Chapter 4

Georgina West

“Oh hey Georgie, I haven’t seen you around in a while," Aurora greeted me with a captivating smile as she entered the room. My eyes couldn't help but briefly trace her perfect figure, encased in a tight black work shirt and a pencil skirt that accentuated every curve.

"Yep, I head home with my kids before midnight. I don’t like overstaying my welcome," I replied in a sweet tone, though it was apparent to both Archer and Aurora that it carried a subtle, backhanded comment directed at her.

Sure, she had always been nothing but pleasant to me, but truth be told, I didn't particularly like her. I couldn't help it. I didn't like the way she sometimes clung to Archer's arm when she wanted him to agree to some business deal. I didn't like how she often stayed late into the evening, despite being merely a colleague.

I understood that I no longer had a say in these matters. She was a close family friend, practically having grown up with them, and was like a daughter Sienna never had. Yet, her presence in this family always made me feel like I came second. Everyone seemed to prioritize Aurora over me. There were times when Archer put her before me, although he'd never admit to it. I remembered each and every one of those moments as if they were etched in my memory like scars.

There were days when I cherished my decision to separate from Archer, a time when jealousy and resentment festered within me. While I couldn't claim those emotions were entirely gone, they had lessened significantly.

"Oh, Archer needed my help with a few things. After you left, the workload has been crazy. We never realized how much work you used to handle," she replied, her friendly smile making me instantly feel guilty for my earlier backhanded remark.

It wasn't her fault. Even if she did harbor feelings for Archer, he was single then. She hadn't done anything wrong. I was the one who shouldn't be here.

"I'm sure you'll manage it well. I should leave you two alone," I offered a small smile before turning to depart, but Archer's hand on my shoulder stopped me, pulling me closer to him. So close that I could feel his body heat.

"Sweetheart, do you remember the Roland Case you handled five years ago? We need to refer to it for a similar case that's resurfaced. Do you remember where you kept all the files?" he inquired, leading me inside his spacious home office, a room I hadn't entered since the day I resigned.

"Um, I organized everything before I left. It should be in the case file labeled 'R.' I shouldn't really be in here. These are confidential," I began, attempting to remove his hand from my shoulder, but he remained steadfast.

"Yes, and although it helped us tremendously, we can't seem to locate the Roland file. We searched the 'R' cabinet thoroughly," Aurora added, her expression hopeful, but I was at a loss for any clues.

"I don't remember, then. It was five years ago," I said, pursing my lips as I ran my hand through my hair.

"Doll, we really need it, so you need to think a little harder. You know I wouldn't push it if it wasn't important," Archer urged, his hand slipping from my shoulder to wrap around my waist. I noticed Aurora's eyes briefly darting down to his hand before quickly returning to her task, as if nothing had happened.

Regardless of how much Archer denied it, I could tell when another woman was infatuated with my husband. This woman had been head over heels for him since I first saw her as a seventeen-year-old, completely enchanted by my twenty-four-year-old boyfriend.

For the longest time, Archer had treated her like a child, never taking her seriously. However, their dynamic had changed dramatically five years ago, and they had grown closer. Although I knew nothing had happened between them yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was inevitable.

Aurora was undeniably beautiful and intelligent, and she was madly in love with my husband, who seemed determined not to see it.

"Um, I don't know, Archer. I also need to head home," I told him, my exhaustion making it difficult to concentrate. Then, it hit me. "Oh, what was Roland's last name? I arranged it according to the last names," I exclaimed, finally recalling where I had stored the file.

"Isn't Roland his last name?" Archer asked in confusion.

"No, it's not. I was pretty surprised when I found out too. It's Wester," I clarified as the name suddenly came to me.

"Oh, thank god," Aurora exclaimed, locating the file as soon as she opened the 'W' cabinet.

"Good, Roland Wester is—" Archer began, but I quickly covered my ears.

"No, no, no, I don't want to know anything about the mafia stuff anymore, okay? I'm done with that. The only thing I'll discuss with you is our children and maybe just your well-being," I asserted, attempting to remove his hand from my waist. However, he slid it down, causing me to immediately cease my efforts.

I knew that if I struggled against him even a little, his hand would end up on my ass, and I didn't need any more confusion in my life.

"Come on, let me drop you home, it's late," Archer said as he fetched his keys.

"What? Is she going to stay here alone till then?" I asked in confusion.

"No, she's leaving too," he replied, and Aurora smiled a little, picking up her handbag and placing the file inside it.

