Alle Kapitel von The Night Before I Knew Him: Kapitel 121 – Kapitel 130

JuneI’m still reeling. The air feels heavy around me, thick enough to choke. My eyes stay locked on the mirror, and the girl staring back looks… unrecognizable. This girl is pathetic.I can't still believe that Hermes has a fiancée.I can't even call him Hermes anymore. It feels wrong in my mouth and so I correct myself– Mr. Grande has a fiancée.The word still feels unreal in my head, like a bad joke no one’s laughing at. Fiancée. I let the syllables echo inside my skull until my chest starts to ache.So that’s her—the “nobody” he said meant nothing. The woman who apparently means everything now.Why did he lie about her? To get into my pants? I can't even say that because he didn't even fuck me those days I was in his house. Ugh!I sigh, dragging my hands through my hair, my breath trembling as it leaves my lips. My heart feels as though someone’s twisting it slowly, wringing it dry. But I can’t cry. I’ve already wasted enough tears over things that weren’t mine to begin with.H

"Will you be my temporary secretary until I get a new one?"Natalya’s smooth, silky voice echoes through my ears, and for a second, I swear I didn’t hear right.One minute ago, I was fighting the urge to flip the damn table and tell both of them to fuck off. The next, I was stupidly offering to get them drinks—just to calm myself, to breathe, to not explode.And now the reason Hermes rejected me—his fiancée—is asking me to be her temporary secretary.I almost laugh. Almost, but instead, I drop my gaze, my jaw tightening. I can’t believe it. They really want me to play secretary again. The girl they call whenever someone quits. The disposable helper. Someone to use when needed, and discard when done.My fingers twitch at my side, nails digging into my palm.I raise my eyes to him. Hermes, no, Mr. Grande. His face is angled down, his hand pressed against his temple like he’s one second away from losing it."Miss Alexander here has a project she’s overseeing at her current department,"

JuneThe moment Vanessa leaves and the door clicks shut, the air tightens again. I’m about to speak, when his phone rings. He doesn’t even look at me, just picks it up, muttering a low, deep "Yes?" before turning slightly away.Typical.I cross my arms and shift my weight, staring at the edge of his desk. He speaks in short, calm replies—"Okay," "Fine," "Do that." Nothing emotional, or revealing.Still, I can feel his eyes flicker toward me every few seconds. It’s subtle, but I see it. He thinks I don’t. My stomach knots. I drop my arms to my sides, fingers brushing against my skirt. For some reason, it suddenly feels like I’m a little girl waiting to be told off by her daddy.Ex-daddy, to be exact.The thought hits, and I almost roll my eyes at myself. Really, June? Daddy jokes? Now?I shake my head lightly, trying to shove that ridiculous thought away and focus. Hermes Grande lied to me. He broke my heart. He made me feel like a fool. And just because he hugged me once and muttered

~Hermes~The night air was sharp against my skin as I leaned against the balcony railing, dragging smoke from the cigarette between my fingers. I knew I had promised Ted I’d quit. Hell, I did promise. But if I didn’t take this hit, my head might just explode with the chaos rattling around inside it."And you’re going to regret letting me go."June’s words echoed, relentless, teasing at the corners of my mind. Regret? I was already regretting it. Every damn day since I left her at the roadside, since she reminded me how easily my life could feel hollow, compared to even when I was in the hospital, I felt this emptiness gnawing at me.I don’t want her to find someone else. The thought alone twists my gut. I can’t—I won’t—stand the sight of another man with her. I want to be selfish. But life isn’t that simple. Life never is, especially not with Natalya suddenly injected into the mix.I wish I could pull back from this entire charade my father orchestrated, pull the plug on the engagemen

~Hermes~I groan into my palm, rubbing my temple as a dull ache spreads across my skull. Last night is a complete blur—every memory gone. I can only recall the faint taste of the drink Natalya poured for me and… nothing else. Blackout. Total, absolute blackout.A flicker of suspicion crosses my mind. Did she drug me? I shake my head. No. She wouldn’t—well, not exactly wouldn’t, but still… I’d have noticed, right? I could ask her, but she’s nowhere to be found since I woke up. And I haven’t even checked the company, not really. Not since morning. Honestly, I didn’t want to risk bumping into June.I could call her—but I don’t even have her number. God, curiosity is eating me alive. My stomach twists as I imagine all the possibilities.Part of me is grateful, though. I woke up fully clothed. Natalya has this… uncanny way of getting her way with me when I’m unconscious, and it’s simultaneously terrifying and infuriating.My thoughts are cut short as the door shifts, and I lift my gaze.Th