, she glanced around the room as if checking for anyone who might overhear us. Then, with a firm push, she nudged me back toward my office.

"Angela, why did you go back on your word?" she demanded, her voice sharp now.

I stopped short, staring at her. "What do you mean?"

She gritted her teeth, her hands trembling slightly, but her grip on the edge of the desk was so tight, her knuckles went white.

"Are you pretending? Do you remember the third rule in our agreement? No intimate contact with Sean before the divorce. Do you remember that?"

I looked her squarely in the eyes. "I remember. So?"

She was trembling with anger now, her face flushed. "Then did you follow it?"

"I did," I replied, not flinching. "Except when we need to pretend to be a happy couple in front of Elizabeth. Other than that, there's been no intimacy between me and him."

I felt confident in my words-after all, I'd stuck to the agreement. I thought I'd done well, but Christina wasn't having it.

"You're lying!" she slammed her fist against the desk. "You didn't follow the agreement!"

"Sean's arm-those bite marks-" she continued, her voice trembling with fury. "You did that, didn't you?"

I froze, the words sinking in slowly.

My mind raced. Was a fight considered "intimate contact" in her eyes?

"Why aren't you saying anything? Feeling guilty?" Christina's voice dropped, but her tone was venomous, cutting. "Tell me the truth."

"Yes, I bit him," I admitted, my voice flat, uninterested in the drama she was trying to create. "But it's not a big deal. If he hadn't... Anyway, it wasn't like I did it on purpose."

Christina's eyes flashed with disbelief, her hand shaking as she pointed at me. "So, he didn't force you to bite him?"

"I bit him in self-defense," I shook my head，"I didn't break the agreement. If you want to know more, go ask Sean yourself."

Christina's face turned pale, and I could see the fear creeping into her eyes. She stumbled over her words. "W-well"

She couldn't bring herself to ask Sean directly. She knew she couldn't-so she had come here, looking for something to latch onto, to find an excuse to accuse me.

"Are you sure you're telling the truth?" Christina's voice cracked. " Are you deliberately trying to cause problems between Sean and me?"

"Is that really necessary?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, my tone as flat as ever. "Besides, aren't you the woman he loves most?"