“Finally, I'm home after such a messy and troublesome day!”Brandon closed the apartment door behind him and placed his keys on the small table near the entrance. He loosened his tie as he walked farther inside, already thinking about getting some food and going through the documents Norway had given him.The apartment was quiet, and he preferred it that way. After spending most of the day dealing with business problems, he wanted an ordinary evening without meetings, questions, or people expecting something from him.He took a few steps toward the living room before something near the window caught his attention.Brandon stopped.A telescope stood beside the window.He walked over and stared at it for a moment, remembering the day Victoria had given it to him as a gift after registering a star under Maggie's name.Brandon adjusted the telescope and tried to remember Victoria's instructions. It took him a few attempts to position it properly, but eventually, he managed to get it worki

“Mr. Collin, the materials for the eastern section have arrived, but I want them checked before anyone starts using them.”Brandon stood beside the project plans with his sleeves rolled up, comparing the delivery report with the quantities listed in the contract. Collin stood beside him with a tablet in hand while several workers waited nearby for instructions.“I'll have the team verify everything before we move the materials inside,” Collin confirmed as he checked the delivery details. “The supplier claims everything matches the order.”“Claims aren't enough,” Brandon responded while pointing toward the figures on the report. “We've already had problems with suppliers trying to hide shortages in the previous batches. Check the quantity, quality, and invoice before approving anything.”Collin nodded and turned toward one of the supervisors. “Take two people with you and inspect the entire delivery before it enters the storage area.”The supervisor immediately walked toward the trucks

“You don't have to pretend that everything is okay just because I'm here.”Brandon paused with his fork halfway to his mouth and glanced at Victoria. The food Laura had sent was still spread across the table, and they had barely touched most of it. After everything that had happened outside, he had gone quiet, but he wasn't angry anymore.“I’m not pretending,” Brandon admitted as he placed the fork back on his plate. “I'm just tired of having the same argument with someone who refuses to accept that it's over.”Victoria watched him for a moment before picking up a piece of food from her plate. “Is it Lyra's words that bother you, or is it the fact that she keeps making you bring Maggie into everything?”“That bothers me more than anything else,” Brandon murmured, a hint of sadness in his voice. “She can say whatever she wants about me. I stopped caring about that a long time ago. But whenever she tries to make herself look like the victim, she brings Maggie into it. I don't understand

“Mr. Norway, why do you want me to attend a private dinner with you?”Brandon stood across from Norway's desk, holding the invitation that had been handed to him a few minutes earlier. He had expected another discussion about the project, not a dinner with a group of businessmen he barely knew.Norway leaned back in his chair. “Because one of my old friends is hosting it, and he specifically asked me to bring you.”“Me?” Brandon was surprised that a stranger was interested in meeting him.“Yes, you.” Norway gave him an amused smile. “He heard about the work you've been doing on my project and wants to meet you in person.”Brandon glanced at the invitation again. “Do I really need to go?”Basically, Brandon is an introvert who doesn't enjoy being around too many people. Meeting one or two people is manageable for him, but attending a gathering filled with people makes him feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed.“You don't have to, but it would be rude to refuse after he personally requeste

“I prefer you acting like a girl rather than a thug,” Brandon remarked, making Victoria frown.“Did you just call me a thug?” she questioned, clearly offended by the way he compared her with a thug.“Nah, I asked you to act like a girl,” he replied, leaving her even more confused. “Is there really a difference?”Brandon chuckled when she struggled to come up with an answer. He didn't pull his hand away; in fact, he found it amusing to tease her because she could be adorably clueless sometimes.They continued walking toward the entrance while Victoria kept hold of his hand. She seemed completely comfortable with the situation, while Brandon was still trying to understand how naturally she had started doing things like this.After they reached the entrance, Victoria finally released his hand and teased him. “You're getting better at this.” “At what?”“Pretending to be my boyfriend.”