Chapter 6
Winston set the reheated meal on the table and waved for Chelsea to sit dowal
She winced as she moved, gingerly lowering herself into the chair, clearly doing her best to keep weight off her injured side,
He warmed up a glass of milk next and set it in front of her before taking his own seat. He hesitated, then finally asked, “So what the hell happened! How’d you get hurt like that?”
The words were out before he could stop himself, and he regretted is immediately. Yeah, they were technically married, but they were practically strangers, and he wasn’t one to dig into other people’s business. So he thought it was necessary to ask.
Chelsea paused, sipped the milk, and looked away. “L.. just slipped,” she mumbled, her voice flat and unconvincing.
Winston could tell right away she was lying, but honestly, he didn’t care enough in push.
“Whatever,” he muttered. “Let’s eat”
The takeout that Kate had ordered was surprisingly good, still flavorful even after reheating. But Chelsea barely touched it, only picking at her soup with zero appetite.
After they finished, she clutched her side and lumped toward her room. Winston hesitated again, then called after her. “Itey, aren’t you gonna shower!
He didn’t want to say it, but she definitely looked like she needed one
Chelsea shook her head, looking exhausted and a bit pale “Not tonight. I… just feel like crap. Just getting up was already enough of a struggle–she didn’t even want to think about a shower
The next morning, after a surprisingly decent night’s sleep, Chelsea found the pain in her back had dulled a little. She dragged herself out of bed, spent the morning updating her resume, and fired it off to a few jewelry design companies.
But as she’d expected, her rocky history with the Wise family seemed to haunt her, three days went by, and not a single callback,
Meanwhile, Winston had started coming home an hour early every day. He’d carefully apply ointment to her bruises, make sure she had a glass of warm milk, and then sit down for dinner.
It almost felt like he was making an effort just for her.
Eventually, curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, “So… work not keeping you busy! You’ve been coming home pretty early lately” A part of her wondered if he felt obligated to look after her.
Winsion was sipping his coffee–fancy stuff he’d brought himself–and didn’t even look up from his finance magazine as he replied, “Just started, so things are slow. Nothing much to do right now,”
Then he glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. “You working?”
Chelsea leaned back on the couch, letting out a dry laugh. “Got fired Been hunting for a new job ever since.”
So that was it. He wasn’t coming home early to look after her; he just had nothing better to do. She felt a quick pang of disappointment, which she immediately brushed off.
“God, stop reading into things, she told herself. “Not everything’s about
it you”
be we could go out and celebrate. You know, new chapter and all that.”
“Well,” she said, forcing a casual tone, “if I ever manage to land a job, maybe we
“Yeah.” He nodded, not looking up. “Sure, why not”
Over the next few days, Chelsea sent out resumes left, right, and center, practically flooding the market. But it was like shouting into the void–no calls, no interviews, just a whole lot of nothing.
Then, our of the blue, her phone rang. It was Wade. “Chelsea, I heard you’re job hunting,” he said, sounding way too pleased with himself. “If you apologize to Margot, I could talk to my father about lening you back into the company. He sounded like he was doing her some grand favor.
Chelsea felt her blood boil. “Wade, are you serious right now? You actually think this is funny!”
TA
Ita Crack–in
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Chapter 6
His tone turned cold, irritated ‘Chelsea, don’t test me If it werent for the family image, he probably wouldn’t have bothered calling her at all.
“Oli, thank
you so much, but I’ll pass,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“What Wade splattered, too angry to finish.
“If it helps, go ahead and think I’m ungrateful, she said flatly, hanging up and blocking his number without a second thought. She was done with his crap
As her back began to heal, Chelsea decided to head out to buy groceries, planning to cook a thank–you meal for Winston, who’d been taking care of her.
She was busy in the kitchen, chopping vegetables, when her phone rang from the other room.
She wiped her hands and picked up. “Hello?”
“Hello, is this Miss Chelsea Wise? This is Amber Jewels. Our director was impressed with your resume and would love to invite you for an interview,” said a polite voice on the other end.
“Yes, absolutely! Tomorrow at 10 am?” she replied, barely able to contain Iser excitement.
“That’s perfect See you then, the caller confirmeil
After hanging up, Chelsea couldn’t stop grinning. She
e started humming to herself as she went
ent back to cooking, the future suddenly looking a whole lot brighter.
When Winston came home and saw the spread on the table, he raised an eyebrow. “What’s all this for?”
“I got an interview? she said, setting down a steaming bowl of soup. “And I wanted to say thanks for helping me out these past few days. So, sit down, let’s eat?”
