Without wasting another second, she grabbed the bag and headed straight for his study. Just as she lifted her hand to knock, voices drifted through the door. “Mr. Riley, the plans for this season are ready. Which ones do you think we should approve?”
Collin’s tone was cold and dismissive. “They’re all garbage. Send them back and have them redone.”
A brief silence followed before the subordinate spoke again. “The deadline is coming up fast.”
The next second, Collin let out a sharp sneer. “CR Corporation is a major company. Are all the employees completely incompetent? If they can’t get the job done on time, fire them.”
Linsey’s eyes widened in shock. Had she just misheard? Did Collin just say… CR Corporation?
Could Collin be connected to CR Corporation?
Linsey was still processing the shock when the study door suddenly opened. Collin’s subordinate stood at the entrance, momentarily startled at the sight of her. “Mrs. Riley?”
Seated at his desk, Collin immediately noticed her as well. His expression shifted slightly, and his deep voice cut through the silence. “Why are you here?”
Linsey’s heart raced. She hadn’t caught the full details of their conversation, but she couldn’t deny that she had overheard parts of it. Collin’s subordinate glanced at him, then wisely stepped aside and slipped out of the room without another word.
Linsey lifted the shopping bag in her hand and forced a casual tone. “I got you something at the mall. Did you forget?”
Collin frowned. How could he refuse her when she had gone to the mall just to buy him a gift? After a brief pause, he sighed and said, “Come in and close the door.”
Linsey shut the door and walked toward him. Just as she was about to hand him the bag, he asked, “When did you get here?”
Linsey hesitated, caught off guard. She met his deep gaze and blurted out, “Not long ago.”
Collin studied her intently. “How much did you hear?”
He had been discussing matters related to CR Corporation with his subordinate. If she had heard everything, she would find out that he was the mysterious founder of CR Corporation.
Linsey thought back to the fragments of conversation she had caught. Curiosity sparked in her eyes. “I heard you mention CR Corporation, but not the details.” She tilted her head slightly. “Collin, do you have business dealings with them?”
Collin didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he asked, “What do you think?”
Linsey blinked, caught off guard. Her first instinct had been to connect him to the mysterious founder of CR Corporation. But then, logic pushed the thought aside. CR Corporation had been expanding aggressively in Grester. If Collin was truly capable of building such a powerhouse from the ground up, how could he have been abandoned at the wedding by his bride?
If he wielded that kind of power, the Riley family wouldn’t have cast him aside or sent him to live in isolation. The idea felt improbable, so she dismissed it and considered another possibility.
“You said you owed a hundred million dollars. Is it related to CR Corporation?” she guessed, watching him closely.
Collin’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he exhaled in relief. It seemed she hadn’t overheard much.
“More or less,” he replied casually.
Hearing his response, Linsey let out a bitter smile. So, in the end, they were both tied to CR Corporation. How pitiful. The thought that all the hard-earned money she made from CR Corporation would eventually flow right back into it left her feeling defeated.
But she quickly shook off the gloom and focused on Collin. She wanted to ask why he owed CR Corporation such an enormous sum, but she decided against it. The last thing she wanted was to upset him.
Instead, she forced a smile and changed the subject. “Collin, let’s not think about that for now. Why don’t you try on what I just bought for you?”
She placed the bag on his lap.
Collin’s expression softened slightly. He opened the bag and pulled out a set of men’s clothing, his brow arching in mild surprise.
Linsey nudged him encouragingly. “Come on. Try it on.”
But Collin remained seated in his wheelchair, unmoving.
Puzzled, Linsey frowned. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you changing? You don’t like it?”
Collin let out a small chuckle and asked in an amused tone, “Are you just going to stand there and watch me change?”
Linsey froze for a second before reality hit her, and her cheeks flared with heat.
“Oh! Right! I’ll just step out, then. Call me when you’re ready for me to come back in,” she blurted, already turning on her heel.
But before she could take more than two steps, Collin’s voice stopped her. “Wait.”
She turned back, blinking in confusion.
Collin studied her for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. “I didn’t mean for you to leave. Come here and help me.”
The second the words left his lips, Linsey’s mind flashed back to the first night she had moved into the villa-when he had asked her to help him undress for a bath, only to dismiss her right after.
Linsey hesitated, then blurted out, “Collin, you’re not going to get mad and kick me out again, are you?”
Collin’s brows lifted slightly. “Do you really think I’m that unpredictable?”
He hadn’t realized she saw him that way.
As far as he was concerned, he had always been calm and in control around her.
Linsey barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Of course, she thought.
But she didn’t voice it. Instead, she shook her head and moved past it. “No. Let me help you.”
She stepped forward, her fingers brushing against Collin’s collar as she reached to unbutton his shirt.
Before she could, his hand closed around her wrist.
Warmth spread from his touch, making her pulse stutter.
Startled, she looked up-only to realize just how close they were, close enough that she could see the way his lashes framed his eyes. She had never noticed before. But for some reason, it struck her now-his eyelashes were unfairly thick.
Collin’s expression remained unreadable as he said, “I didn’t ask you to undress me. Just hold my clothes.”
Whether it was his bluntness or her own realization that she had been a little too eager, warmth crept up Linsey’s neck. “Oh. Okay.” She straightened, determined to act normal.
Collin shrugged off his jacket, handing it to her before moving on to his shirt. His fingers worked through the buttons with practiced ease, one by one revealing firm, toned muscles beneath.
Linsey hadn’t meant to stare, but once the smooth lines of his chest and sculpted abs came into view, looking away felt impossible. This was the first time Linsey had seen a man’s body up close-really seen one.
She hadn’t expected Collin to have such a striking physique beneath his tailored clothes.
Did he work out? The thought popped into her head before she could stop it.
As her mind wandered, Collin, unfazed, finished changing into the outfit she had picked for him.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.