Chapter 9
“What the hell are you doing? You scared me–Jesus Christ!”
I was startled to hear my beautiful neighbor shouting from her porch. I turned my head and pulled out my earphones, looking at her with raised eyebrows.
“What’s wrong?
Sharon stood there, looking pale and slightly frantic. I frowned in confusion at her reaction.
“Ugh, shit!” she groaned in frustration, then glared at me like she was ready to pounce. “Can you turn down the damn volume? I thought you were murdering someone in there!”
“Volume?” I echoed, still confused
My gaze shifted to the laptop on my lap, where my favorite action thriller movie was still playing. I had set the volume pretty high, but… wait-
Damn it.
I exhaled sharply, tilting my h
head back as the realization hit me. My earphones weren’t even connected to the laptop.
too. No wonder she
thought I was executing someone}
When I looked back at Sharon, she was watching me with narrowed eyes, probably imitated that I was holding back laughter Honestly, I didn’t do it on purpose!!
“Im sorry, my bad” I admitted, stifling a grin
She scowled, crossing her arms. “Great. My sleepiness is completely gone now.”
“Hey, wait!”
She had already started turning away, but she paused when I called her. Leaving my laptop on the table, I got up and approached her, though the railing between our porches still separated us.
“Let me make it up to you Coffee? I offered.
She placed both hands on her hips, lilting her head. “So now you’re planning to keep me up all night? She sounded like a mother scolding a mischievous child.
“Pretty much. If you don’t mind, maybe we could watch the movie together?”
Sharon shook her head with a small smile before disappearing back inside I shrugged. That woman was a mystery to me?
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Smirking, I already knew who it was
Sure enough, when I opened the door, Sharon stood there, arms crossed, her expression still vaguely annoyed.
Instead of being put off by her attitude. I chuckled. “Coffee?” I gestured for her to come in
She sighed. Unfortunately, I’m pregnant. But I wouldn’t say no to decaf.”
Pregnant? That was new.
She waltzed inside with effortless grace, her eyes scanning my living room. Meanwhile, I headed to the kitchen, making two cups of decal coffee before joining her on the veranda.
She stood with her back to me, gazing up at the starry n
night sky. For a moment, I just watched her silhouette
We hadn’t known each other for long–hell, I’d only met her once before this. And back then, I was using a different identity.”
Even so, I’d been mesmerized by her. Sharon had an unshakable presence, a firmness that couldn’t be broken, yet her eyes carried a warmth that was unexpectedly gentle. She had the kind of motherly grace that was rare to see
I still remembered yesterday, when her mother had come by with soup as a welcoming gesture. That was when I learned Sharon was in the middle of a divorce.%
I wasn’t sure why, but I felt sorry for her. And cunous !
“How long are you going to stand there?”
Her voice jolted me from my thoughts. She had turned to face me, arms crossed,
I chuckled softly and walked over handing her a cup. “For you”
“Thanks,” she murmured, taking a small sip before giving me a pointed look. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“What did you mean by th
I blinked. “By what?”%
by that?”
She let out a frustrated groan. “Oh, come on. Let’s not play dumb.“)
“I genuinely have no idea what you’re referring to, Sharon.
She opened her mouth to argue, then suddenly froze. Her head tilted slightly, her eyes narrowing
“Wait a second. How do you know my name?”
Shit
I internally cursed, realizing that we had never actually introduced ourselves. At least, that’s what she thought
“Wait a second… How do you know my name?”
Shit
I internally cursed, realizing that we had never actually introduced ourselves. At least, that’s what she thought…
Clearing my throat. I tried to play it cool. My gaze darted around, searching for a believable excuse.
“I’m not some caveman who doesn’t know his neighbors. You’re a well–known designer, Sharon Wright. You own a boutique that’s been featured in multiple magazines”
She eyed me suspiciously, clearly not convinced
Of course, that wasn’t how I really knew her. I had investigated her thoroughly–not just the surface details, but all the way down to the roots.
Eventually, she sighed and took another sip of coffee, turning her gaze back to the sky. For some reason, every little movement she made kept me fixated on her.ll
“You’re weird,” she muttered
“I get that a lot. What else impresses you about me?
Sharon shot me a deadpan look. “I still remember your blank expression when you saved me from that creep earlier.”
“I figured stand–up comedy wouldn’t be enough to scare him off
She groaned, “Another weird joke
“Thank you
She blinked, caught off guard ».
Frowning, she turned away, pretending to focus on the stars again. But I could tell she was annoyed…
And I was enjoying it
For a while, we sipped our coffee in silence, the peaceful night surrounding us.
Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something weighed heonly on Sharon’s mind. She sighed more than once, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.X
I wasn’t one to meddle in other people’s business, but for some reason, I felt sorry for her….
I didn’t know what was happening to me
again
When she had hired me yesterday to investigate missing company funds–money that had mysteriously ended up in someone’s rsonal account–I hadn’t brushed it off like I usually did.
Instead, I dug deeper. And what I found??
The name I’d been looking for was Sharon’s ex–husband ⠀⠀⠀⠀
Well, I wasn’t sure if they were officially divorced yet, but considering she was living alone. it seemed like a safe assumption.
“By the way, I don’t even know your name yet, Sharon said suddenly.
I hesitated for a split second.!
“1-“I cleared my throat, debating whether to give my real name or an alias.
“Nathan,” I finally said.
“How old are you?” she asked next
I smirked. “Younger than you, probably
She scoffed. “You make it sound like I’m ancient. I’m only twenty–nine.
I chuckled–not at her age, but at the adorable expression she made
How was it possible for a twenty–nine–year–old woman to look this cute when annoyed?%
And why did I find myself wanting to tease her
