Chapter 36: Keeping a Distance
day”
Fletcher walked in, placed a few boxes of medicine in front of me, and said, “I’m here to see you, Ms. Grande.”
I glanced at the boxes. The label said “Cold Medicine.”
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Chapter 36: An Excuse
I hadn’t expected Fletcher to come deliver medicine so late. I was momentarily stunned, then felt a pang of guilt.
But then I considered–given the tenuous nature of our relationship, there was no way Fletcher, the CEO of Lynton Group, would go out of his way for something so trivial.
I figured it had to be about the “Couple’s Moments” thing.
Glancing at my code, I suddenly felt an odd flutter in my chest.
I quietly thanked him, deliberately avoiding the subject, and said, “I haven’t finished the code yet, so I won’t walk you out, Mr. Lynton.”
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Chapter 36: An Excuse
5 Points
A clear hint to get him to leave.
Fletcher paused for a moment, standing still. His gaze flicked to the hand warmer in my hands, and he asked, “Didn’t you turn on the heating?”
Heating? Did he think we were at the Lynton Group building?
In our old office building, getting central air conditioning was a luxury–forget about heating.
I smiled awkwardly. “It’s not cold.”
Fletcher didn’t respond but, to my surprise, grabbed a nearby office chair and sat down.
I guessed that if I didn’t give him an answer tonight, he wouldn’t leave. So, I switched the screen to the Couple’s Moments page and
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asked. “Mr. Lynton, is there anything else you’d like to adjust?”
Fletcher wheeled his chair closer to me, glancing at the page. “The saturation’s not enough.”
That was a familiar line.
Unfazed, I responded promptly, “Give me ten minutes.”
Fletcher nodded before his gaze shifted to a small bookshelf nearby. In the next moment, his long, slender fingers landed on one of the books.
I heard him ask, “When did you get into detective stories?”
I glanced over and realized that the book in Fletcher’s hand was the very detective novel
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Winston had given me.
I’d flipped through it a few times when I was feeling stressed, but I didn’t know how Fletcher had concluded that I had become a fan of detective fiction. I could only brush it off, saying, “It’s a good read, the plot is quite impressive.”
“Mm.”
There was an awkward pause in the conversation, so I wisely fell silent and focused on tweaking the page.
The night grew deeper, and neither of us spoke. The large office was filled only with the occasional tapping of keys and the rustling of pages being turned–noisy yet eerie.
After a while, I finally finished my task and
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asked, “Mr. Lynton, does this work for you?”
“I’ll take a look.”
Fletcher moved his office chair closer, reducing the space between us in an instant.
I had just clicked the mouse when I heard a sudden “pop” and the overhead lights went out, followed closely by the monitor screen turning black.
sighed. “It’s probably the circuit breaker. I’ll go check.”
I motioned for Fletcher to move aside.
As I tried to get up, my palm accidentally brushed against the broad back of his hand. I quickly pulled my hand back, but in an instant, my left hand was firmly gripped by Fletcher’s.
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Chapter 9o. A
His long fingers covered my hand, his palm pressing against the back of mine in a perfectly seamless fit. His palm was hot, contrasting sharply with the coldness of my fingertips, sending a wave of heat to my cheeks and causing my breath to quicken.
In the dim light, I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.
We were far too close.
I awkwardly tried to pull away, but before I could, Fletcher pulled me into his embrace.
He held my hands tightly, expertly guiding them to his waist. Through the thin fabric, I could faintly feel the firm, defined lines of his waist.
The scent of soap and something else–a
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Chapter 36: An Excuse
strange sense of dominance–flooded my
senses.
In a panic, I called out Fletcher’s name.
With a hint of warning in my voice.
“Your hands are too cold,” he said in a husky voice, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “Let me warm them up for you.”
“No need,” I replied quickly.
Fletcher ignored my refusal. Not only did he not loosen his hold on me, but he pulled me even closer. “Lena, be good.”
I felt my heart skip a beat, a tingling sensation spreading from my head to my spine, leaving me too weak to even struggle.
I suddenly remembered those two years-
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Chopter 36: An Excuse
when we were in that cold, harsh apartment, and Fletcher would lovingly hold my feet, carefully tucking them into his embrace, saying he would use his warmth to drive away the long winter nights.
But the truth was, that had been just an excuse. What he truly wanted was the intimate entanglement of the late–night hours.
Just like now–dangerous, yet utterly captivating.
The sudden ringing of his phone pulled me back to reality. The caller ID clearly displayed “Davina, like a hammer that forced me back into the present.
“Mr. Lynton, it’s Davina calling” I reminded him.
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At the mention of Davina, Fletcher’s tight grip finally loosened. The overhead lights flickered back to life, their harsh brightness. seeming to scorch away everything hidden in the darkness.
I heard Davina’s soft sobs through the receiver. “Letch, I’m not feeling well right now. Can you come pick me up?”
Fletcher rubbed his brow, paused for a moment, and then said, “Send me the address”
Once the call ended, the man hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
I met his gaze and said calmly, “Hurry up, or Davina will get upset if you keep her waiting.”
Fletcher’s eyes darkened as though he
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had heard a ridiculous joke. I remained composed. “Is there something else, Mr. Lynton?”
With a cold scoff, he quickly left the room.
The night fell silent again, with only the evening wind outside rustling the soon–to–fall branches.
The next morning, I unexpectedly received a call from a technician, asking to schedule a time to install heating radiators. I was completely confused. After confirming the details with him several times, I suddenly recalled the events from last night and immediately dialed Fletcher’s number.
His voice was calm when he answered. “Myslana is too cold. I don’t want anything to delay the project”
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The technician mentioned that the cost for the radiator installation had already been paid, and it wasn’t cheap.
“Mr. Lynton, you’re being too generous” I said, trying to find the right words. “Our air conditioning works just fine”
“I just want Vina to be more comfortable while she works. Why you refuse so decisively, Ms. Grande?” Fletcher replied.
So, it was about making sure Davina didn’t get cold.
Since he had put it that way, I had no choice but to acknowledge it with a bit of tact. “Then, I’ll pass on everyone’s thanks to you, Mr. Lynton!”
After hanging up, I let out a soft sigh, but as I turned around, I found Davina standing
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behind me.
Our gazes locked, and the suspicion in her eyes was crystal clear.
She opened her mouth first. “Charlene, were you on the phone with Letch?”
I nodded, and Davina’s frown deepened when she saw my response.
She walked over and fiddled with the mug in her hands. “Letch has been asking you to help me get along with Daphne, hasn’t he?”
I didn’t respond, waiting for her next question.
Sure enough, she soon asked, “Charlene, did Letch come to the company to see you last night?”
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Her tone was both probing and certain.
I was a little surprised but then heard Davina continue, “Don’t get me wrong, Charlene. I only found out Letch had been here because I saw the navigation. But…”
She paused, then said, “I think he must have come to ask you to continue being the mediator between me and Daphne, right?”
The way she phrased it made it seem like I was some high–minded peacemaker, when in reality, I was just a worker being paid for the job.
I spoke calmly, “Actually, Mr. Lynton arranged a little surprise for you!”
Davina raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
I had been wondering how to explain the
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radiator situation to everyone, and now I had the perfect chance.
“Mr. Lynton came to discuss installing heating radiators in the studio,” I said, meeting her gaze. “He was worried it might be too cold for you.”
Davina’s previously gloomy expression finally softened a little. “Really? Letch didn’t mention it to me.”
I replied with a neutral tone, “Well, it’s supposed to be a surprise.”
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