Chapter 26 Nathan's insight surprised me . He seemed to know me better than I'd realized . " Have you been checking up on me ? " My smile faded . The collapse of my marriage was painful enough without strangers poking through the remains . " Sorry , I overstepped , " Nathan blurted out , uncharacteristically flustered . " Just heard some things in passing . No background checks , I promise . " " Lovely meeting you ." I gave him my best polite dismissal and walked away . Nathan stayed frozen where he stood . Back at our table , Melissa was still nervously eyeing the handsome stranger at the other table , clearly working up the courage to talk to him . " Melissa , ready to go ? " I asked , already gathering my things . Nathan's lingering gaze and that unsettling confession had me suddenly desperate for an exit . She rose with obvious reluctance , just as Nathan came back inside . I pulled Melissa forward . " Mr. Hallman , meet Melissa - legal genius and my best friend . Keep her number handy for when you inevitably need a lawyer . " " Victoria … " Melissa hadn't expected me to be so forward . She turned bright red , wishing she could vanish on the spot . I shot her a reassuring look . " Don't worry . Mr. Hallman and I know each other . " Nathan handed Melissa a business card . " Ms. Jenkins , my company could use legal counsel . If you're interested , reach out to my assistant , Zachary Chandler . " " Hello , " said Zachary , the handsome guy across the table , raising his hand . He slid his card toward her . " Just give me a call . " Melissa took both cards , her face burning . " Nice to meet you , " she murmured , and then yanked me out of the restaurant at lightning speed . I took one look at her tomato - red cheeks and burst out laughing , nearly choking . " Victoria , that was mortifying , " Melissa hissed , stomping her foot . " How could you just ask for their contacts like that ? Now I can never show my face around them again ." I grinned and nudged her . " You've got their cards now . It'd be a waste not to use them ." " Wait a second … " Melissa picked up on something strange and grabbed my arm . " You know Mr. Hallman ? How ? Where did you two meet ? " I froze , caught off guard by her rapid - fire questions . " Victoria , does Mr. Hallman like you ? " Melissa squinted . " Don't even try denying it . I can see it in his eyes - the way he looks at you isn't just casual . " Melissa was my friend , and I didn't want to hide things from her . So I told her everything - about volunteering at the charity and the donation . " Wait , that donation of yours created a tech mogul ? " She'd seen his business card - the same guy I'd helped was now Nathan 1/3 Hallman , a 27 - year - old rising star who was killing it in the tech world . I shrugged . " It was Jared's money , not mine . If anyone deserves credit , it's Jared . " Melissa burst out laughing , slapping her knee . " This is perfect . Jared financed his own romantic competitor . Imagine how pissed he'll be when he finds out . " I quickly covered her mouth . " Keep your voice down . If anyone hears you , we're through as friends ." Melissa leaned in , her voice dropping to a whisper . " So … you're really divorcing Jared ? Need me to handle the paperwork ? It's what I do best - my treat . " Her serious expression made me laugh . " Alright , draft something up for me to review . " " Do you think Jared will give you half ? " Melissa asked , her eyes alight with curiosity . I shook my head . " Probably not . I don't expect half . Even ten percent of his fortune would last me a lifetime . " " Jared's never been stingy with you . Honestly , he'd probably hand over whatever you needed without you asking . " Melissa studied me , her usual teasing tone softening . " But Victoria … when you walked down that aisle , did you ever think it would end in divorce ? " For all her blunt humor , she asked with genuine care . " Who goes into marriage thinking about divorce ? " I said bitterly . " We were all in , picturing silver anniversaries , matching rocking chairs , a house full of kids … " " Maybe we romanticized marriage too much , " Melissa interrupted . " Truth is , it's just a partnership . Pick right , you're golden . Pick wrong … " " Cut your losses early , " I finished . She nodded with a knowing smile . " Exactly . We're still young enough to try again . " I shook my head . " I'm done with relationships . Men and women are all the same . The magic always fades . Why not just keep dating ? Always have someone new to love and be loved by . " Melissa stared at me in disbelief . " Wow , since when do you talk like that , Victoria ? " " I didn't use to ," I said , pulling her toward my parked car . " Now I do . " A sleek Maybach stood out just a few parking spots away - unmistakably Nathan's car . We'd barely buckled up when Nathan and his assistant approached . I hit the gas before they could reach us . That afternoon , I returned to the company to discuss the hotel handover when Jared summoned me to his office . 2/3 I kept my expression carefully blank , refusing to meet his gaze . " About last night … I was out of line ." So this wasn't about work , but an apology . I turned my face away , pressing my lips together in silence . Jared stood and extended a navy blue box toward me . " I got you this . " I glanced at it but didn't take it . He grabbed my hand and pressed the box into my palm . " It won't happen again ." I gripped the box tightly , willing my eyes to turn red . Jared leaned against his desk , his deep - set eyes studying me . When I remained silent , he sighed . " I'll invest one hundred million in your business . Will that help ? " My reddened eyes darted to his face . " You're serious ? "