Allie woke up with a start, realizing she'd overslept. She could've sworn she set her alarm, but it hadn't gone off.
She sat up quickly, waking the man next to her.
Liam groaned, barely opening his eyes. "What are you doing so early?"
"It's eight o'clock! I'm late for work," she said, scrambling to get up.
But before she could move, Liam pulled her back, wrapping his arm around her. "You're already late. Stay and sleep a little longer."
Allie hesitated, but his hold was firm. She didn't dare resist, so she lay still, hoping he'd drift back to sleep. Slowly, she started inching away, trying to slip out of his arms.
Just when she thought she was free, Liam's voice rumbled in her ear. "Sneaking around like a caterpillar this early?"
Before she could reply, he pulled her close, and the morning took a very different turn.
When Allie finally made it to the office, it was almost 9:30.
Her friend Jenna spotted her. "Allie! What's up? You're never late."
Memories of that morning flashed through her mind, and she felt her cheeks warm.
Jenna squinted. "Your face is all red. Are you feeling okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine," Allie stammered. "It's just… my dog. He's super clingy."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Jenna nudged her. "Heads up. The boss is here."
Sure enough, Liam was walking by. He paused slightly as he passed them, his gaze flickering in Allie's direction before he continued.
She held her breath. Did he hear what she'd just said?
Jenna exhaled in relief. "You're so lucky he didn't call you out for being late! I thought he'd drag you to his office for a scolding."
Allie's heart pounded. If only they knew they'd arrived together—thankfully, no one had seen her getting out of his car.
Just then, another coworker, Claire, chimed in. "You have a pet dog, Allie? What breed?"
Allie hesitated, then shrugged. "Uh… a teddy."
If Liam knew she'd compared him to a teddy bear, he'd never let her live it down.
But she didn't have to worry about him for a bit. That afternoon, he left on a business trip to Tokyo, messaging her before his flight: "Gone for three days. See you soon."
Three months of a secret marriage, and he spent half that time on business trips. Still, he never left without telling her.
With just a week left in her internship, Allie only hoped for a smooth finish back at school. But the next day held a surprise.
When she walked into the office, a crowd had gathered around her desk. She squeezed through and saw a massive bouquet of rainbow roses—99 of them.
Jenna's eyes widened. "Wow, Allie! Who sent these? This must've cost a fortune!"
Allie's heart sank. She found the card tucked inside the roses and read it, her expression shifting instantly. Without a word, she grabbed the bouquet and tossed it into the trash.
Everyone stared, stunned. Jenna leaned in, whispering, "Did you and your boyfriend have a fight?"
Another coworker sighed. "If my boyfriend sent me 99 rainbow roses, I'd forgive him for anything."
Allie avoided explaining, leaving everyone curious.
The rest of the day, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. After work, she stepped outside and froze—there was Nick's car parked right in front of the building.