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Chapter 56 - Chapter 55

Will POV

After we returned to the office, I walked straight into my cabin and dropped into my chair with a heavy sigh. The agreement was finally signed, but instead of feeling relieved, my mind was filled with only one person.

Minnie.

I leaned back and covered my face with both hands.

The CCTV footage kept replaying in my head. She had been telling the truth from the beginning. Someone had deleted the file, and instead of trusting her, I had scolded her in front of Nova. I had questioned her responsibility, her honesty... and even brought our relationship into it.

"Damn it..." I muttered, clenching my fists.

"Why didn't I trust her?"

Every time I lost control, I ended up making her cry. After everything she had been through because of me, I had hurt her once again.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

Nova walked into the cabin and closed the door behind him.

"So..." he said, crossing his arms. "Are you still thinking about what you said to Minnie?"

I looked at him and let out another sigh.

"I don't know how to make her forgive me this time, Nova."

Nova shook his head in disappointment.

"I warned you, Will. I told you not to let your anger control you. But you didn't listen. This time, I'm not helping you. If you want Minnie to forgive you, you have to earn it yourself."

I lowered my head.

"I know..."

After a moment of silence, I looked back at him.

"And prepare the termination letter for Alice. What she did is unacceptable."

Nova nodded.

"I'll take care of it."

Before leaving, he stopped at the door and looked back at me.

"And Will..."

I raised my head.

"A proper apology isn't just saying 'I'm sorry.' Make sure you remember that before you talk to Minnie again."

With that, Nova walked out, leaving me alone with my guilt and the painful realization that the person I loved most was hurting because of me.

Minnie POV

Tomorrow's event was approaching fast, and the entire office was busy with preparations. Nova and I barely had time to breathe as we managed tomorrow's event alongside our regular workload.

Nova suddenly stretched his arms and sighed dramatically.

"I think Will is under too much stress, Minnie."

I looked up from my laptop.

"What happened?"

"He just asked me for another coffee."

"So?"

Nova held up five fingers.

"This would be his sixth cup today."

My eyes widened.

"What?! Six cups? Has he completely lost his mind? That's terrible for his health!"

Nova shrugged helplessly.

"I know. But if I don't bring him coffee, I'm the one who's going to lose my job."

I couldn't help laughing.

"Don't worry. I'll handle him. You continue your work."

Nova looked at me suspiciously before nodding.

I walked into the pantry. Instead of making coffee, I decided to prepare a chilled chocolate milkshake.

"If he refuses this... then he's impossible," I muttered to myself.

As I walked toward Will's cabin, Nova suddenly blocked my way.

He looked at the glass in my hand.

"...Is that a milkshake?"

I nodded proudly.

Nova blinked.

"Minnie... he asked for coffee."

"I know."

"You two are already fighting. If you give him this instead of coffee..."

He placed a dramatic hand over his heart.

"...that's not milkshake. That's petrol on a fire."

I burst into laughter.

"It'll be fine."

Nova sighed.

"May God protect you."

Still smiling, I knocked gently before entering Will's cabin.

He was busy reading documents and didn't even bother looking up.

I quietly placed the glass on his desk.

Without saying anything, he picked it up. Just before taking a sip, he stopped, frowned slightly, and smelled it.

"This doesn't smell like coffee."

I folded my arms.

"That's because it isn't."

He slowly looked at me.

"What is it?"

"Chocolate milkshake."

He stared at me for a few seconds before casually picking up the office phone.

He pressed the speaker button.

"Nova."

"Yes, sir?"

"Is the company facing financial problems?"

I looked at him in complete disbelief.

"What?"

"If not... why don't we have coffee?"

On the other side, Nova almost laughed.

"Actually, Will... after I told Minnie you've already had five cups today-"

Before he could finish, Will quietly disconnected the call.

The room fell silent.

He looked back at me.

"So..."

"You were worried about me?"

I tried to act annoyed.

"Fine. Yes."

I crossed my arms.

