The sound of a heavy box dropping on the floor not far from them snapped Ang out of her trance. She leaned back, creating a space between her and Andy. A small smirk stered on his lips as he dug one hand into his pants pocket, the other clutching a briefcase. So many questions ran in her head, and she settled for the most ring one.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Business."


    "I mean here…in New York."


    Andy tilted his head as though he was studying her. "You forgot? I moved out after... I''m taking over my father''spany in Manhattan."


    The past fluttered in her head, reminding her of how she ended their rtionship back then. He did mention moving here to New York. Andy''s parents were separated, and at that time they went out, he was in Mayne to be closer to his mother.However, he had always thought abouting to New York and working with his father. The details about Andy were buried somewhere in her head, something she did when she didn''t think about the person anymore. However, seeing him again after all this time, it''s like reality pped her in the face.


    And what reality was it? That she''s a coward. That all she did was run away. And that no matter how perfect the man was who was interested in her, she would feel so undeserving of him. That she was a lost cause. Just like what Evan told her repeatedly: Everyone would leave her because nobody wants a broken doll.


    And Andy? Andy was perfect. Despite his birth parents'' separation, he was a perfect gentleman raised by a lovely woman who got remarried to a very kind chief of police. He had excellent grades and graduated from an Ivy League school, and even became the director of finance in one of the toppanies in histe twenties—something that people on the corporatedder could only dream about. He was sweet and thoughtful and faithful and was against violence—a woman''s dream. Just…perfect.


    He should''ve been the one.


    But he wasn''t.


    "Oh…right…" was all she could say, feeling a knot forming between her shoulder des. Ang wasn''t prepared to see him here, especially when Gael was just around the corner. Shit. Gael.


    ''Oh. My. God.'' She panicked. Gael was supposed to meet the investor here today.


    Was the universe ying her? Of all people with money to burn out there, why did it have to be Andy?


    Gael''s business was his business. But this was just cruel. Hundreds of curses broke out in her head, directing it to fate. Stupid Fate. ''Screw you, Fate.''


    "What about you?" Andy''s question stopped her from turning her head to look for Gael. "What are you doing here? As far as I know, Su Corp rarely has projects in Manhattan."


    "Ah… No… I''m…not here for work. I haven''t been working for my dad in a while, actually."


    He chuckled. "I figured. I went to visit Olist year and didn''t see you there."


    "You came to thepany?" Her brows drew together, certain that Oliver hadn''t mentioned Andy going there at all.


    "Yeah, I was in town. Thought I should drop by and see you. I wasn''t lucky... Though this is a really nice surprise…"


    ***


    Meanwhile…


    Gael stood outside the door to his office, having just finished talking to the foreman about some adjustments regarding the floor''s renovation. He was about to head back to Ang when he saw a man in a blue suit entering the floor and looking around. He recognized the man right away. Andrew McCarthy.


    He lifted the corner of his lips, watching his investor walk in the midst of the renovation of the office space. But his smile instantly fell when said investor called his girlfriend''s name, and thetter looked flustered when she turned around. The expression on Gael''s face morphed from curiosity to pissed off the moment McCarthy ced a hand on her back and kissed her cheek, looking anything but friendly to him. The fuck?


    She stepped away, two seconds too fuckingte.


    His feet were faster than his brain as they took the steps towards the tall window where Ang and fucking McHandsy were.


    "…though this is a really nice surprise—"


    "Mr. McCarthy." Gael kept his voice leveled despite the growing thorns rising beneath his skin, ready to poke their sharp edges out. He slid a hand around Ang''s waist while extending the other toward McHandsy. She slightly flinched in his arm as though she was surprised he was back, and he squeezed. "I''m d you could make it. I see you met my girlfriend."


    McHandsy shook Gael''s firm hand, his eyes bouncing between him and Ang before a smile ghosted his lips. "Mr. De Luca. Nice to meet you. I''ve known Ang for a long time, actually. We go way back."


    "You do…" Gael nced at Ang who refused to look at both of them and instead decided the dusty floor was more interesting. A corner of his lips pulled up as he gripped her waist until she looked up at him. "Is that right… Babe?"


    "Y-Yeah… Um Andy…used to work for my father''spany back then. He''s one of Oliver''s friends."


    Andy? Fucking Andy?


    ''What the hell is that intimacy?''


    "I see." He kept the smile on his face. The smile that he''d practice a thousand times—a fake one—to put on whenever he had to. He could feel it in his gut that there was something else between the two, and the urge to drag her far away from here was strong, but he remained still while keeping his arm around her.


    McHandsy checked the time on his watch and then his phone before he spoke again. "My car''s waiting downstairs. I actually have somece to be."


    "The contract." Gael handed him a white folder.


    "Right. I''ll have mywyers check on this, and I''ll get back to you as soon as I can. I need to fly out this week to L.A., though. I hope you don''t mind me taking my time going over this." McHandsy received the folder and tucked it inside his briefcase before he looked around the office space.


    "Not at all. Take your time."


    "Very nice location you got here. Construction going well?"


    "Everything''s going ording to n."


    "That''s great. I hope toe by again soon—with my father next time. Will you be here then, Ang? I''m sure pops would love to see you."


    Gael''s jaw tightened. He was really not liking this interaction between them.


    McHandsy didn''t wait for Ang to respond, though. With a broad smile on his face, he extended a hand to Gael again, and thetter shook it. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. De Luca."


    "Likewise, Mr. McCarthy." Gael returned the hospitality. "If there''s anything, don''t hesitate to email me."


    "I will," he replied, then turned to look at Ang. "Lovely seeing you again, Ang."


    There was a fucking spark in McHandsy''s eyes, the way he looked at her. And it took everything in Gael not to poke the spark out of his eyes and make McHandsy eat it.


    ***


    As soon as Andy left the floor, Gael dropped his hand from her waist. There was silence between them for a minute, neither of them speaking. She wanted to say something, but what? What could she possibly say?


    "We should go. Our reservation is at six." Gael turned on his heel and headed towards the elevators.


    Ang swore that she could feel her heartbeat in her throat and hear it in her ears. There was no doubt that Gael saw her interaction with Andy even before he joined them, and now he was mad.


    She followed him to the elevator, his rigid back in in sight. He shoved both of his hands into his pockets, keeping his gaze straight ahead as they waited for the car.


    He wasn''t touching her. And she hated that. But she couldn''t reach out to him for fear of rejection.


    The ride going down to the lobby took forever. They stepped out of the car and headed towards his Escde. He opened the door for her and ced a hand over her head to protect it as she got inside. Even then, he was still so sweet, yet he hadn''t spoken to her since they left the office.


    Cold Gael was icy. And she missed his warmth, especially since he kept a distance between them in the backseat of his car.


    Ang had always loved the cold in winter. But she never expected to feel it with Gael.