AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘I’m surprised you can remember that far back.’ Lifting her chin, she gave him a small, provocative smile. ‘You know memory peaks in your early thirties and then starts to decline, so you’re in the danger zone already?’
‘Is that right?’
She felt his gaze curl around her body.
‘I suppose you learned that from your parallel life as a neuroscientist,’ he said softly.
Her pulse twitched. The intense focus of his gaze was making her skin sting. Nobody had looked at her in that way—not ever. Not even when she’d been doing auditions. It was almost as if he could see beneath her skin. It made her feel as if she was naked.
She glanced up at him, her breathing stalling. What would he look like naked?
The answering mental slideshow to that question made her feel light-headed and, quickly blanking her mind, she shrugged with forced casualness. ‘Actually, I read it in a magazine on the flight over.’
He held her gaze. ‘And do you read a lot of magazines?’
‘No, not really. I prefer social media. I used to post a lot when—’ She stopped herself. She was not going to go there with this uber-poised man, who probably had ‘winner’ stamped through him like a stick of rock.
‘It’s instant, more direct. But I’m guessing you’re a bit more OG.’
‘A bit more OG?’ To her surprise, he laughed. ‘That’s not something I’ve been called before—but, yes, I suppose I am. I like to do things properly.’
Was that a dig at her? Dora stared at him, her spine tensing, suddenly alert. ‘Well, luckily for you, you’re in a position to make that happen.’
Taking a breath, she steadied her nerves and smiled stiffly at Chen as he moved forward to clear her plate away.
‘It’s not so easy for other people.’
He nodded. ‘I know. And I know that it must have been hard for you. Taking Archie on. Holding down a job. Dealing with all the paperwork.’
A knot was forming in her stomach. ‘I manage.’
‘You do,’ he agreed. ‘But you don’t need to just “manage” any more. I can help. I want to help—if you’ll let me.’
She felt nervous, like a mouse finding cheese in a trap; tempted but unconvinced. ‘I suppose that would depend on what you mean by “help”.’
His eyes were steady on her face. ‘I thought you might welcome a bit of practical support. So I’ve arranged for someone to come in—a nanny. Her name is—’
‘Thanks, but I’m good.’ She spoke over him, her heart beating heavily in her chest.
‘Shengyi is Chen’s niece. Like him, she grew up on the mainland. She’s well-qualified and experienced.’
Dora forced her features to remain impassive, but misery was clogging her throat. ‘You mean in
comparison to me?’
Sighing, he shook his head. ‘This is not a criticism of you, Dora.’
‘Liar.’
Somewhere behind her she felt Chen tense. But she had done this too many times in her life to care. Given people a second, a third, an infinite number of chances, only to realise that nothing had changed.
Someone was always ahead of her, or above her.
‘I’m not lying, Dora.’ His face had closed over.
‘Of course not. And offering me money to give up Archie wasn’t a bribe, I suppose?’
From nowhere, she felt tears blur her eyes. And suddenly she couldn’t do it any more—couldn’t stand there and have yet another person, particularly this man, point out her shortcomings.
