Semua Bab Claiming My Father’s Best Friend : Bab 61 - Bab 70

ASTRID The receptionist shoots up from her chair, rushing over. “Sir, she doesn’t have an appointment,” she says quickly, her voice sugary sweet now, completely different from the way she’s been treating me. “I was just about to ask her to leave.”Mr. Knox stops, looking from me to her, then back to me. He raises a hand, waving her off without a second thought. “It’s fine,” he says, his voice calm but authoritative. The receptionist instantly backs off, looking a little deflated. He turns to me with a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Astrid, right?”I smile, surprised but relieved. “Yes, I wasn’t sure you’d remember me.”He chuckles softly, shaking his head. "Oh, Astrid. I remember you more than you know," he says with a playful twinkle in his eye. My smile widens, and I can’t help the small flush that creeps up my neck."Thank you," I say, exhaling the tension I didn’t realize I was holding. “Of course, I do,” he says, his tone friendly. “What brings you here today?”“I

AstridI wake up with a gasp, my heart racing as I spring up in the bed but before I can fully sit up, I feel a hand, warm, firm and gently pushing me back down. For a moment, I freeze, completely disoriented.Where am I? "Lie back," Jordan says softly. "Just relax." I obey without question, sinking back into the bed. My body feels heavy like it’s been anchored to the mattress, though I can’t remember how long I’ve been here. The familiar scent of Jordan washes over me, grounding me. My body relaxes, and I let out a shaky breath.Flashes of memories came to me, Jordan mopping my skin with a wet towel... someone else’s voice, maybe Agatha? It’s all a blur. I remember being awake, sort of, but unable to open my eyes, like I’m trapped between sleep and consciousness.My throat feels parched. I raise a hand, weakly gesturing for water. Without a word, Jordan gets up and leaves the room.I stare down at myself and find I’m only wearing a T-shirt. Jordan’s. It smells like fresh laundry, a

ASTRID“But Jordan, it’s been three days! I can’t just sit around here doing nothing,” I say, barely keeping the frustration out of my voice.It’s been three days since I’ve been confined to Jordan’s place, with little to do except rest which is boring. I’m itching to get back to work. It would have been nice to have some work done while I’m resting but he won’t even let me near my laptop!“You’re on leave and all that is required from you is rest.” He says in a bored tone. Not again! I’m tired of going back and forth with this. “I mean, it’s not like I’m running a marathon. I just want to go back to my job,” I say, hoping to finally convince him.He turns to me, expression unwavering, and slips on his cufflinks. “Astrid, I already said no,” he replies, calmly.“Why?” I huff, trying to keep the frustration from boiling over. “I feel fine now. You don’t have to babysit me.”“Because you’re not fully recovered yet, and I’m not going to let you push yourself back into work too soon.” H

ASTRID "Do you want anything?"I practically jump out of my skin and spin around so fast, I'm surprised my head stays attached to my shoulders. My heart is racing, and it takes a second before I see Agatha standing there, a soft smile on her face. I let out a breath, one hand over my chest, trying to calm down.“I’m so sorry, dear,” she says, chuckling a little. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”I smile back, a little sheepishly. “No, it’s okay. I was just… uh… I wanted to try cooking something,” I say, shrugging.Her warm smile deepens, and then she winks, or is it my imagination? And then says, “For Mr. Remington?” I blush and she chuckles again. At first, when Jordan left me under her care, I’d been nervous about staying with her. I assumed she’d judge me for being with a man so much older, someone who could easily be my father. But then I noticed, there was no judgment in her eyes, only kindness and a genuine smile.I’d been a little shocked, honestly. Since then, she’s been noth

ASTRID “Are you listening?” Brandon’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I jolt back to reality, blinking away the fog. I realize he’s been talking, and I’ve been…miles away, stuck in reverie.Brandon is staring at me with a furrowed brow. He called earlier, and I needed the distraction so my mind could stop thinking about Jordan. I decided to meet up with him and we’ve been sitting here in a coffee shop catching up. Well, Brandon ended up doing all the talking while I’ve been thinking about Jordan.“Yeah, sorry,” I say, trying to force a smile. He gives me a skeptical look, and I don’t blame him. I’ve been zoning out all afternoon.I shake my head, attempting to refocus, but my thoughts drift back to Jordan. He’s the one person who can make me feel like I’m on top of the world in one second, only to let my heart come crashing down the next.Right now, I’m more confused than I’ve ever been. I’m falling for him, head over heels, and it’s a dangerous fall. Because what James feel