The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 285

She wanted to say something else, to fix it, but the moment had passed.

Yancey didn't reply. He just clenched the warm cup in his hand and walked away. His assistants shot Wisteria a look of shared disappointment before following him.

When Wisteria returned to the department, her colleagues scattered from the doorway like a flock of birds. She couldn't help but feel a twitch in her brow. Just then, a male colleague approached her, coffee in hand.

"Wisteria, you don't like Mr. Covington, do you? So, what's your type?"

"Not you," Wisteria said coldly. Noticing the coffee in his hand was one she'd bought, she snatched it back. Her treat was for the women in the department. The men weren't included.

...

Yancey had come to see Ramona. They had a meeting scheduled for the afternoon, but he found himself with free time at lunch and decided to come early. Ramona was out, so he waited in her office. Bored, he took a sip of the coffee Wisteria had given him.

It was incredibly bitter. The bitterness made his face twist into a grimace. He’d never been able to handle bitter things. That girl, Wisteria, hadn’t even bothered to pick a decent coffee for him. So much for sincerity.

Just then, the door opened and Ramona walked in, catching the pained expression on Yancey’s face.

"Yancey, are you all right?"

Gossip traveled fast in the company. On her way up, Ramona had already heard a rumor that Yancey had just professed his love to Wisteria outside her department, only to be brutally rejected. She’d been skeptical. Yancey had told her he and Wisteria were just friends now. Had he really caved so quickly? And a public declaration, at that? How embarrassing.

"Not really. It's too bitter," Yancey said, setting the cup down sheepishly.

"I understand how you feel," Ramona said sympathetically, patting his shoulder. "Don't force yourself."

"But I can't just throw it away, can I? What a waste." Yancey had seen the price tag; the small cup wasn't cheap.

He wondered if Wisteria even had enough allowance to be buying so many. He knew the Huxleys had always been stingy with her, giving her only a pittance each month. The clothes she wore to events were always Solenne Huxley's hand-me-downs. She could never afford anything nice for herself. In the past, when he’d tried to buy her expensive gifts, she’d refused them, and offering her money would only make her angry. It seemed years had passed, but she hadn't changed. Seeing her working at his family's toy store confirmed that she still had no savings to speak of.

"But if it's that bitter, you'll just have to suffer through it if you don't toss it," Ramona sighed, thinking he was speaking metaphorically. She walked over to her desk to sort through some files.

"I'm not used to it, but it's not unbearable," Yancey said, picking up the cup and forcing down another large gulp. He winced. "You know, when it's this bitter, you almost stop feeling it."

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Ramona said with a laugh. "You want me to help you out?"

"I was talking about the coffee! It's too bitter!"

At that, Ramona's face flushed too.

Yancey snatched the phone from her and frantically unsent the message. Seeing that Wisteria hadn't replied, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's busy. She probably didn't see it," Ramona said, forcing an awkward smile.

Yancey stared at the "message retracted" notification in the chat for a long time without speaking.

He was clearly upset. For someone so good-natured, his cold expression was genuinely intimidating. Ramona felt like a child who'd been caught misbehaving and didn't dare say another word.

After a long silence, Yancey handed the phone back. "If she asks about it…"

"I'll clear it up," Ramona said quickly.

Yancey nodded, then swiftly composed himself. Knowing Wisteria, even if she had seen it, she would have pretended she hadn't.