The Man in the Painting Read Online Flora Ferrari

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Insta-Love, Romance Tags Authors:
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Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
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“Thanks, Mel,” Brenda says with a genuinely appreciative smile. She takes my hands in hers and sighs softly. “Look, Mel...I’m not saying this because he’s my brother, but Abram is a man of his word, and I know just how much he loves you. If he said he’d come back for you, I believe him. Will you trust him and wait a bit longer?”

I lower my eyes to our joint hands on the table, Brenda’s long manicured fingers over my plain hands.

My heart tightens, and a burning feeling spreads slowly up my throat as I try to hold my tears in.

I’ve cried enough for that jerk.

What if he doesn’t come back? What if I have to wait forever?

I want to ask her these questions, but I know she doesn’t haven’t the answers to them, so I just raise my eyes back to hers and muster a smile.

“I don’t have a choice, do I,” I say, smiling even wider as my pain intensifies. “I’m in love with him.”

Brenda quietly studies my face and must decide to let it go because she pushes back against her seat and wraps her hand around the wine bottle with a dramatic sigh.

“I guess I have to drink this now. I broke the no Abram talk rule.” She raises the bottle to me. “Cheers.”

I laugh in irony at her tone. “Cheers.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Abram

I look up as June walks into my office. She has the same blank expression on her face that she’s carried for the past month.

It breaks my heart to see how far we’ve drifted apart, and I can’t help but feel like it’s all my fault.

Never have I once imagined that June would see me that way. I should have seen the signs. I took her feelings for granted for so long while assuming things on my own. And when she confessed her feelings to me, I acted like a jerk.

I could have handled it differently, but I’d been so shocked that all of my senses had shut down. I hurt her and can’t blame her for going cold, but it pains me each time because I can see how much she’s hurting.

June stops in front of my desk, holding out the files in her hands.

“Here are the files on the Singapore office which you requested, sir. I’ve also sent you an email on the data you wanted and the directors like you requested.”

“Thank you, June,” I say, taking the file from her.

“It’s way past my work hours, so I’d love to take my leave now,” June says with a nod and turns around to leave.

“June?” I call quickly.

She pauses in her tracks and turns around to face me.

“Yes, sir?”

“Can’t we just bury the hatchet between us?” I ask hopefully. “We used to be good friends. I can't deal with the fact that you’ve suddenly become a stranger.”

“I’m just being a professional and doing my job right like you clearly instructed me to,” June says in the emotionless tone she employs these days. “Sir.”

I cringe at the memories of the things I said to her that day.

“I’m sorry, June,” I say and realize with a sinking disappointment in myself that it’s actually the first time I’m rendering a proper apology to her.

“I’m sorry about the things that I said to you that day. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. You didn’t deserve to be treated so poorly by me.”

“You know...it’s even worse that you apologized,” June says with a scoff. “Just goes a long way to show what I mean to you...nothing.”

I run a hand through my hair in frustration.

How do I keep making things worse?

Everything I say or do seems to pull me deeper into this crazy sinkhole. I wanted to give her a heartfelt apology without hurting her even further, but it seems like I’m doing a terrible job of it.

“I’m sor....”

“If that will be all,” June interrupts sharply, “I guess I should take my leave then.”

“Wait!” I say sharply and clear my throat awkwardly. “Uh... I meant that’s not all. I was going to tell you this after the whole process had been finalized, but I have decided to make you the head of operations in London. No one is more capable than yourself. You organized the Farrell exhibition with almost no input from me, and it was a huge success. The turnout was amazing, too.”

June lets out a dry snort.

“Being with Melody Hanson...,” she says, squarely holding my gaze with hers. “I respect your decision even though I can’t understand it. But don’t you dare try to undermine my feelings like I’m some robot who’d care about a fucking position. If I can’t have you, I’d rather not have anything to do with you.”

“But Jay...”

“You also lost the right to call my name so fondly the moment you insulted my feelings for you,” June says coldly. “In the end, you chose her. I have to choose my sanity, at least.”


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