With a sense of unease creeping in, Whitney drove back to the firm, her nerves fraying with each passing moment.
As she entered the department, the unmistakable sound of Ivan’s raised voice echoed from his office. “Gina, have you got no shame? This is my client, my case! Why are you trying to replace my team’s lawyer with yours?”
“Yelling at me won’t change anything. This is Townsend’s decision. Go ask him if you don’t believe me. You’re always defending your little protégé. Maybe she ticked off someone important,” Gina shot back, her tone dripping with disdain.
Valerie, noticing Whitney’s return, swiftly pulled her aside. “Whitney, take it easy for now. Ivan didn’t know about this either. He just had a huge fight with Mr. Fischer, and now Gina’s here arguing with him.”
Whitney’s eyes narrowed, her expression icy. “Where’s Townsend?”
Valerie looked uneasy, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s out of town on a business trip. He hasn’t picked up his phone at all. Otherwise, Ivan would’ve stormed over there to raise hell.”
Gina clicked her heels as she strutted out, catching sight of Whitney. She snorted derisively, tossing her hair over her shoulder, and sashayed away, confidence radiating from her every step.
Ivan trailed behind, his expression dark and brooding. When he caught a glimpse of Whitney, guilt twisted in his gut, and his lips parted, ready to offer reassurance.
“Whitney, don’t worry. I’ll get this sorted for you,” Ivan promised, his voice heavy with remorse.
Feeling overwhelmed, Whitney decided she couldn’t stay at the firm any longer and made her exit.
On her way back, she received a message from Klein’s butler. [Ms. Moore, the curtains have all been installed. Would you like to come by and inspect them later?]
With her schedule wide open, Whitney eagerly agreed.
When she arrived, the creamy beige curtains transformed the room, infusing it with warmth and coziness. The space looked remarkably better than it had when she first walked in, filled with the various items she had chosen.
Martin Aldridge, Klein’s butler, beamed at her. “Ms. Moore, you’ve got great taste. Mr. Harris stayed at the office last night. Would you like to send him some photos so he can see how it turned out?”
Whitney thought for a moment; since she had charged everything to Klein’s card, it made sense to keep him in the loop.
Without realizing it, she had started to treat Klein like a boss, and the dynamic felt oddly comfortable.
In truth, it felt like she was simply doing her job, and the bonus? She could leverage Klein’s status to elevate her own family’s standing.
*****
Klein was at his office, entrenched in work, when Whitney’s message flashed across his phone.
Whitney: [All done. Do you like it?]
Attached was a photo showcasing the newly adorned space.
A subtle smile crept onto Klein’s lips, a warmth spreading through him.
Klein: [I do.]
He genuinely liked the curtains.
But even more, he found himself drawn to her.
Moments later, Klein’s friends froze, their jaws dropping in disbelief as Klein posted an Instagram Story for the first time.
They tapped on his glowing profile ring, their astonishment palpable.
Klein: [My girlfriend decorated the place. Feels so warm and cozy.]
Klein’s words stirred up a storm.
The crowd was stunned, jaws nearly hitting the floor.
Dustin: [Girlfriend?]
Oliver: Is Klein drunk or just daydreaming?]
Eric: [Come on, boy. Let’s all say it, “Congrats, Klein!”]
Whitney never saw the post.
She hadn’t checked Instagram in a long time.
She was already feeling down, so after sending the message, she headed home right away.
She’d barely stepped through the door when her phone rang, and it was Lena.
“Whit, huge gossip! You know my uncle Klein, right? He’s so aloof and cold. I honestly thought he would be single forever. But guess what?” Lena blurted out.
All of a sudden, Whitney had a bad feeling.
“What is it?” she asked, her tone nervous.
Lena’s voice was practically bursting with excitement. “Klein just posted on Instagram. He said he has a girlfriend!”
“What?” Whitney gasped.
She frantically scrolled through her phone, panic rising. ‘Didn’t we agree not to go public?’ Whitney thought. ‘When did he post that? How long has it been up? What did he even say? Why am I the last to know?’
“Whit, you have no idea how wild this post is. My grandpa’s already blowing up the family group chat about it. Just look at the comments. It’s almost at a hundred and still climbing,” Lena gushed.
“Whit, who do you think this woman is? I wonder if she’s easy to get along with.
“You know, I always thought Klein looked out for you a little too much. For a second, I even wondered if he had a thing for you or something weird like that,” Lena joked.
“Hey, Whit, you still there? Why so quiet?” Lena pressed, sounding a bit concerned.
Whitney was so stunned she broke out in a cold sweat, unable to get a single word out.
It wasn’t until Whitney finally opened Klein’s Instagram page that she felt herself snap back to life.
It was just a photo of his curtains, and she wasn’t in the shot at all.
As for the hundred-plus comments Lena had hyped up, there was a lot. But not one hinted at her. No one knew she was the girlfriend he was talking about.
“Sorry, I lost you for a second. Anyway… tell Mr. Harris congratulations.” Whitney kept her tone light, as if it meant nothing to her.
Lena didn’t notice anything off. “I will. You know, now everyone’s already begging to meet his girlfriend.”
Whitney’s heart clenched again. “So, what did he say?”
“He totally ignored them at first. You know how cold he is. No way he’d bother replying. Oh wait, he actually did reply,” Lena exclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised.
Whitney gripped her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
“What did he say?” Whitney asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lena’s lips twitched as she read the reply out loud. “Klein said his girlfriend’s shy and doesn’t want to meet us.”
Lena teased, her voice full of disbelief. “Seriously, Whit, did someone put a spell on Klein or something? Since when does he say stuff that cheesy?”
Whitney’s ears were on fire.
Still rattled, she ended the call with Lena and kept staring at Klein’s post. Her thumb brushed the screen, and the little heart lit up before she even realized it. Whitney sucked in a sharp breath and unliked it immediately.
It felt like the end of the world. She chucked her phone onto the couch, not daring to even glance at it again.
Her phone suddenly rang, snapping her out of her panic.
She hesitated before checking the caller ID. Seeing Ivan’s name on the screen, she finally felt herself relax.
*****
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.