Love At The Wrong Table

“Please don’t jump to conclusions like that again, Ms. Quillen. People might

think you’re jealous.”

Emmanuel raised his arm and stepped away from Mackenzie.

“Hmph! I told you I don’t like you. Why would I be jealous?”

Mackenzie was not going to admit that an all-powerful CEO who hated

men like her that such an ordinary man could incur her jealousy.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

“Good point.”

Emmanuel laughed. “I remember you mentioning once that you wouldn’t

mind if I spoke to other women after our marriage, Ms. Quillen. I’ve never

taken you up on the offer. Why the sudden change in mind?”

Mackenzie wheezed with rage. Her chest heaved rapidly. “As I said, this is a

matter of pride! I’m only worried about people finding out about your

indiscretions!”

Emmanuel turned to regard her. As the atmosphere had regained itsBelonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

calm, he teased, “I see. But your actions earlier did make it look like you

were jealous.”

“Stop dreaming! I told you I don’t like men, and you even less!”

Mackenzie clenched her teeth in visible agitation.

The mighty and imperious CEO is losing on every end to the gynecologist.

“There’s no need to emphasize your dislike for me, Ms. Quillen. I don’t really

like you myself; I just need a woman to deal with my mother and keep her

happy, so she would not keep trying to set me up! I’m just worried my

mother would not take our divorce well.”

Emmanuel opted to be frank. “You can blackmail me with this, Ms. Quillen,

but please do not accuse me of being unfaithful. You want your reputation

and pride, but it cannot be at the cost of my innocence and dignity.”

Throughout their quarrel, he noticed that Mackenzie did not argue like

other girls, who would remain stubborn and force their boyfriends to

compromise.

She thought Emmanuel had a point, so she took her time to regain her

composure before saying, in a lower voice than before, “I’m sorry. I have

been hasty in my judgment.”

Emmanuel was surprised. He laughed a moment later. “No worries. I’m

glad we straightened things out. You can tell me if there is anything

bothering you instead of dropping hints like you did last night!”

“Hmph! I know that.”

Without another word, Mackenzie returned to her room.

Of course, I know that! I ask the same thing from my employees, and I

hate more than anything the presumptuous ones who do as they please.

How have I become somebody like that tonight?

She noticed that his company was making her more uncertain.

This guy is such a jinx!

As she had retired to her bedroom, Emmanuel turned and returned to his.

He was hurt earlier; his claim of not being fond of Mackenzie was untrue.

Fortunately, the woman does not have the discernment I do to have

noticed it.

The rest of the night was spent in silence.

The couple awoke early the following morning.

Mackenzie was about to leave when she found a large stack of boxes at

the door.

They were the gifts from Hubert the day before.

Frowning, Mackenzie called the guards to ascertain the matter.

“It’s like this, Ms. Quillen: the man, Mr. Verkade, left the items with us and

said it’s a gift to you. As it was late last night, we only had the items

delivered to you this morning for fear of bothering you.”

The, head guard for the day’s shift responded to Mackenzie’s query

respectfully.

No matter how hard Mackenzie tried to hide her fortune, the guards were

more discerning than Emmanuel in that regard-they knew that her

wealth belonged in the upper echelons of society.

“I see.”

After an indifferent reply, Mackenzie hung up.

She did not feel a need to express her gratitude as those items were, to

her, trash she did not need.