Selina didn't let the embrace last for the next second as she pulled back, and stared at him in shock.
"How did you get here?" She asked, knowing she hadn't even shared her location with him.
They weren't that close. Just a waitress and a customer relationship in the pub; she was fired days ago.
Selina followed Noah's stare and saw Zane.
She hadn't expected him to follow her outside. She couldn't believe such an aloof, indifferent man could be this idle and poke nosing into her moment like a stalker.
As their eyes met for a while, she remained composed, looking away from him.
Selina shot Noah a death glare. "Can we leave? I can't be late."
"Okay, my love. Hop in," Noah said with a playful smile, grasping the car's door knob and opening it like a gentleman.
She scoffed at his words 'My love ' which sounded shallow to her.
Selina slipped inside while Noah turned to the driver's seat.
Watching that punk hold Selina so boldly stirred a sharp, unfamiliar burn through Zane's veins, pushing him to intervene. Yet he forced the impulse down.
He had no right to care—there were rules between them, ones he'd made himself, and they remained unbreakable. His jaw clenched.
"Zane, you can't just keep quiet about her behaviour just because she's your wife," Maura spurred in her usual thoughtful yet innocent voice. "Or maybe… she's bold because another man is giving her confidence. It's quite difficult for a wife to be rude unless she has a lover by her side. A secret affair,"
Maura almost regretted her words the moment Zane's burning gaze slid to her.
She swallowed hard.
Zane moved away from the threshold, deliberately and calmly, towards his waiting car.
"Did I say something wrong?" Maura's sharp eyes lingered on Zane's retreating frame, the weight of his earlier suppressed emotions still heavy in the air.
.....
"That young man from earlier looks like the well-known, ruthless, dangerous, and cold businessman in Country C. What's your relationship with him? Boyfriend? Or husband?" Noah asked, his mind drifting relentlessly towards those cold yet dangerous eyes.
Selina tightened her grip around the seatbelt and replied, "He's not my husband."
She wasn't denying Zane; rather, she was stating a fact—there had been no marriage between them all this time. It was a false fantasy she had clung to.
Noah snapped his attention from the road to her. If he remembered correctly, Selina had been married for two years, but he hadn't heard her speak about her marriage or any relationship with that cold-hearted man.
"How can two unmarried people in a non-romantic relationship live together? If he's not your husband, why did he look like he'd burn me for taking you away? He seemed so upset and…" He trailed off, struggling to make sense of the cool rage he had seen in Zane's demeanor.
Selina didn't care; she was more concerned about what lay ahead.
But what drew her attention even more was how Noah knew about her living in Zane's estate. She had barely known him for two months, and he had been pestering her for a relationship.
"You haven't answered me earlier. Are you stalking me? How much do you know about me?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion as she stared at him.
Noah chuckled playfully. "I'm not stalking you. I want us to get along as friends. Do you accept my offer?"
Friend? Selina hadn't thought of making one, not when she was still in the shadows of her disguise. She frowned, knowing she had nothing to offer a guy like him, even in friendship.
Everyone avoided her due to her appearance and identity, yet Noah persisted by helping out with the cleanup at the pub after her shift, like a good Samaritan. Seeing that he was different and kinder than others, she subtly allowed him to get close.
"I don't know yet. I'm still thinking about it," she muttered.
Noah glanced at her.
"Anytime then," he whispered. "Why not tell me about that guy? Do you really have nothing serious with him? I need to tread carefully around you before I get attacked," he joked, seeking clarification.
"It's something transactional. You don't have to worry about it."
Noah rubbed his chin and said reassuringly, "Given the way you speak, I can tell you're in a complicated relationship. Don't worry; I'll make sure to support you in any way I can."
Selina couldn't understand Noah's intentions; she didn't want to be a burden to anyone, which was why she had learned not to depend on others too much.
Selina stared at him. "Thank you for understanding, Noah. But don't worry about me—I have my own path to follow, and I don't want to hold you back. I can handle things on my own."
Noah grinned warmly, easing her nervousness about what she was about to face once she stepped out of his car.
"An independent woman? I like that. I'm rooting for you, so don't stress too much."
Selina flashed him a smile in return. "Thank you."
Noah pulled up in front of the vast grounds after a long drive.
Selina unbuckled her seatbelt, taking a deep, steady breath to calm her nerves. She had fought to push the pregnancy to the back of her mind, determined to focus on passing this interview before deciding what to do next.
"You can do it. Fighting!" Noah's gentle voice echoed confidently.
"I know I can do it. Fighting!" she asserted, raising her fist in a show of courage.
"I'll be waiting until you're finished," Noah offered.
She glanced at the time on her wristwatch, realizing she was ten minutes early. She had almost been late due to the traffic jam.
Selina emerged from the car and raised her gaze to the towering building featuring the IRIS LUXE sign on the billboard.
With confidence wrapped around her like a cloak, Selina walked past security, striding further along the polished hallway, busy with customers and staff. She made her way toward the reception.
As she got closer, the receptionist noticed Selina's presence. "How can we help you?" she asked, casting an indifferent glance from head to toe.
Selina tilted her head slightly, wondering where the receptionist's manners had gone.
Shouldn't she at least be greeted warmly?
She pushed that rudeness aside and replied, "Good morning. I'm Selina Seth. I have an interview here."
The receptionist scanned the candidate list. "There's no Selina Seth here. You're not shortlisted. Please use the door, miss," she said dismissively, her tone harsh and unprofessional.
Selina's brows narrowed, observing if the receptionist was being confused by her mother's surname, 'Seth', or if she was being serious.
"What do you mean, my name isn't on the list? I received an email confirming my interview today at 9 a.m." Selina said, scrolling through her phone to open her inbox.
She tapped the email from IRIS LUXE and held her phone out toward the receptionist. "See for yourself."
Instead of checking, the receptionist refused to glance at the phone and accused her, "Miss, don't cause a scene out of ignorance. Leave before I call security to throw you out."
Selina scoffed. "Ignorance? Is that what you call it? Instead of verifying, you're just being rude and dismissive. Seriously?"
The receptionist glared at her, clearly disapproving of Selina's appearance. "I know people like you — always looking to blame us to ruin the company's image out of desperation. Maybe you were shortlisted by mistake, and this is just a reversal."
Selina almost laughed at the absurd excuse, but her expression hardened. "It's been a week since I received that email. Did the server break and fail to send me a correction all this time?"
The receptionist parted her lips to respond, but Selina cut her off. "I won't leave until I get an explanation for this. I want to see your HR manager."
The receptionist's face paled. "Why are you making a scene? I'll call security," she threatened, reaching for the landline.
Unshaken, Selina stood her ground, wondering if this was some cruel trick by Everett or a mistake on the company's part—maybe due to the past scandal. She struggled to comprehend the situation.
"Come quickly. There's a troublesome woman here," the receptionist said into the phone.
Two security guards rushed toward Selina. "Drag this woman out!" the receptionist ordered.
The guards stepped forward to grab her but froze at the sight of her piercing glare.
"Don't you dare," Selina said, her voice steely and commanding. "Looks like you want this company sued for harassment."
She knew she didn't have the power to make good on the threat, nor did she want to watch the company crumble under the weight of rude staff — but she wouldn't allow herself to be humiliated again.
That was a promise she made to herself.
Her threat clearly unsettled them.