Chapter 453: The Grand Finale

Nancy Hughes felt a little flustered. ‘The man I was set up with… he should count as my boyfriend, right? Even though we’ve never officially said so.’

“Absolutely not!” She refused without hesitation, snatching the phone back.

“And why not? Are you afraid because you’re lying? Nancy Hughes, you’re a terrible liar. Whenever you lie, your pupils tremble. Look at you—they’re trembling like crazy right now!” Dylan Heston gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Her eyes were filled with terror, her gaze darting back and forth, just like that day at the office.

He knew perfectly well she was skipping the company party just to avoid him, yet he had let her.

He simply didn’t want to pressure her.

But then, to his surprise, he saw Nancy Hughes that same night, sitting with a strange man, laughing and chatting away. She smiled so brightly with that man, as if she felt completely at ease by his side.

It made him jealous.

He cared deeply. But over the past year, some things had forced his hand, and he had ended up neglecting her for an entire year.

“I’m not lying! We’re getting married soon!” ‘If things go well with Zachary Stone, we probably will get married soon, right?’

“Oh, really?” Dylan Heston said with a knowing smile. “I’m willing to bet the man you end up marrying will be me. Do you dare to take that bet?”

Her heart hammered in her chest. She stared into his eyes and said, her own guilt making her falter, “There’s no point in a bet like that.”

“We both know perfectly well whether it’s pointless or not.”

For the rest of the trip, the man was always appearing before her.

Every time Dylan Heston appeared, Nancy would shoot a resentful glare at Riley Caldwell. Riley could only look helpless. “Nancy, I was forced into it! You know how ruthless our dear brother-in-law is!”

Cecilia Lynch followed Riley Caldwell’s lead, also calling Dylan “brother-in-law.” ‘It felt like everyone around me has been bribed by him.’

All in all, the vacation was anything but smooth.

When it came to Dylan Heston, she really couldn’t control her emotions. She both liked and feared him.

‘When it comes to this man, it’s better to just run away.’

On the first day back at work after the vacation, she called in sick, wanting to avoid seeing him so soon.

After they got off the plane yesterday, Dylan Heston had taken her home. Before he left, he had pulled her into a forceful kiss.

He was a gentleman. Throughout the trip, he hadn’t forced her to do a single thing and had been protective of her at every turn, which she found incredibly thoughtful.

But the kiss last night had been completely unexpected. She hadn’t had time to react before his scent filled her mouth and flooded her lungs.

There was nothing better than having a day off while everyone else was at work.

The weather seemed to be poor today. It was gloomy and overcast outside, with a light drizzle falling—perfect weather for sleeping all day.

She had just dozed off for a little while when she heard a knock on the door.

She immediately threw on a jacket, got up, and walked to the door. “Who is it?”

The moment she got a clear look at the man standing there, she wanted to slam the door shut.

When Dylan Heston learned she hadn’t come into work today, he had made a point to ask her colleague, only to find out she was sick.

The sudden change from hot to cold weather made it easy to get sick, and since she lived alone, he had immediately rushed over from the company.

“Um… what are you doing here?”

The words had barely left her mouth when he pressed his palm to her forehead. “Good, your temperature isn’t too high. Do you want to go to the hospital just in case?”

‘He’d taken the casual lie she told as the truth and rushed over here in a panic.’

His palm felt a bit cool. She blinked. “I’m fine, really.”

She remembered that the excuse she’d given for her sick day was a cold and fever, and her cheeks instantly began to burn. ‘He came over because he knew I was sick?’

“Go lie down for a bit.” Dylan Heston gently pushed her into the room, instantly making her feel like a guest in her own home.

“Um, I’m fine, you can go now.”

Dylan Heston shot her a look. “Go back to the bedroom and sleep.”

His intimidating gaze fell on her, and Nancy Hughes instantly turned into a meek little rabbit. Murmuring an “oh,” she obediently returned to her room.

Closing the door, she sat on the bed and wondered, ‘How did he know I had a cold?’

She called her colleague, who said, “Hang on, let me step outside to take this.”

About thirty seconds later, her colleague’s voice came back through the phone. “Nancy Hughes, you need to fess up. What’s the deal between you and the new shareholder?”

Her colleague’s voice was practically dripping with gossip. “Do you have any idea? The bigshot shareholder called me into his office today, and he actually started asking about you. So, fess up! What kind of sordid secret are you two hiding?”