Winston washed up and joined her at the table. “Which company!”
She smirked, a little playful. “It’s a secret for now‘
Amber Jewels was a respected design firm, though it’d hit some rough patches recently. Just getting an interview there felt like a huge win
Winston didn’t pry for more details. After dinner, he started clearing the dishes, then came back with the ointment, gesturing for her to lie down
She hesitated, feeling a bit awkward. I’m basically healed, you know. I don’t think I really need it anymore. ”
Not that she’d admit it, but his touch left her feeling flustered. And the whole setup was starting to feel too close for comfort
Winston just gave her a no–nonsense look, one that clearly meant he wasn’t taking “no” for an answer. She sighed, resigned, and lifted her shirt.
As he leaned in to apply the ointment, she felt warmth radiating from his hands, a warmth that had nothing to do with the ointment itself. Thanks. to his careful attention, her bruises had almost completely faded
When his fingers brushed her waist, she let out a tiny, involuntary gap, her cheeks going warm.
For a moment, his gaze softened, lingering just a second longer quickly, wiping his hands.
usual. Her slender waist, the faint dimple at her lower back…… he finished up
“Good luck with the interview,” he said, his voice a touch lower than usual.
Thanks, Chelsea replied, her voice barely above a whisper,
After he left the room, she sat up,
tomorrow.
face
still flushed, needing a moment to pull herself together before she could focus on getting ready for
The next morning, Chelsea arrived at Amber Jewels bright and early. The receptionist led her to the director’s office. “Go right in”
She opened the door, and the man inside turned at the sound. “Chelsea, long time no see.
“Heath?” Chelsea’s eyes widened in surprise,
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Chapter 6
Standing in front of her was Heath Canon, her senior from college. They’d been close back then, but he’d left to study abroad, and after a scandal blew up she’d lou contact with ham. Kunning into him now felt surtral.
Heath poured her a cup of coffee and slid it over. “Have a seat.”
Chelsea book the cup, settling into the chair. “Heath, why didn’t you tell me you were back!”
“I just got back,” he said with a smile. “I was planning to reach out, but then your resume landed on my desk Figured I invite you in.”
He
- was just
like she remembered calm, steady, with that quiet confidence. Even as an executive, he hadn’t changed one bit.
“Heath, about my resume… Chelsea hesitated, a flicker of worry in her eyes.
“I read it. I know what went down, but I never bought into any of it,” he said, olioanly referring to the scandal.
“Chelsea, I’ve seen your talent firsthand. In genuinely excited to work with you,” he added, his voice warm and sincere.
Chelsea had always admired Heath–kind, capable, with a charisma that just drew people in. Meeting his gaze, she fell a renewed sense of determination. “Heath, I won’t let you down”
He smiled, extending his hand, “Welcome to Amber Jewels. Let’s do something amazing together.
At Nova Group, Fabian pushed into Winston’s office, practically throwing a stack of papers onto the desk.
The top sheet had Amber Jewels stamped in bold, and it was covered in financials and background notes.
“Are you seriously buying Amber Jewels, Mr. Moody!” Fabian’s voice had a mix of disbelief and curiosity
He’d been Winston’s right–hand man for years, and he’d never once seen him look twice at the jewelry market.
Winston raised an eyebrow, barely looking up as he flipped through the file. “Amber Jewels might be a little tarnished now, but it’s still got a solid backbone. If we jump in at the right time, there’s a damn good profit waiting to be made.”
A sly grin crept onto his face. The jewelry industry was a cash cow, and he was ready to milk is.
Fabian chuckled, knowing Winston’s instincts were rarely off. “Got it. I’ll make sure the acquisition team kicks things into high gear. We’ll move fast.”
Across town, at Amber Jewels, Chelsea was just starting her first day on the job. Heath led her into the design department. He clapped his hands loudly to get everyone’s attention. “Alright, listen up, folks! Meet Chelsea Wise, our new designer.”
There was a light smattering of applause, but it died down quickly as a woman sitting at the best desk in the room slowly stood up, her expression nothing short of pure disdain. “Chelsea Wise….well, isn’t this a surprise”
One of the other designers leaned over, curious. “Wait, Julia, you know her?”
Julia Martin let out a laugh, dripping with sarcasm. “Know her? Oh, I know her. She was the golden girl in Evergreen University’s jewelry program….. until she got booted from her master’s track for plagiarism. Yeah, you heard me. She got caught cheating in a big competition. Hard to forget that.“
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