"If I'm not worried about you, then who will be? Drinking that much coffee isn't good for you, Will."

He smiled.

Not the cold CEO smile.

The smile that belonged only to me.

Without another word, he stood up and slowly walked toward me.

Every step made my heartbeat faster.

When he finally stood in front of me, he gently wrapped one arm around my waist while the other rested behind my head, his fingers running softly through my hair.

Before I could say anything...

He pulled me into his embrace.

My face naturally rested against his shoulder.

I closed my eyes.

After everything that had happened...

This hug felt like home.

My hands slowly found their way around his back, holding him just as tightly.

I hadn't realized how much I had missed him until this moment.

His voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Love."

I felt my heart tighten.

"I hurt you again."

His embrace tightened ever so slightly.

"I should have trusted you."

A tear rolled down my cheek.

"I'm always the one who makes you cry."

I shook my head immediately.

"No..."

He continued before I could speak.

"When I thought that agreement was gone... I lost my temper."

He rested his forehead against mine.

"But losing that file would never hurt as much as losing you."

His words completely broke me.

"Please..."

He looked straight into my eyes.

"Don't ever leave me."

Another tear escaped before I hugged him even tighter.

"I won't."

My voice trembled.

"I promise."

After a few moments, I slowly looked up at him.

"It's my fault too."

He immediately shook his head.

"No."

"I should've been more careful."

He gently brushed away my tears with his thumb.

"No more blaming yourself."

His forehead rested against mine.

Our noses brushed lightly together as we both smiled.

The silence between us was comforting.

It felt like our hearts were speaking instead of our words.

"I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you too."

He smiled before He gently cupped my left cheek, his thumb carefully wiping away the tear that had escaped. His eyes never left mine, as if he was silently apologizing for every hurt he had caused.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Before I could answer, he lowered his forehead until it rested against mine. His nose brushed softly against mine as he playfully nudged it from side to side, making me smile through my tears.

"There it is," he whispered with a smile. "That's the smile I was missing."

My heart melted.

Slowly, he leaned closer, giving me every chance to pull away. Instead, I closed the distance myself.

Our lips met in a gentle kiss.

It was soft... hesitant... filled with forgiveness rather than passion.

I slowly wrapped both my arms around his neck while his hands settled securely around my waist, holding me as though he never wanted to let me go again.

As the seconds passed, the kiss deepened naturally-not hurried, but filled with months of longing, countless misunderstandings, and the relief of finally finding each other again.

Every unspoken emotion seemed to disappear between us.

He held me a little closer, and I instinctively leaned into him, smiling into the kiss.

When I finally ran out of breath, I lightly tapped his shoulder with a shy laugh.

"Will..."

Reluctantly, he pulled back just enough for us to breathe.

Neither of us spoke.

Neither of us moved.

We simply stood there, our foreheads touching, smiling at one another as if the entire world had disappeared.

At that moment, words weren't necessary.

The silence between us said everything our hearts had been waiting to say.

Just then...

Knock... Knock...

I quickly tried to step away.

"Will... someone's at the door."

Instead of letting go, he held me a little closer.

"How much longer do we have to hide our relationship, Love?"

I looked into his eyes and smiled softly.

"I don't want to hide anymore."

He blinked.

"Really?"

I nodded.

"I don't care what anyone says. Let them know. Let them gossip."

I gently squeezed his hand.

"All I want... is you."

His smile was so genuine that I couldn't stop staring at him.

"You know..."

I smiled shyly.

"You look incredibly handsome when you smile."

He laughed.

"Oh? Someone's in a romantic mood today."

I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck and grinned.

"What if I am?"

He raised an eyebrow before leaning closer, his lips brushing near my ear.

"So..." he whispered with a teasing smile, "are you sure you want to keep testing my patience, Love?"

I felt my heartbeat quicken.

"This cabin is soundproof... and no one comes in unless I ask them to."

He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

My cheeks instantly turned bright red.

Another knock echoed through the room.

