Iris’s POV
The moment I stepped back into my quiet corner, my old computer gave another pathetic freeze.
I reached into my blazer pocket to pull out a notepad, but my fingers brushed against my phone instead.
Right on cue, the screen lit up.
It was a text from “Riley”—the name I had used to disguise Ryder’s contact.
My heart gave a sudden skip against my ribs when I read the message.
I miss you.
Let’s do dinner tonight.
I stared at the screen, smiling like a fool.
Quickly, I hit a response; “Okay”.
Third Person POV
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the massive Lancaster Holdings skyscraper, the atmosphere inside the executive boardroom was thick with tension.
The company’s top directors and vice presidents were lined up along the long mahogany table, their expressions dead serious as they presented the quarterly financial audits.
Ryder Lancaster sat at the head of the table.
His tailored charcoal suit was neatly trimmed, making his posture rigid and commanding.
He listened to the presentations with his usual cold, unreadable expression, his sharp eyes scanning the documents in front of him.
Suddenly, a soft buzz broke the quiet drone of the vice president’s voice.
It was Ryder’s private phone resting on the table.
The screen flashed once.
Every director in the room secretly held their breath.
Ryder never looked at his phone during high-level meetings.
It was an unspoken rule in Lancaster Holdings that when the heir was in the room, the rest of the world ceased to exist.
But Ryder didn’t ignore it.
He picked up the device, his dark eyes scanning the single word on the screen.
A sudden, barely visible shift occurred in his features. New chapters come out on g.com first.
The tight, cold line of his jaw relaxed, and the icy mask he wore for the business world completely dissolved, replaced by a quiet, intent focus.
He slid the phone into his pocket and smoothly pushed his chair back from the table.
“We’ll stop here for today,” Ryder murmured, “Send the rest of the reports to Leo’s office. I have somewhere I need to be.”
He stood up, grabbing his suit jacket from the back of the chair, and walked straight out of the boardroom without a single backward glance.
The heavy wooden doors clicked shut behind him, leaving the room in a state of absolute shock.
Up front, Leo quickly closed his tablet, breaking out into a cold sweat as the remaining directors turned to him with questioning eyes.
Leo didn’t say a word.
He just swallowed hard and began packing his files, knowing exactly who had just pulled the ruthless billionaire away from his empire.
Iris’s POV”Go copy these files, Deputy Manager.
All of them,” Marcus had sneered, dumping a massive, towering stack of project blueprints onto my desk right before it was even noon.
“And don’t even think about leaving until they’re done.”
That was how I spent my entire afternoon.
While the rest of the department walked out to enjoy their lunch breaks, I stood completely alone in the small, stifling copy room.
Despite how hungry I was, I didn’t stop, because I didn’t want Marcus and Julian to have anything against me.
By the time the final sheet slid into the tray, every single desk was empty.
It was past six o’clock, and everyone had already gone home already.
Exhausted, I grabbed my coat and hurried out of the building, quickly hailing a yellow taxi.
“Ryder was waiting for me.” I thought to myself.
I pulled out my phone and quickly pulled up the chat thread pinned at the very top.
“I’m so sorry, I got stuck late at work. I’m trapped in traffic right now,” I typed out, my thumbs flying across the screen.
My phone buzzed almost instantly: I’ll wait for you.
Take your time, sweetheart.
I stared at the short, simple words glowing on the screen.
After a brutal, humiliating day of being treated like garbage by my husband’s family, Ryder’s message felt like a warm blanket.
Without even realizing it, the corners of my lips curved up into a soft, genuine smile. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
For the first time all day, the heavy weight in my chest lifted.
When the taxi finally pulled up to the quiet, upscale restaurant, I paid the driver and stepped out into the cool evening air.
Ryder was already waiting there for me.
Leaning casually against the side of his sleek SUV, he had discarded his formal suit jacket, wearing only his tailored black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up his forearms.
His long legs were casually propped up against the curb, his stance oozing an irresistible attraction that made me flutter right on the spot.
He looked like an absolute movie star just waiting in the shadows.
The moment his dark eyes found me, his rigid posture softened.
He took a slow step forward, reached out, and naturally closed his large, warm fingers around my hand.
His grip was steady and gentle, holding me tightly as if we were actual lovers who had been together for years, rather than two people tangled in a dangerous, secret game.
My skin tingled at the contact, but I was too tired and too hungry to pull away.
He guided me straight into the private dining room, and shortly after, a delicious meal was already waiting on the table.
The moment the waiter closed the door, all my corporate manners disappeared.
I sat down, picked up my cutlery, and began to gobble down the food without stopping for breath.
I was absolutely starving.
“Iris,” he murmured after watching me for a long while, deep voice dropping to a low, rough register as he watched me reach for another bite.
“You didn’t eat lunch today at all?”
I froze, my fork halfway to my mouth.
I took my time to slowly chew and swallow, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed under his gaze.”I was just busy,” I muttered, looking down at my plate to avoid his eyes.
Ryder frowned, his expression instantly shifting from gentle to serious.
He reached across the table, his thumb gently wiping a tiny crumb from the corner of my lip.
“Eat slowly. You have all night, sweetheart.”
I had been starving, so I just continued, wolfing down my food.