CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

Amber Desiree’s POV

I was feeling bored at home, so I decided to cook and bring lunch to Lorenzo at his office.

My car had just been released from the auto shop after cleaning, so at least I didn’t have to book a ride this time. I was now on my way to Lorenzo’s company. It didn’t take long before I finally arrived.

After carefully parking my car, I stepped out and looked up at the towering building before me. It stretched high into the sky—modern, sleek, and unmistakably luxurious. At the very top, bold silver letters spelled DEVLIN.

Just from the exterior, you could already tell this was a company owned by old money and power.

I walked inside and headed straight to the elevator. The guards and receptionists greeted me politely on my way in. They already knew who I was since I’d been here several times before.

Once inside the elevator, I pressed the button for the top floor—the executive level where Lorenzo’s office was.

When I arrived, the receptionist behind the front desk immediately stood and greeted me with a smile.

“Good morning, Mrs. Devlin. Sir Lorenzo is currently on the twenty-third floor. They’re in a meeting right now, but it should end by 1 PM,” he said kindly.

I paused for a moment before nodding.

“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll just wait for him inside his office.” I smiled politely.

He nodded back. “Alright, Mrs. Devlin. I’ll inform Sir Lorenzo as soon as he’s out of the meeting that you’re waiting for him.”

“I’d appreciate that. Oh—and have you had your lunch yet?” I asked.

“I’ll be having it in about an hour, Mrs. Devlin.”

“Oh, that’s still quite a while,” I said, before remembering the sandwich I’d packed earlier. It was supposed to be my snack because I’d been craving something light. I took one from the paper bag and handed it to him. “Here, have something while waiting for your lunch break. It’s already a quarter to twelve, you shouldn’t go hungry for too long.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly accept this, Ma’am. Thank you for the offer but I’ll be fine, I’m used to it,” he said shyly.

“No, really, it’s fine. Take it. It’s bad luck to refuse a blessing,” I insisted, grinning slightly.

He scratched his head awkwardly before finally accepting it. “Alright then... thank you so much, Mrs. Devlin.”

I smiled warmly. “You’re welcome. I’ll head inside now.”

He gave a polite bow as I turned toward Lorenzo’s office and went in.

I had been inside Lorenzo’s office several times before, but every time, it still managed to take my breath away. The view was absolutely stunning—a floor-to-ceiling glass window stretched across the entire wall behind his desk, offering a clear view of the towering buildings below and an endless stretch of blue sky.

But aside from that, the rest of his office was anything but warm. The interior was minimalist—black, white, and gray dominated everything from the walls to the furniture. It was elegant, yes, but lifeless and cold. Just like its owner.

I walked to the round glass table in front of his desk and carefully placed down the paper bag containing the lunch I’d brought for him.

When I glanced at the wall clock, it had just turned twelve. An hour left before his meeting ended.

To keep myself from getting bored, I started wandering around his office, letting curiosity take over as I examined the things on his shelves and desk.

On his desk, everything was neatly arranged—stacks of organized papers, pens aligned perfectly. But what caught my attention was the small picture frame beside a flower vase. It was turned face-down, so I couldn’t see what photo was inside.

I hadn’t noticed it before mostly because whenever I visited, Lorenzo was always present, so I never really had the chance to look around freely.

Out of curiosity, I reached for it and turned it upright.

And my heart sank.

It was a photo of a younger Lorenzo… and a woman I didn’t recognize.

The woman was clinging to his arm, smiling brightly as she kissed his cheek. She was beautiful, radiant, almost glowing. But what truly caught my attention was Lorenzo’s face.

He was smiling. Not the polite, half-hearted smile I’d grown used to. But a real one. His green eyes were alive, filled with genuine happiness. Pure and unguarded.

I felt a dull ache in my chest.

So… he could smile like that.

Bitterness crept in as realization dawned on me. The woman in the picture. I already had an idea who she was—the woman Leila had once told me about. The one who left Lorenzo for her career. His first love.

And yet, despite that, he still kept their photo.

Does that mean… he still hasn’t moved on?

The thought stung, a slow burn spreading in my chest. I quickly placed the frame face down on the desk again, unable to look at it any longer.

Suddenly, I had no energy left to look around anymore. I sat down on the couch and took out my phone, scrolling aimlessly through reels—anything to distract myself from the image of Lorenzo’s smile and the woman who once owned it.

Eventually, I did manage to forget about it for a while, laughing softly at random videos on my feed.

I didn’t even realize how much time had passed until I heard the sound of the door opening.

“Ethan, make sure to fix my schedule and decline all appointments for the weekend,” Lorenzo’s deep voice filled the room.

“Yes, sir. And also, the receptionist said Mrs. Devlin—”

Ethan didn’t finish his sentence when he saw me sitting on the couch.

“What?” Lorenzo asked, following Ethan’s line of sight.

When his eyes landed on me, his steps faltered, those striking green eyes locking with mine.

And even though I tried not to, my heart skipped a beat.

God… he was still so impossibly handsome.