Alle Kapitel von The Night Before I Knew Him: Kapitel 131 – Kapitel 140

June.Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic.You’re so pathetic, June.The words echo in my skull like a mantra as I pace the lobby floor. My pulse hasn’t slowed since they carried Hermes out on a stretcher.He’ll be alright, right?My palm flies to my cheek, slapping it lightly. "That’s what you’re thinking about? His well-being?" I whisper to myself, shaking my head.God. His fiancée — aka my new boss — just announced they’re getting married in a week.A week.It’s over. I lost. I freaking lost him.Every plan, every little spark of hope — all useless.It’s time to give up, June. Hermes was never yours.I bite my lower lip, my mind replaying that moment — my voice cutting through the chaos, calling his name. Hermes.Did they hear me?Shit. Of course they did. What excuse can I give? That it slipped out? That I forgot I was just an intern?God. This is bad."Hey, June— you okay?"Tobias’s voice jolts me. I spin around, heart racing. His expression is uneasy, uncertain."I—uh— I’m waiting for

(Song recommedation: When the party's over by Billie Eilish)JuneI’m in one of the fitting rooms at SCC, the mirror reflecting a dozen dresses in various cuts and shades. The attendants move efficiently, placing each piece in front of me, following a silent script dictated by Natalya. My hands touch the fabric, but my mind is elsewhere—clouded with thoughts I can’t shake, regrets I can’t bury.Regrets for not letting him slip away. Regrets for not stopping myself from caring, even when everything around me screams that I should. Hermes—my Hermes—isn’t just the CEO to me. And no matter how I try to act, no matter how much I tell myself to stay distant, I can’t let him go.My memory drifts back to the cafeteria, to the moment when his eyes didn’t meet mine. I didn't look either, telling myself it was just business—Hermes, the CEO, sitting beside me. But from the corner of my eye, I caught him staring. Not at me directly, not at his fiancée but at me. His gaze was subtle but loud.When

JuneI push the door open, and the familiar scent of the house hits me—but it doesn’t feel like home right now. My mind is a storm, each thought so loud I can't take it anymore.Why did he have to ruin it like that?Why confess—only to tell me to quit?It should’ve been perfect. It could’ve been perfect.But now all I can think about is the way he said it—calm, almost pleading. As if loving me was a mistake he needed to fix.My chest twists painfully.The internship is the only thing I’ve worked so hard for. The one thing I thought I had going right. Why would he ask me to throw it away?I didn’t even get to ask him what he meant before Natalya walked in. And the way she looked at us—like she doesn't know a thing.Oh, God. Maybe she does know, and that’s why Hermes said what he said. Maybe me mentioning his name in the cafeteria put everything at risk.My hand flies to my chest, pressing against the ache growing there.Is that his solution? To keep rumors from spreading?For me to dis

JuneHis breath touch my skin before his lips does.I can feel him hesitate — an inch between us — his warmth ghosting against my mouth like a question he was too afraid to ask. My chest rise and fall in uneven rhythm, the air between us too fragile to disturb."Breathe," he whispered, almost to himself.And I do.Then he move slow, careful, as if he is learning how to exist in this moment. The first brush of his lips is hesitant, barely a touch. My heart thud painfully in my chest. His lips is cold. The good kind of cold.He pulls back a fraction, his forehead resting against mine, his breath unsteady. "I—" His voice cracks softly. "I don’t know how to do this."I smile — small, trembling — and whisper, "Then don’t think about it. Just feel."That is all it took.His mouth finds mine again, this time with a quiet hunger. His hand cups the back of my neck, drawing me closer, deepening the kiss inch by inch. The restraint in him melt — slow but sure — until it isn't hesitation anymore,

June"You cannot quit," Hermes says, his hands hovering in the air like he wants to reach for me but can’t. "I won’t allow it. I told you I’ll fix this."I let out a shaky breath before I can stop myself. "I don’t think you can fix anything," I blurt.His eyes widen, shock written all over his face — and that’s when I realize how loud I’d gotten. A few heads have turned. I can feel their stares, heavy and nosy, like knives on my skin. Perfect. Just what I needed — a scene in the middle of the damn hallway.I clear my throat, forcing myself to sound composed even though my heart’s pounding. "Mr. Grande," I say through clenched teeth, smiling like everything’s fine, "people are watching. Let’s have this conversation somewhere else. Somewhere discreet."He opens his mouth, then stops. I follow his gaze and spot the employees lingering by the corner, pretending to check their phones while obviously eavesdropping.Hermes exhales softly, shoulders squaring as that formal, unreadable mask sl