As the voice behind them came closer and footsteps followed with it, panic rose fast inside her chest. For more than twenty years, she had lived with a clean conscience. Now, for the first time, she knew what it felt like to panic because she was hiding something.
Her thoughts spun wildly. She was just about to pull away from Andrew and run when he moved before she could.
In one swift motion, he caught her slender wrist and pulled her tightly into his arms.
Then he turned and placed himself between her and the man behind them. His broad shoulders hid her completely from view, and in that instant, he gave her the perfect chance to slip away.
Corinne caught on at once. She gave him a light push to break the kiss, then touched her earlobe and quickly put on a flustered expression. "My earring. I think it fell off. It must've dropped in the car..."
Before Andrew could respond, she slipped into the car as fast as she could. His throat shifted once. His lips flattened into a hard line, and the look he threw after her carried clear frustration. He was far from pleased that she had stopped things there.
After taking a slow breath, he adjusted the collar she had left rumpled, then finally turned around and forced down the irritation still running through him.
The first thing he saw was the man standing behind him with bruises still on his face.
"Mr. Olson?" The excitement in Jonny's face showed the second he recognized him.
He quickly walked over with a flattering smile and held out his hand. "I never thought I'd run into you here, Mr. Olson. I've heard so much about you. It's an honor to finally meet you."
Andrew didn't so much as glance at the offered hand. Instead, he slid one hand into his pocket, and his face turned cold enough to freeze the air around them. He said nothing. He only looked Jonny over from head to toe with plain contempt, his brow tightening a little, as though even laying eyes on him was unpleasant.
Jonny's hand remained hanging there in midair.
He held on for two more seconds, still refusing to give up. But once it became humiliatingly obvious that Andrew had no intention of taking his hand, he could only withdraw it and wipe his palm against his trousers.
This was too rare an opportunity to waste. No matter what happened, he needed Andrew to remember him somehow.
With that in mind, Jonny made another attempt.
"Mr. Olson, my name is Jonny Palmer. I'm the deputy general manager of Horizon Technologies. Our company worked with Zenith International on a project not too long ago. Do you not remember me?"
He had assumed that mentioning their business connection would at least earn him a few moments of Andrew's attention.
Instead, the answer he got was cold enough to wipe the smile right off his face.
"Zenith deals with hundreds of partners every single year. What makes you think I'd remember someone like you?"
Jonny's smile locked in place.
Hidden behind the driver's seat, Corinne stole a glance outside as she tried to make sense of the situation.
She couldn't catch anything they were saying, but Jonny's body language already gave it away. That flattering smile and that anxious need to win favor were enough to put her in a wonderful mood.
So this was the man who used to carry himself with such arrogance and pride. Now he stood in front of Andrew like he was nothing.
A laugh nearly slipped out of Corinne. It pleased her even more when she imagined the day Jonny would have to accept that his former fiancée had become his uncle's wife.
While she was enjoying the thought to herself, the car door swung open without warning.
At the sudden movement, Corinne shot upright, and her startled eyes met Andrew's.
"Is this how people usually look for an earring, all folded up like that?"
What showed on his face was something she couldn't quite make out. It felt strange, though one thing was clear. He wasn't angry.
"I..."
After watching his expression and listening to the way he spoke, Corinne came to a daring conclusion. Whatever he had said to Jonny, it probably had nothing to do with her.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing there this composed.
A wave of relief passed through her, and she quietly let out the breath she had been holding. Then she looked at him and gave a relaxed smile.
"My foot's numb," she said. "I'm waiting for it to feel normal again."
While saying that, she lifted a hand toward him, clearly asking him to help her out.
Andrew obviously knew what she meant. He started to reach for her, but then he stopped and pulled his hand back.
"I understand," he said. "Then you can stay there a while longer."
The door closed with a sharp slam.
Shock washed over Corinne as she stared at it.
"What? Hey, you..."
She almost called after him, but then she remembered he still had a meeting, and the words never made it out.
He had already been delayed because of her once. If he really showed up late and it interfered with his work, he'd probably think she was nothing but trouble.
Since this was the first day of their marriage, she had to hold herself back at least a little.
They had plenty of time in front of them. There was no need to push everything forward today.
Using the seat for support, she got up by herself, and her good mood made her hum softly under her breath.
Nothing needed to happen so fast. As far as she was concerned, Andrew's cold attitude would change sooner or later.
Because she was afraid Jonny and Andrew might still be nearby, she remained by the window for a long while and kept sneaking glances outside until she felt sure enough to step out.
Back when the car came in, she hadn't really looked around.
Not until she walked out of the garage did she finally notice the name on the building.
Glory Group?
At once, a thought struck her, and she quickly pulled out her phone to check the old messages in her work group.
"Oh my God... this can't be real."
