Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 1948

At the villa.

Not long after Coralie got home, her phone rang. It was Odom.

"Ms. Quill, dinner is served."

Coralie opened the door to see Odom holding a thermal food container. She frowned slightly. "Didn't I say you don't need to bring me dinner? I can just make a quick sandwich."

Odom wasn't young anymore. He managed the heavy workload at the casino all day, yet still found time to cook and deliver her meals every evening.

She felt like some tyrannical boss exploiting her employees.

It made her feel terribly guilty.

"Mr. Irving pays me very well," Odom said with a warm smile as he set the container down. "If I take his money without doing the work, the guilt will keep me awake at night. Lack of sleep impacts my health, which then shortens my lifespan."

"For the sake of my longevity, please let me keep cooking for you, Ms. Quill."

He delivered his reasoning with such profound sincerity that Coralie couldn't find a single counterargument.

"Alright, fine. Just take care of your health and don't overwork yourself."

Coralie figured she'd just quietly slip a massive bonus into his next paycheck.

Once the baby was born, she would fully resume her duties at the casino, and Odom wouldn't have to push himself so hard anymore.

"Head home and get some rest."

"Goodnight, Ms. Quill." Odom nodded, making sure to steal a couple of extra glances at Coralie before he left.

And, of course...

A lingering look at the little one growing inside her.

——

The door clicked shut.

The living room was suddenly suffocatingly quiet.

Coralie ate her braised pork rice while absentmindedly scrolling through her messaging app.

It had been exactly forty-five days since Channing left.

And in all that time, he hadn't made a single phone call or sent a single text.

Right before he left, he had begged her so desperately to let him stay.

But the moment he walked out the door, he vanished without a trace.

This was technically the best-case scenario, yet for some inexplicable reason, a bitter ache gnawed at her heart.

Lately, she had been dreaming about him more often than she ever dreamt about Ari Lowell.

Especially these past few nights. It was almost an every-night occurrence.

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