I finally gathered enough courage to step away and hurried toward the door while Will stood behind me, laughing quietly at my blushing face.

I opened the door.

Nova stood there.

He looked at me...

Then at Will...

Then back at me.

He sighed dramatically.

"Should I start knocking louder... or should I just book appointments before entering the CEO's cabin?"

My face burned with embarrassment as Will laughed behind me.

Will POV

The moment Minnie closed the cabin door behind her, I leaned back in my chair and let out a quiet laugh.

Without realizing it, I touched my lips, remembering the gentle kiss we had just shared.

"She really said she doesn't want to hide our relationship anymore..."

I smiled to myself.

For months, I had dreamed of hearing those words. After everything we had been through, she had finally chosen us.

My heart had never felt this light.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice.

"So... you two finally made up?"

I looked up and saw Nova standing at the door with a knowing grin on his face.

I smiled without answering.

Nova walked inside, folded his arms, and shook his head dramatically.

"Look at you. Five minutes ago you were acting like the CEO of an ice kingdom. Now you're smiling like a teenager who just got his first kiss."

I rolled my eyes.

"Stop exaggerating."

"Oh, I'm exaggerating?"

He laughed.

"Should I remind you who was drinking six cups of coffee because his girlfriend was upset with him?"

I picked up a file from my desk and threw it at him.

"Get out."

Nova caught it effortlessly and burst into laughter.

"There he is! That's the Will I know."

I couldn't help smiling.

To change the topic, I asked, "Did you finish preparing everything for tomorrow's event?"

Nova immediately nodded.

"Yes. I coordinated everything with Mr. Smith. Tomorrow evening's announcement party has been arranged at a five-star hotel. The media, investors, and business partners have all confirmed their attendance."

I nodded in satisfaction.

A few seconds of silence passed before Nova's expression became serious.

"Will..."

"Hmm?"

"Did you tell Minnie about Lucy?"

The smile on my face disappeared instantly.

Hearing Lucy's name after so long made my chest tighten.

I lowered my eyes and sighed.

"No."

Nova frowned.

"What, Will? You're still hiding it from her?"

I rubbed my forehead.

"It's not that I want to hide it."

"Then why?"

I looked out through the glass wall toward Minnie's desk.

"I've just got her back, Nova."

My voice became quieter.

"I don't want anything from my past to hurt her again."

Nova walked closer and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Will... if she hears it from someone else instead of you, it'll hurt her even more."

I knew he was right.

"I'll tell her."

"When?"

I took a deep breath.

"Tonight."

Nova smiled reassuringly.

"Don't overthink it. Minnie loves you. She'll listen before judging you."

I gave him a small smile.

"I hope so."

Nova patted my shoulder once before walking toward the door.

I was busy finishing tomorrow's event work when I casually looked at the time.

9:00 PM.

My eyes widened.

I quickly grabbed my car keys and walked out of my cabin. The entire floor was empty except for one person.

Minnie.

She was still sitting at her desk, completely focused on her laptop.

I sighed.

This girl... she doesn't even know how to take care of herself.

I walked toward her.

She looked up and smiled, and just like always, my heart felt lighter.

"Love, it's already 9 o'clock. Why are you still working?" I asked worriedly.

Her eyes widened as she looked at the time.

"Oh no... I didn't even notice! I just finished my work."

Then she smiled innocently.

"But why didn't you remind me to go home?"

I gently tapped her forehead.

"I came to remind you. Now pack your bag."

She smiled, packed her things, and stood beside me.

"Shall we go home?"

I smiled back.

"Let's go."

Minnie POV

I turned off my computer, grabbed my bag, and saw Will holding out his hand for me. I smiled and took it. We walked to the parking lot and got into the car. As Will started the engine, I felt a deep sense of peace just looking out at the road. Suddenly, I felt his hand wrap around mine. He held my hand tightly while using his other hand to drive. I squeezed back, staring at his handsome face.

"Are you still in a romantic mood, love?" he asked suddenly.

