Suddenly , the office door opened . Samantha limped in , her steps slow and dramatic . Her eyes were red as she walked up to Rachel . Her voice was soft and muffled , like she was trying not to cry . Rachel glanced at William , then back at Samantha . Her throat felt dry . William quickly stepped forward and moved Samantha out from between them . " Rachel didn't mean it like that . We were just talking about something else . It got a little loud , that's all , " he said . But Samantha didn't budge and stood stubbornly in front of Rachel Her body trembled as she signed with her hands , as if she were desperately trying to convey her meaning . The sight was both comical and heartbreakingly earnest . " Rachel , I really didn't mean anything bad , " Samantha said . " If I made you uncomfortable , I'll explain everything to the team right now . " She reached for the door , ready to go out . " There's no need for that , Ms. Judd , " Rachel said calmly . Samantha paused , hand still on the door . " So … you're really not mad at me ? " she asked in that soft , fragile voice , like one wrong word would shatter her completely . The kind of voice that made everyone feel bad for her … even if she was the one stirring the pot . Rachel's voice stayed steady and quiet as she replied , " This has nothing to do with you . " The truth was , the real problem wasn't Samantha at all . It was William , who couldn't even stay loyal with his heart , let alone his actions . William opened a drawer and took out a small , red velvet box . He gently placed it in Rachel's hand . " Come on , " he said softly . " Don't be upset . You're older than her , and now you're her supervisor too . Just give her a little grace . She's still young and doesn't know much yet . " He smiled and added , " I saw this bracelet at the mall the other day . Thought it would look good on you , so I got it. " Rachel watched as he opened the box and took out a gold bracelet . It was elegant , s . … and completely meaningless now . Her eyes landed on the little engraving - two tiny letters , her initial and his . She should've been touched , but all she felt was bitter irony , and her stomach churned with nausea . Last night , when she needed him the most , he was with someone else . If it hadn't been for Tyler reserving that private room by chance , she didn't even dare imagine what might've happened to her . William seemed to think that as long as nothing really bad happened , he could pretend the whole thing never took place . Throw a bracelet at her , say a few soft words , and everything would magically be fine . Since there was no love left between them , then money would have to do . And it just so happened Rachel still hadn't figured out how to cover the 20,000 she gave Tyler . Rachel took a deep breath , forcing herself to calm down and smile . ' Well , if there's nothing else , I'll get going . " William stared at her for a moment , then cautiously said , " By the way , I saw you get in the taxi last night . Why did you come back ? " Rachel met his gaze calmly and replied , " I left my phone in the private room . I had to go back and get it . Didn't expect to run into Howard . " William's expression tightened . His jaw clenched as he stared at her face like he was trying to read between the lines . Chapter 18 +25 BONUS " Where exactly did you run into him ? " he asked . " Right outside your room , " she replied without emotion . He paused , his breath catching for a second . A small frown formed between his brows . " Why didn't you come in , then ? " Rachel looked down for a moment , her lashes casting soft shadows over her eyes . " Howard stopped me before I could . " If William had just looked outside once - just once - he might've seen her there . He might've stopped it all from happening . But no . His attention had been on Samantha the entire time . William didn't seem to catch the coldness in her voice . In fact , he almost looked relieved . Rachel stayed quiet for a few seconds , then spoke again , asking , " Tomorrow's Mom's death anniversary . Are you coming to visit her grave with me ? " As soon as the words left her mouth , regret set in . She quickly changed her mind . Chapter 19