Chapter 125

Maria walked up to him and asked, "Where’s Cody?" "He’s handling some work elsewhere," James said casually, lying without hesitation. The happiness from Ethan’s promise yesterday still lingered, and right now, as James looked at Maria, it felt like she was glowing. A single mom, raising two kids like that—seriously impressive. James felt a mess of emotions—his heart ached for her, but he couldn’t help feeling proud, too. It was a weird mix. "Was there something you needed?" Maria asked. James fiddled with the pocket of his trousers, feeling oddly nervous. "Could you grab me a coffee?" "Sure." Maria nodded, not thinking much of it, and walked out toward the break room. Five minutes later, she came back and set the coffee on his desk. Just as she was about to leave, James called out, stopping her. "How come I haven’t seen Grace these last couple of days?" He took a sip of coffee. "Her dad’s sick. She asked for a few days off to take care of him. I approved it—I’m her direct supervisor, a