Chapter 3

After a meeting, Chad glanced at the unfamiliar face standing off to the side and frowned slightly. "And who's this?" he asked Willow, who was busy handling things nearby, his voice laced with surprise. "This is Ms. Lindell. She's a new hire I'm currently training," she replied calmly. "From now on, she'll handle the meeting minutes." Chad nodded thoughtfully before replying with a relaxed tone, "That's good. You don't need to waste your time on such trivial work." Willow scoffed at his reference to meeting minutes being trivial work. This so-called "trivial work" was something she'd painstakingly condensed from the chaotic chatter of crowded meeting rooms—just so Chad could grasp the key points at a glance. But to him, all her efforts were nothing more than an unnecessary fuss. Annie Lindell handed the meeting notes over with trembling hands. Chad casually flipped through the pages, his frown deepening the more he read. Once she was out of the office, he turned to Willow and said in an affectionate tone, "You've always understood me best. The newbie's summary is far too complicated." Chad waited for her to take the document and redo it herself as usual, but instead, she merely smiled. "Give the newbie a chance." He was clearly stunned, unaccustomed to her reaction, but he regained his composure quickly enough. At that moment, Chad's phone lit up as a text popped up. Willow caught a glimpse of the message. It was an engagement party invitation from his best friend, specifically noting that he should bring a date. "Do you need me to go with you?" Her voice was soft, yet there was a faint trace of probing in it. Chad's expression shifted instantly, turning complicated. He pulled Willow into his arms and said indulgently, "That kind of event isn't for you. It'll be full of spoiled rich brats—I couldn't bear to let you go somewhere like that." Willow gently pulled away from his arms. "I happen to have something going on tonight, so I'll be heading out." Then, as if feeling that her tone was too stiff, she quickly added, "Come back soon." Chad seemed relieved as he planted a quick kiss on her cheek. "You're so thoughtful, babe. I'll definitely bring you with me the next time we have a proper gathering. It's time I introduced you to everyone." Willow found it laughable as she looked at the sincerity on his face. For the first time in five years, he'd told her that he'd make their relationship public, yet it came only after she'd decided to leave. She turned around and walked toward the office door. With her back facing him, she said, "Sure, next time, then." As the door closed, Willow knew that the "next time" would never come. … Just as Willow had expected, Chad's date turned out to be Laurel. Laughter and sounds of glass clinking filled the party. Laurel was dressed in a delicate white dress, holding onto Chad's arm under everyone's gaze. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she leaned against him from time to time, drawing teasing from people around them. "Laurel gets more beautiful by the day!" "That's right! She makes a perfect match with Chad!" Everyone tacitly ignored the fact that they used to be siblings. After all, Laurel no longer had any blood ties to the Lawsons now. They were nothing more than an ordinary couple to everyone else. After the party ended, a tipsy Laurel sat in the passenger seat, her fingers restlessly tugging at Chad's sleeves. "I'm truly afraid of going back to that hotel, Chad. Can I stay at your place until the divorce waiting period is over?" Chad tightened his grip on the steering wheel. His logical side told him to say no—after all, it would be hard to explain to Willow, and his family would find out if things were to blow up. But when he looked at Laurel's reddening eyes and tipsy face, he couldn't stop himself from driving home. … However, Chad was met with an unexpected scene right at his doorstep. Willow was standing at the door, talking to Joseph—a well-known rich heir who had turned down his family business to become a divorce lawyer. They were even holding documents in their hands. Chad's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly moved forward while supporting Laurel. "What are you guys doing?" His gaze was trained on the document as he asked, "Who's getting a divorce?" The agreement looked strangely familiar, but Willow had already swiftly slipped it into her handbag before Chad could get a better look. "Faith is considering divorcing her husband. I'm getting some legal advice on her behalf." Faith Carrott was her best friend, whom she was using to deflect suspicion. Willow smoothly shifted the topic as her gaze landed on a tipsy Laurel. "What happened to Laurel? Is she drunk?" A pang of guilt immediately flooded Chad, and his attention was pulled away from the divorce agreement. He stammered, "T-things got messy with her ex-husband's family… She'll be staying at our place for a few days…" He then feigned a concerned look at Willow and said, "Even if you're helping a friend out, you shouldn't be meeting another man this late." Chad's tone carried that usual trace of chiding. Willow glanced at Laurel, who was practically sprawled all over his chest. She felt nothing but the irony of the situation. Chad, who had been treating her like his younger sister, was in fact treating his actual younger sister like a lover. "Let's leave it here for today, Mr. Coleman," Willow calmly said. Joseph's trademark fox-like eyes flickered over to Laurel. Suddenly, he smiled and said, "Come to think of it, I've never met Mr. Lawson's wife in person before."