CHAPTER 2 – ARRIVING IN CANTERBURY

CHAPTER 2 – ARRIVING IN CANTERBURY

It was late afternoon when Chatrine arrived in Canterbury. She parked her car in front of Liam’s gallery. The sky glowed a bright orange, and the dry summer air carried dust that stung her nose. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief and sneezed.

“Hak, zink!!!”

“Hak, zink!!!”

“Hak, zink!!!”

She sneezed three times before finally adjusting. Her cheeks flushed red, and her eyes watered.

“Oh, God…”

Chatrine wasn’t used to dealing with dust, but the beautiful blonde woman refused to give up on her reckless determination.

“What time is it?!” She glanced at the expensive watch on her wrist. “Why is it already closed?!”

From the outside, the gallery looked deserted. The front door was tightly shut. But Chatrine’s sharp ears caught the familiar hum of a wood-cutting machine coming from the warehouse at the back.

“Of course… he’s still working.”

She was one hundred percent certain that a man like Liam loved his work and a slab of wood more than any summer vacation.

The warehouse was attached to the back of the spacious two-story concrete building. From the outside, the main structure looked like an art showroom with a large glass façade, but once she passed through the parking gate, the atmosphere changed drastically. There was no beauty of exhibition here… only dust, scattered planks, the smell of damp wood, and the roar of machinery.

Chatrine dusted off her skirt, though it was useless. Fine wood particles still clung stubbornly to the fabric.

“Oh, God…” she muttered. “…this isn’t Denton Global. This is the A****n rainforest in a dusty version.”

With a somewhat forced sense of bravery, Chatrine walked along the side of the building toward the large white warehouse, its paint already peeling. The door stood wide open, and the scent of sawdust filled the air, almost making her sneeze again. Fortunately, she managed to hold it back. It would be utterly embarrassing if she started sneezing in front of Liam.

The warehouse was vast, filled with tall shelves stacked with wooden boards of various sizes. Fine dust floated in the air, caught in the late afternoon light streaming through the high windows near the ceiling.

In the middle of the wide space, Chatrine saw Liam, fully focused on his work.

The wood-cutting machine roared as sawdust scattered around him. His gray flannel shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his broad chest and back. His muscular arms glistened with sweat, every vein visible as he pushed the wood against the spinning blade. His dark brown hair was messy and slightly damp, some strands sticking to his temples, others falling over his forehead.

Chatrine found herself frozen, not daring to move closer.

“Oh, God…” she whispered, though it was more to herself. How had she come this far just for a carpenter?

The man didn’t even try to look handsome. No expensive cologne, no Armani suit, no fake city-man smile. Just a grown man working with his muscles and sweat, and… something that made Chatrine want to scream in frustration.

She gritted her teeth. This was the same man who had once called her a cheap woman. And now she stood here like a teenage girl crushing on the school’s basketball star.

Damn it, Liam really was attractive. But it wasn’t just his looks that drew her in. She felt challenged. She was increasingly curious about why her heart kept racing even after being insulted by him.

Chatrine stepped further inside. Her heels clicked against the dust-covered cement floor, the sharp sound contrasting with the rough atmosphere of the warehouse.

Liam stopped the machine, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm, then turned. Their eyes met.

His gaze was cold, questioning, yet still carried the sharpness of a man too honest to hide his dislike.

“What important matter made you wander all the way here?”

Chatrine, the sophisticated woman, was being accused of getting lost. She immediately lifted her shoulders with maximum elegance.

“I want you to delete all my files!” she said firmly, using it as an excuse.

Liam only smirked. “You’re lying.”

Chatrine’s eyes widened. “What?!”

She was lying about her real intention, but Liam shouldn’t have been able to see through her that easily.

“You could’ve come and waited in the gallery. No need to come to a dirty place like this.”

Chatrine snorted. She wasn’t sure which was dirtier, the warehouse floor covered in sawdust or her mind filled with lies. “I just wanted to meet you right away!”

But Liam remained unfazed. “You’re still lying.”

Chatrine nearly threw her clutch bag at his face, but she held herself back. Worse, her mind was busy noticing the way his arm muscles tensed as he set the machine aside. Seriously, was God playing a joke on her by making her fall for the most annoying man on earth?

“I’ve followed your order to stay away from Aron Loghan,” she finally said. Her voice came out softer than she intended.

Liam stayed silent, waiting for a reasonable explanation. Her actions were clearly impulsive.

“I resigned from my job… because of your request!” Her voice cracked at the end, making her want to bite her own tongue to stop revealing her weakness.

Liam’s eyes widened for a moment, though his lips remained tightly sealed.

“I’ve lost my job and my career. Now I’m only asking for one thing… delete all the files you have!” she insisted, still using the files as her excuse.

Liam had once used those so-called secret files to threaten her into staying away from Aron Loghan—her incredibly rich, handsome, and married boss. Aron’s wife was Liam’s childhood friend, which was why Liam had been furious with her.

After a moment, Liam finally spoke, his voice stiff. “You seriously came all this way just for those files?”

“Yes!” Chatrine answered quickly, loudly, as if trying to convince the world that she was still in control, even though her heart pounded like a war drum.

But Liam’s reply was far beyond her expectations.

“There are no files. I lied to threaten you. Now leave.”

Chatrine froze.

The files… don’t exist?

So… all this time…?

She had barely been able to sleep because of a fake threat from a carpenter.

If this wasn’t the peak of romantic foolishness, she didn’t know what was. And the worst part was, she couldn’t even bring herself to be angry at Liam’s lie.

Liam turned the machine back on and resumed working, ignoring Chatrine, who still stood frozen at the doorway.

“Why are you still standing there?” Liam shouted over the noise of the machine.

The question echoed in Chatrine’s mind.

Why, Chatrine?

Why are you still here?

Is it because the memory of Liam’s scorching kiss still lingers in your mind?

Or because of those strong arms swinging an axe?

Oh no…

Or could it be that you’ve truly become an idiot?

“Don’t tell me you’re here to apply for a job at the wood gallery,” Liam suddenly mocked.

Chatrine blinked. “Yes!”

The machine stopped instantly. Liam turned quickly, his expression a mix of shock, confusion, and amusement. “What?”

“I’m unemployed. Why not?!” Chatrine lifted her chin, trying to maintain her pride, though her voice clearly sounded like that of a distressed woman.

Liam’s gaze sharpened, clearly judging her sense of humor.

“I have a background in marketing. I have many connections to expand your business. I learn fast. I can work in your gallery,” she said seriously, listing her qualifications.

Liam cut her off flatly. “I can’t afford to pay you.”

Chatrine almost let out a bitter laugh, but she refused to back down.

“I’ll give you a three-month trial. You don’t have to pay me!” she declared, growing more reckless now that she had come this far.