For six years 513

Kate was just an ordinary woman with ordinary dreams about her ideal partner. She wanted someone responsible–someone who could make her feel safe, who had their own career and a certain personal charm.

Suddenly, George’s image flashed in her mind. Every move he made and every word he spoke had once captivated her, tugging at her heart in a way that felt almost obsessive. But now, another man who could actually rival him had appeared in her life.

Kate glanced at the last call she’d taken and stared at the name, reading it carefully.

Sawyer Burton.

Could he be the one to make her stop envying Rhea and longing for George?

That night, Kate sat in the hospital corridor, quietly searching for information about Sawyer on her phone.

His résumé was almost impeccable, yet his romantic history seemed completely blank. He had come from nothing and had no family connections to lean on, but he had still managed to become the CEO of a publicly traded company through sheer ability.

His skills didn’t need any extra praise–they spoke for themselves.

Kate reviewed the information for a long, long time. Sawyer was starting to seem more and more like George, in

a way…

She didn’t sleep a wink that night.

At 5:30 am, footsteps approached from down the hall.

“Excuse me, are you Ms. Kate Pearson?”

Kate opened her eyes blearily. A man in a sharp business suit stood before her, holding a suitcase. Behind him was a young woman, also pulling a suitcase.

“Yes, that’s me,” she said.

The man nodded. “Mr. Burton sent us here to assist with your daily work and needs. I’m Maurice Serrano, and this is Vivian Laird. We’re both Mr. Burton’s assistants.”

Kate immediately got up and shook hands with them. “Nice to meet you. I’m Kate Pearson.”

“We’ve booked a hotel nearby,” Maurice said. “Mr. Burton mentioned that you’d be looking after a patient here for the next couple of days. Vivian will stay to help out.”

Kate shook her head. “There’s no need to trouble yourselves with that. I can manage.‘

The last bit of her patience and good manners seemed to naturally extend to Sawyer and those connected to him. When she’d been at her most isolated, he was the one who had stepped in to help.

It proved that her initial decision hadn’t been wrong–marrying him might actually give her the chance to stand tall in front of Rhea again.

“Kate!” A shout came from the hospital room.

Kate’s brow furrowed. For some reason, she didn’t want Sawyer’s people to see her at her worst, or for word of her struggles to get back to him.

Before, she’d hoped he’d hear about her hardships and give her some kind of help. But now, she didn’t want that. She didn’t want him to know about this pathetic, messy side of her.

So, she said, “I’ve got this. You guys must be tired from your flight, so go get some rest.‘

Vivian said, “It’s no trouble at all. Mr. Burton sent us here to ensure that you’re not overworking yourself or dealing with tough issues alone. All you need to do is trust him. Leave this to me.”

Those words pierced Kate’s heart. She just needed to trust Sawyer…

With that, Vivian walked into the hospital room. Kate wasn’t in time to stop her.

“Who are you?” Lauren, woken up by the pain in her lower back, frowned at Vivian.

“I’m a personal assistant sent by Ms. Pearson’s boyfriend. Ms. Pearson isn’t great at caregiving and didn’t want to neglect you, so I’m here to take over,” Vivian said, smiling. “What did you need just now, miss?”

Lauren had seen too many people who talked a big game, so she wasn’t impressed. She pointed at Kate, who’d followed Vivian into the room. “I need her to help me to the restroom.”

Sara Lili

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.