Chapter 6
Winston set the reheated meal on the table and waved for Chelsea to sit down.
+23)
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 it 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. “I… just slipped,” she mumbled, her voice flat and unconvincing.
Winston could tell right away she was lying, but honestly, he didn’t care enough to 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 limped toward her room. Winston hesitated again, then called after her, “Hey, 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.
Winston 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 you!
“Well,” she said, forcing a casual tone, “if I ever manage to land a job, maybe we could go out and celebrate. You know, new
1/4
5:16 pm GDD
Chapter 6
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 learted 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 gasp, her cheeks going warm.
For a moment, his gaze softened, lingering just a second longer than usual. Her slender waist, the faint dimple at her lower back… he finished up quickly, wiping his hands.
“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, face still flushed, needing a moment to pull herself together before she could focus on getting ready for tomorrow.
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.
Standing in front of her was Heath Carson, 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 lost contact with him. Running into him now felt surreal.
Heath poured her a cup of coffee and slid it over. “Have a seat.”
Chelsea took 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’d 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, obviously referring to the scandal.
“Chelsea, I’ve seen your talent firsthand. I’m 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 felt 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.
3/4
5:16 pm G DDD
Chapter 6
“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 it.
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.”
4/4
AD
Comment
