" I've just finished some work , " Rachel said , her voice calm . Samantha and William stood side by side , looking , like a couple . Anyone who didn't know them would have assumed they were married . Samantha glanced nervously at Rachel , fumbling for an explanation . " Rachel , I'm sorry . I was going to finish checking the data , but William said I should eat first . You haven't eaten yet either , so why don't you come with us ? " Rachel smirked . Us , huh ? It sounded like such a simple , friendly invitation . Noticing the shift in Rachel's mood , William stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder . " She's just came back from overseas and isn't familiar with things yet . I happened to get a reservation at Moon & Barrel , your favorite place . Come with us . " If Rachel hadn't already seen through him , she might have been touched by his effort . But she wasn't fooled . Looking up at the man she had loved for seven years , her eyes were cold . " Really ? Well , it's too bad . I have a meeting with a business partner this afternoon . You should take Ms. Judd instead . She wasn't about to sit and watch them play their little games behind closed doors , all while pretending to enjoy the delicious food at Moon & Barrel . William reached for her hand , his brows furrowed as he softly said , " Work will always be there . Your health is more important Don't overdo it , okay ? " Rachel smirked , then pulled her hand away from his . " If Ms. Judd could improve her efficiency and take her work seriously , maybe I'd have less to do . " Samantha stood quietly beside them , looking uncomfortable at Rachel's words . Rachel glanced at her watch , then turned to leave . Once she was outside the office , she took a deep breath . It was hard to breathe in the office with the suffocating scent of Samantha's perfume lingering in the air . She found a nearby spot to grab a quick meal , trying to shake off the tension . As she was eating , William sent her a message . [ Caleb just came back from abroad . There's a gathering tonight , so come with me , okay ? ] Rachel didn't really enjoy these kinds of gatherings , but always went to support Will around , the other guys acted differently - more stiff and awkward . It was clear they she usually kept to herself . But Caleb Spencer had always been kind to her , so she agreed to go this time . [ Okay . ] She knew that whenever she was t feel comfortable with her there , so As the end of the day drew closer , Samantha still hadn't submitted the revised data . But Rachel didn't push . She knew that as long as she made some progress with Tyler , everything Samantha was doing now would eventually be overwritten . Rachel was packing up when Cecilia walked in with some documents for her to sign . As soon as the door opened , a sharp smell hit her , and she frowned , coughing a little . " Rachel , you can't seriously want to stay in this place forever , can you ? It's bad for your health . You've been coughing all day . " " It's fine . Starting tomorrow , I'll be out working on projects more and not in the office so much , " Rachel replied . Cecilia pursed her lips , looking irritated . " You saw Samantha , right ? Did she finish the data she was supposed to give you ? She's just over there putting on makeup . If you didn't know any better , you'd think she was getting ready for a date tonight . " She does that every time . When Mr. Lewis is around , she acts like she's working hard . When he leaves , she's either snacking or 1/3 Chapter 10 +25 BONUS drinking coffee . " Rachel wasn't surprised . With William backing , Samantha , she could sit around all day with her legs up and no one would dare say a word . She picked up the pen and signed her name with swift confidence . Just focus on doing our job right . " Cecilia pouted . She hadn't expected Rachel to stay this calm - anyone else would've lost it by now . William was waiting for Rachel outside the company , already by the car . As she opened the door , she saw him holding a bourget of red roses . " Do you like them ? " he asked , his voice soft . Rachel stared at the bright roses for a moment before reaching out to take them . Then , she unconsciously noticed a hint of pink on his white shirt , and her breath caught for a second . " Yes , I like them , " she replied , her voice steady . William got into the car and started driving toward the gathering . While one hand was steady on the wheel , the other was casually signing to her . " The Oasis Project's still in its early stages . Samantha's used to working overseas , where things move at a different pace . She's probably still adjusting . Don't be too hard on her . " Rachel couldn't help but laugh . " You think asking her to research the Oasis Project and put together a data summary is being too strict ? " Everyone knew that the first step in any project was to ensure the data gathered was correct . It didn't matter whether the work style was from overseas or not . Did William not realize how much he was favoring Samantha ? William could hear the edge in Rachel's voice . He sighed and tried to explain , keeping his tone patient . " That's not what I meant . She's new , that's all . Seeing her now … reminds me of you when you first joined the company- nervous , unsure , still figuring things out . I was busy with work back then and didn't have time to watch over you . You had to face a lot of unnecessary criticism ; I've always felt bad about it . " Rachel almost wanted to give William an award for " Best Actor " when she left . Sh conversation . A man could always find endless excuses for being nice to another v " We're here , " William said , pulling into the parking lot . ided not to continue with that in , no matter how far - fetched . Rachel hadn't wanted to bring the flowers inside , but then figured it would be better than keeping them . At least this way , she could just give them to the staff when they left . As soon as William got out of the car , he came around to Rachel's side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders . She could smell Samantha's perfume on him . Frowning , she instinctively tried to pull away . Noticing her discomfort , William lowered his head and asked softly , " What's wrong ? " " Nothing , just let's keep it low - key , " Rachel replied , trying to brush it off . William leaned down and kissed her cheek , smiling . " No , we're going to let them see just how much we care for each other . " Rachel didn't argue . She couldn't find a good reason to protest , so she just let him lead her inside . The moment they walked in , the group started teasing . " Well , look who's brought his darling wife . Mr. Lewis , who used to act like a man with no interest in women . Look at him now , so whipped . " 2/3 Chapter 10 +25 BONUS " Yeah , we tried to get you to come out for drinks so many times , and every time you said you had to stay home with the missus . " " If it weren't for Caleb coming back , I bet you'd be hard to drag out tonight . " " Even after all these years of marriage , William's still so romantic . He even bought flowers for his wife . " William laughed , squeezing Rachel closer as they entered , tossing playful comment back to the group . " Hey , move over for my princess . Don't you know how great it is to have a wife to take care of you ? You single guys wouldn't understand . " Laughter filled the air , and the teasing continued . " Alright , we get it , you're happy . Just you and your wife . " William slid a small plate of grapes in front of Rachel . They were her favorite kind , deep red and seedless . Every time they had them , he would pluck them off the stem , carefully remove the skin and feed them to her . This time was no different . " Here , try one . I had them flown in . They're perfectly sweet this time of year . " She opened her mouth stiffly , letting him feed her . The grape burst with sweetness , but it only made the bitterness inside her worse . " It's good , " she said , forcing a smile . William had always taken good care of her . In the past , he never joined in on drinking games at gatherings . He would stay by her side the whole time , always attentive to her needs . But tonight , Rachel felt completely out of place . The things William's friends said didn't make her feel cherished - they made her feel like a joke . She hadn't been sleeping well the past few days , and a dull ache had started building in her head . After sitting there for a while , she leaned over to William and said softly , " You guys go ahead and have fun . I'm not feeling great . I think I'll head home and rest . " 3/3