Chapter 9 You’re Not My Boss #3
“We’re already divorced. What right does he have to tell me who I can meet or what I can eat?” she muttered, her voice low but laced with bitterness. “Always so damn bossy.”
Letting out another breath, she walked over to the couch and dropped onto it, her body sinking into the cushions.
For a moment, she just sat there.
Then she leaned back and closed her eyes.
Then her phone started ringing.
She reached for it, glancing at the screen before lifting it to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Sophia?” Camila’s cheerful voice came through immediately.
A faint smile appeared on Sophia’s face, her tone softening. “Mrs. Graves? How are you?”
“What have you been up to these days?” Camila asked, her voice warm. “Why don’t you come meet me? It’s been so long… you’re back, and I haven’t even seen you yet.”
Sophia let out a quiet breath. “I know… I’ve just been busy.”
“Well, no excuses now,” Camila said lightly. “Come meet me. I miss you.”
Sophia shifted slightly, leaning back into the couch.
“Okay,” she said after a moment, her voice gentle. “I’ll come. I miss you too.”
“Good. I’ll be waiting,” Camila replied sweetly.
Sophia ended the call, staring at her phone for a second before placing it aside.
***
It was a slow afternoon at the Sunside Restaurant.
Only a few tables were occupied, and the low hum of quiet conversations filled the space.
Harold sat slouched in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, his arms folded across his chest. His head leaned back slightly, eyes fixed ahead with a bored, unimpressed look.
Across from him, Sebastian and Alexander mirrored his posture—both leaning back, arms crossed, both staring at him.
The silence stretched.
Then—
“Did you really have to drag us here?” Sebastian finally broke it, raising an eyebrow, clear annoyance flashing across his face as he looked at Harold.
“Yes,” Harold said coldly.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes sliding shut as if he also didn’t want to look at them, his fingers tapping once against his arm before going still.
Alexander let out a long, tired breath.
He uncrossed his legs, dropped his arms onto the table, then leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
“Is it really that bad?” he asked, studying Harold’s face closely. “She’s just a girl. What are you so terrified of?”
Harold didn’t respond.
“You were supposed to go on a date,” he added, gesturing loosely with one hand. “Instead, you dragged us along like bodyguards. Do you even realize how inappropriate this looks? I can’t even understand your behavior right now.”
His eyes flew open, and he looked straight at Alexander.
“You haven’t seen her!” he shot back.
He straightened in his seat, his shoulders stiffening as something uneasy flickered across his face. A faint shiver ran through him, subtle but noticeable, and he rubbed his thumb against his palm as if trying to shake the feeling off.
“It’s like…” he paused, his voice lowering slightly, “like she can crawl under my skin just by looking at me.”
He exhaled sharply through his nose, his jaw tightening.
“It makes me uncomfortable. And my mom keeps insisting I go on this date with her. But I don’t want to!”
Sebastian, who had been quietly watching, tilted his head slightly.
A slow smirk formed at the corner of his lips.
“Is it the good kind of ‘under your skin’…” he drawled, glancing briefly at Alexander before looking back at Harold, “…or the bad kind?”
His eyes narrowed just a fraction as he glanced at Alexander again. A faint smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he were looking at a child still trying to figure out how the world worked.
“Shut up,” Harold snapped immediately.
He turned his face away, shifting in his seat, clearly irritated—but also avoiding them.
The memory of her face flashed in his mind again
Her eyes.
The way they had locked onto him.
His back went rigid. His fingers curled against his thigh as he tried to steady his breathing.
It wasn’t fear.
That was the strange part.
It felt more like… he wanted to step closer, to stay under that gaze—
And at the same time, run as far away as possible.
The conflict made his chest tighten.
He inhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down.
Alexander leaned forward again, crossing his arms.
“I don’t understand what you’re making such a big deal out of,” he said with a casual shrug, breaking the tension.
He picked up his coffee cup, swirling the drink lazily.
“Emma is way out of your league, if anything.”
Harold shot him a seething look.
Alexander ignored it.
“Have you even looked at her properly?” he continued. “She runs one of the top auction houses in the world. Not just runs—it is hers.”
Sebastian nodded lightly, listening.
“Everyone says that she’s beautiful. And I’ve never heard a single bad rumor about her.”
He gave a short scoff.
“And you know how people love to gossip—especially about women as rich as her.”
He paused.
Then added dryly—
“And then there’s you.”
Alexander let out a quiet chuckle. He leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table.
“Seriously though. What exactly did she see in you that she agreed to go on a date?” he asked bluntly. “Or was it even her idea? I find that hard to believe.”
Harold straightened instantly, his back going rigid as he snapped upright. He shot Alexander a sharp look, clearly offended.
“What’s wrong with me?” he shot back.
He let out a short breath, then continued, his tone rising with each word.
“I’m the sole heir to my family’s money and business. Everything my parents own will be mine. It’s not like I’m poor.”
His chin lifted, confidence turning almost aggressive.
“I match her in wealth. In status. We’re equal.”
He leaned back slightly, as if laying out undeniable facts.
“Moreover, I’m a Graves. Part of the Empire Group. Our auction house is ranked in the top three in the country,” he added, his voice edged with pride. “That beats top ten, doesn’t it? So it’s better than hers.”
A smug smile spread across his face.
“And I’m the only son of my family. She’s the only daughter of the Creeds.”
He gave them a small wink, looking completely satisfied with himself.
“We’re a perfect match.”
He looked almost pleased—as if, in his mind, there wasn’t even the slightest chance anyone could disagree.
“I didn’t know you were this happy with our relationship.”
Emma’s soft voice came from behind him.
The moment the words reached his ears, his entire body went stiff. His fingers tightened around the edge of the table, and he jerked so hard in his seat that the chair screeched against the floor. He nearly lost his balance.
That voice—
His head snapped back.