I snapped out of it, my face turning red. "What? No..." I stumbled over my words. He laughed at my reaction. Embarrassed, I quickly looked out the car window.

Ten minutes later, we reached my apartment. As unbuckled my seatbelt, I realized I didn't want him to leave yet. Since we hadn't eaten dinner, I asked him nervously, "Will... it's already late. Why don't you stay over tonight? We can go to the office together tomorrow. Ic ok dinner for you."

He smirked and looked at me. "Minnie, do you know what you are saying? It's really dangerous for me to stay overnight, you know."

My face burned with a blush. "I... I just wanted to spend some time with you. That's all, don't overthink it! If you don't want to come, fine. I'm leaving," I said, getting out of the car.

But he called out to me, "Wait for me. Let me park the car and I'll come up." My eyes went wide, and I nodded happily.

Inside my apartment, I walked in and sat straight down on the sofa. Will came over and sat right next to me. He pulled me close against his chest. I looked up at him and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Without waiting a second, he answered, "You. I want you."

The breath completely caught in my throat. Frantic and dizzy with emotion, I swat at his chest, scrambling up from the sofa to escape to the safety of the kitchen. Trying to ground myself, I pulled some fresh fruits from desperate to find something to focus on. Standing at the counter, I started cutting them into a bowl, but my mind was spinning.

Suddenly, a warm shadow fell over me. Before I could even turn around, Will's strong arms wrapped securely around my waist from behind. He pulled me back until my spine was pressed flush against his hard chest, trapping me between his body and the kitchen counter. He slid his large hands over my stomach, his grip possessive and heavy, while he rested his head in

the crook of my neck.

"You smell so good, love," he murmured darkly, his deep voice vibrating right against my skin.

A sharp shiver ran down my spine. I bit my lower lip, trying my absolute best to focus on the knife and the fruit in front of me, but my hands were trembling. Will noticed. He let out a low, wicked chuckle, and his grip shifted. His fingers dug firmly into my hip, anchoring me to him, and I felt all the strength drain from my legs.

"Will... stop..." I gasped out, though my voice sounded weak and breathless.

"Stop what, love?" he teased, his voice a low purr against my ear. His hand began to trail slowly, dangerously upward, sending a wave of fire across my skin.

Before I could even process the feeling, he gently but firmly took the knife from my hand and set it safely on the counter. In one quick, powerful motion, he spun me around and lifted me up, setting me down on the edge of the cold kitchen countertop.

My breath caught completely in my throat. My heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird as we stared into each other's eyes. The playful look in Will's eyes was gone, replaced by something dark, intense, and completely intoxicating. He stepped forward, standing deep between my thighs, closing every inch of

distance between us.

Slowly, deliberately, he reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair away from my shoulder, exposing the bare skin of my neck. He leaned in, his hot breath brushing my skin a second before his lips pressed against my pulse point-my absolute weakest spot.

let out a soft gasp, my fingers gripping the edge of the counter just to stay steady.

"I told you, love," he whispered against my skin, his voice sending another wave of heat through me. "It's really dangerous to stay with you."

He didn't stop. He kept pressing deep, burning kisses along my jawline, down my neck, and onto my collarbone, marking me as his. I completely lost track of time and space, drowning in the heavy, intoxicating fog of his touch, my hands automatically moving to grip his shoulders. I was entirely under his spell until, out of nowhere, a loud, echoing growl came straight from my empty stomach.

The intense, breathless moment shattered instantly.

Will froze against my neck. For a second, there was total silence, and then he pulled back and burst into a loud, genuine laugh.

I hit his shoulder. He laughed and took the knife from my hand. "Go freshen up and take a bath while I finish making this salad," he said. Then, his expression grew serious. "And hurry up. I need to tell you something important." Confused but curious, I nodded and went to my room to take a shower.

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Author Note

Hello my dear readers 👋 I hope you are doing well if you like this chapter please don't forget to vote and support 💓🥰

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