"So drop her home. I'll be fine," I insisted, finally breaking free from his hold and marching outside the office with determination.

"Oh, he doesn't want to do that," Aurora said nervously, playing with the strap of her handbag.

"No, she can go home alone. It's fine. Tim drops her off every day. It's safe. I'll drop you off," Archer said, starting to put on his watch, making me groan.

"I'll go with Tim, you drop her off. She's seven years younger than us, I'm a big girl, I'll be fine," I told him, grabbing my handbag from the living room.

"No, Georgie. This isn't up for discussion. I'm dropping you off, or you can stay here. It's pretty late. It makes no sense for you to leave anyway. You should sleep here," he insisted.

"Really? And where would I sleep?" I asked, raising an eyebrow seriously.

"I have a pretty good suggestion, but you're not going to like it," he replied with a playful smile that turned all my bones to mush.

Why was he flirting with me?

"What's gotten into you lately? Why are you talking to me like this?" I asked him seriously, making him shrug casually, which only made me angrier.

What the hell?

"I think I should leave. I feel like I'm third-wheeling here," Aurora said, smiling, but I could see her heart breaking a little every time Archer opened his mouth to talk to me. "I should leave." She looked at Archer, who nodded.

"Please go through the Roland file and get me a viable solution. I don't want to be in this mess anymore," he said as she was about to leave, which made her smile a little as she nodded.

"Yes, good night, Archer," she said softly, her voice captivating anyone who heard it. "Good night, Georgie." Her tone was a little more formal when addressing me.

"Oh, also, can you tell Asher to stop prank calling me? I will murder him, I don't care anymore," Archer replied, looking at the three missed calls on his phone from Asher.

"Um, sure. Bye, Archer," she said as she left with Tim, one of the oldest bodyguards we had. He was fifty years old but could literally take down anyone.

"He calls me too. I usually just pick it up, keep it aside and continue with my day's work," I told Archer, who seemed somewhat impressed by my idea.

“I’ll give that a try, but I feel like every week he comes up with ten more ways to annoy me.” he tells me making me laugh.

Yep that was Asher. He was the youngest for a reason.

"I should really be heading out. By the way, you're inadvertently causing that young lady a great deal of heartache," I remarked, reaching for my bag, but he held onto the other end, bringing me to a halt.

"Who? Aurora? What have I done?" he asked, his tone genuinely puzzled.

"Yes, who else? Come on, don't tell me you're that oblivious," I teased with a chuckle.

"Georgie, I've told you a hundred times, she's just a kid," he protested, prompting another laugh from me.

"What are you talking about? She's twenty-seven!" I retorted. "Besides, have you ever seen her with a boyfriend? Ever? We've known her for so long, and she's never brought a guy around because she doesn't want you to think she's taken," I pointed out as he shook his head.

"I think she's just very private about her life, and you know my rule—I don't want to hear about anyone's personal life unless they're a part of my personal life," he lectured me. I simply shook my head.

"Right, it's amusing that a person who's around you until midnight every day somehow isn't a part of your personal life," I quipped sarcastically, releasing my grip on the bag's handle and sinking onto the couch. I was too exhausted to move after such a long day. Perhaps I should stay over.

"Even Tim stays over, but you don't seem to notice that," he remarked, provoking an eye roll from me. "And they're not a part of my personal life because I don't know anything about them beyond the basics, and they don't need to know anything about me," he clarified.

"Remember how Steven married his twenty-five-year-old assistant after insisting for years that they had a strictly professional relationship?" I reminded him, earning a chuckle.

"Do you think I'm like that old pervert?" he asked, and I immediately shook my head.

"No, she's not that young, and you're not that old. So, if something were to happen, I just want to make it clear that I won't be supportive of something I saw coming five years ago," I confessed, finally getting it off my chest.

"Good. It's nice to be honest with each other," he said with a beautiful smile that made me groan internally.

"Yes, it is," I agreed as I kicked off my shoes and stretched my legs out on the couch, ready to get some rest.

"So, there's something else that's been bothering me," he began, and I struggled to keep my eyes open.

"Sure, go ahead," I replied with a yawn, snuggling into the oversized couch cushion.

"If you ever think about marrying that pathetic little man child, I'll rip out his testicles with my bare hands, pop out his eyeballs with a burning spatula while I skin him alive," he declared, causing my breath to catch in my chest. I stared at him, suddenly wide awake, trying to process the words that had just left his mouth.

Archer wasn't prone to violence, but he wasn't one to make empty threats either. If he said it, he meant it, and there was no room for doubt.