Chapter 68

Angela POV

Sean's jaw clenched visibly in the dim foyer light.

"Christina's going to post about the accident on Instagram. Clear up any... misunderstandings."

"Oh?" I couldn't keep the bitterness from my voice. "Like that touching midnight strawberry delivery photo? How thoughtful of her to document your devotion so thoroughly."

"She was injured," Sean's voice rose defensively. "And I bought those strawberries because-"

I cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest. I didn't need him to explain how important Christina was to him-his actions had already made that crystal clear.

"Of course," I said, my voice dripping with quiet venom. "Buying strawberries for your beloved in the middle of the night is perfectly natural. No explanation needed."

The flash of hurt in Sean's eyes gave me a moment of bitter satisfaction. Let him feel a fraction of what I felt every time he rushed to Christina's side.

The muffled sound of a television drifted from Elizabeth's room, making me lower my voice to a warning whisper.

"Elizabeth's still here, Sean. You might want to be more careful about flaunting your relationship with Christina."

His expression darkened dangerously. "That's rich, coming from you. Should we discuss your cozy lunch with Nathan last week? Or perhaps your little dance with Christopher?"

"Oh, you're right," I replied, my voice honey-sweet with mockery. "Maybe I should post those moments on Instagram too. I'm sure Elizabeth would love to see everything that's happening in the Shaw family's perfect little world."

The threat in my words was clear-if he could parade his relationship with Christina on social media, two could play at that game.

Just then, Sean's phone started ringing. I rolled my eyes, already turning toward our bedroom. No need to stick around and listen to another intimate conversation with Christina.

"Angela, wait." Sean's voice stopped me. "It's Dr. Carter."

He caught my arm gently, pulling me back. "Listen with me," he said, his tone completely changed. "It must be about Elizabeth."

The earlier hostility between us evaporated instantly, replaced by shared concern for his grandmother. Sean put the phone on speaker as Dr. Carter's voice filled the foyer.

"Mr. Shaw, I need you and Mrs. Shaw to bring Elizabeth in for an examination this week," Dr. Carter's tone was professionally urgent. "We need to reassess and schedule her surgery date."

I watched the tension in Sean's shoulders shift instantly, our personal grievances temporarily overshadowed by concern for Elizabeth. He moved to take the call, but not before fixing me with a look that clearly said our discussion wasn't over.

After my shower, Sean came to the bedroom.

"You're sleeping here tonight?" I asked.

"Where else do you think I should sleep?" he retorted, his face darkening.

"Well, please take a good shower before getting into bed. I'm allergic to Christina's perfume."I said sarcastically.

Sean suspiciously lowered his head to smell himself, then said, "Stop being so passive-aggressive. Nothing happened between Christina and me, how could I possibly smell like her?"

I just ignored him, falling onto the bed and closing my eyes.

But even with my eyes closed, I could feel him standing by the bed, staring at me angrily. Finally, he let out a sigh and walked into the bathroom.

The next morning's chill had settled deep in the underground parking garage of Shaw Tower.

I pulled my oversized down coat tighter around myself as I walked toward my car, conscious of how the loose fabric helped conceal my slowly changing figure. The sound of my heels echoed off concrete walls, creating a lonely symphony in the empty space.

"That's quite a change in style."

Sean's voice startled me. He stood beside his Bentley, his critical gaze taking in my loose-fitting clothes and bulky jacket.

"I wasn't aware I needed your approval for my wardrobe choices," I replied coolly, pressing my key fob to unlock my vehicle.

"You don't." His tone carried an edge of sarcasm. "Though I must say, you've been full of surprises lately. New clothes, new friends, new... priorities."

I turned to face him, feeling anger rise in my chest. "Speaking of priorities, shouldn't you be checking on Christina? I heard there might be scarring."

Sean replied calmly, "It's just a small scar, nothing serious."

His attitude caught me by surprise. I had expected him to be angry with me about Christina's facial scar, or to show more concern for her.

But he didn't seem particularly bothered. I didn't dwell on it though, hurrying off to my office instead.

After a busy morning, I went to the sandwich shop downstairs from the office for lunch as usual.

"What a fortunate coincidence."

Christopher's smooth voice made me turn. He stood there in an impeccably tailored suit, looking every bit the successful Goldman Sachs partner he was.

"I just finished a client meeting nearby," he continued, his amber eyes warm with familiar affection. "Join me for lunch? You still owe me for disrupting my party."

I hesitated, acutely aware of the curious glances from passing finance executives. In our world, every interaction was noted, every lunch meeting analyzed for hidden meanings.

"I really shouldn't," I began, but Christopher was already holding the door open.

"Didn't you say you'd make it up to me?" he said jokingly.

I looked at my watch and agreed, telling him I only had an hour for lunch break.

"One hour," I conceded. "I have meetings this afternoon."