Chapter 21

Her heart softened when she saw him still standing there after half an hour. She hadn’t meant to keep him waiting—it was just that she’d been so absorbed in her work.

Quickly gathering her bag and phone, Emily prepared to leave, but then a thought crossed her mind. Her mind advised against it, but her heart urged her on. She quickly made a cup of coffee, just the way Nicholas liked it, and then headed out.

Nicholas was visibly taken aback. He stared at the coffee cup Emily offered, his expression caught between surprise and skepticism. For a moment, he didn’t move, just looked at her with raised eyebrows.

Then, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "What’s this? Did you poison it or something?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Emily felt a flicker of annoyance but kept her composure.

"If I wanted to poison you, I wouldn’t waste good coffee," she replied dryly, pushing the cup closer to him.