ch and bacon, toast, almond milk cappuccino, waffles ser

paused. Everything-each item he'd listed earlier-was already perfectly prepared and plated. It was exactly to his taste. He wou

fact that the new girl, Annabe

the hell

t being present at the table when he ate, antic

ishment in his mind for h

ard Barton saw her,

ng every inch of her body. The black miniskirt barely brushed her thighs, and the white blouse was nearly sheer.

es up and down her body once, twice

nt a shiver racing down her spine, as though i

hard forgot everything. His ru

ty hit him lik

e all of them. She's no different. N

able with a deafening thud, then stormed out of

a look of pity befor

en, her lips parted,

t happened?" she w

Richard was stewing. Fi

quietly, pulling up outside an

snapped, "Why the hell are we here?

day," Marc remi

s breath and slammed th

Maybe Miss Hamilton didn't mean to wear suc

ond, gave Marc a sidelon

ned against the hallw

ven glance at me-let alone scold me-and I was cle

gments, especially toward women he believed used th

stood stiffly by the

touched a

rrying heavy trays. Her legs felt like lead from running

he muttered under her breath, biting back the sting of humiliation. Her jaw tightened. "What a waste...

her only added fuel to the fire. The servants were eyeing her-whispering, smirking, and not even attempting to hide it.She was already fee

he kitchen. Lily followed, noticing the tre

hell is Mr. Barton like this? He didn't eat, he didn't sp

tle look but didn't

stand women in short or revealing clothes. Thinks they all dress up to get into some r

slightly, but sh

ive anyone the right to look down on me. And this stupid

s, child. Every coin has two sides. He's not an easy m

lle bl

y continued. "There's pain behind tha

the man Richard Barton used to be-the boy who ha

d. The anger hadn't vanished,

s, they're his burden. I'm here to work-not to pity, and

opped to Annabelle's unif

iss Julia usually handles the distribution, and she would

abelle like a freight t

iving lit

be humiliated. First the fall, now the

's veins. But she wasn't go

ard had settled behind h

in," he ordered, h

ly catching the chan

late as always. When she heard he was in, she booted out her colleague, fixed her li

re you look

air and asked in a s

Julia too harbored feelings for him. But she'd neve

around him. She truly believed he had feel

er little world-until Richard as

abelle, making her fall on him-e