Craving The Wrong Brother (Sloane and Knox) novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163

The drive to work is a blur.

My mind keeps wandering back to that late-night call with Luke. I hadn’t expected him to answer, let alone cheer me up with his random stories and crazy humor. I can’t shake the strange feeling I’ve had since that call. I’m… happy. Genuinely happy. And it’s not something I’m used to, especially in the last few months.

I smile as I walk through the glass doors of Paragon Jewels. It’s a place I’ve spent years building my career, climbing to the top-yet today, even the heavy, corporate atmosphere feels lighter.

I make my way across the lobby, past the reception desk. The receptionist, Karen, smiles at me, though her usual greeting seems to be slightly delayed. She’s staring at me as if something’s different.

“Good morning, Mrs. O’Brien,” she says.

“Good morning, Karen,” I reply, smiling back.

I catch the surprise in her eyes. Maybe I don’t usually smile this much. I know I don’t.

“Have a nice day,” I say, giving her one last smile before walking on.

As I make my way to the marketing department, I can feel the stares. People are looking at me strangely, whispering behind their hands as I pass. It’s almost comical. Greetings echo through the hall as employees step aside for me to pass.

“Good morning, Mrs. O’Brien.”

“Morning, Mrs. O’Brien.”

It’s always “Mrs. O’Brien.” No one calls me by my first name. I’m the chief marketing officer, and Ryan O’Brien’s wife-titles that have set me apart from everyone else. And for years, I liked it that way.

But today, as I step into the elevator, the usual tension that follows me wherever I go seems to disturb me a little. A group of employees are standing near the elevator doors, waiting, but as I approach, they all step back, clearly intending to let me ride alone.

“Why don’t you all join me?” I say.

They hesitate, looking between one another like they’re unsure if I’m serious. When I don’t back down, they step inside.

I lean back against the elevator wall, still smiling.

The elevator doors open to the marketing floor, and I step out, making my way toward the large meeting hall. It’s where I hold our weekly strategy meetings. As I enter, I see everyone’s already seated, waiting for me so we can begin. The air in the room shifts when they see me. Conversations halt, and I can feel all eyes on me.

“Good morning, everyone,” I greet them cheerfully.

Silence.

It’s as if the entire room is holding its breath, waiting for the punchline. No one’s used to me being in a good mood. Hell, even I’m not used to it. But here we are.

I glance around, noting the side glances being exchanged across the table. People are shuffling papers, fidgeting, avoiding my gaze. Finally, I place my bag down on the table and address the tension. “What’s with the side looks? Can someone tell me what’s going on?”

They exchange nervous glances again, but no one speaks. Finally, Samantha, the vice president of marketing, clears her

throat.

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