Angela’s heart stopped the moment the door swung open. A woman stepped inside.
Tall. Gorgeous. Dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She moved with the kind of confidence that made Angela’s stomach twist into knots.
Mia’s warning echoed in her head.
"He might be married or have another girlfriend."
Angela shot to her feet. Her pulse raced, her mind already spiraling with worst-case scenarios.
Eric didn’t look fazed at all. Instead, he gave her a small, almost knowing smile and lifted a finger as if to say, ‘Give me a minute.’
Then, without another word, he led the woman down the hall and into a room, shutting the door behind them.
Angela’s hands clenched into fists.
She couldn’t sit still. Every nerve in her body was on high alert.
Who is she?She started pacing, counting the minutes. One. Two. Five. Ten.
Too long.
Her patience snapped. She marched toward the door, her heart hammering in her chest. She reached for the handle, ready to barge in, but hesitated at the last second.
She wasn’t his girlfriend—not yet, anyway. She had no right to act possessive. But damn it, she had questions.
Biting her lip, she pressed her ear against the door, trying to catch even a whisper of their conversation.
Nothing.
She strained harder, but all she got was the muffled hum of voices, too low to decipher.
Frustrated, she pulled away. Just as she turned to leave—
The door opened.
Eric walked out first, his expression unreadable. The woman followed closely behind, adjusting her purse strap.
Angela’s gaze flickered between them, searching for any sign of intimacy. The woman’s lipstick was still perfect. No smudges. Her clothes were unwrinkled. No disheveled hair.
But Eric was still shirtless.
That single fact gnawed at her.
Eric ’s eyes met hers. “You okay?”
Angela forced a tight smile. “Yeah.”
Liar.
She turned away, grabbing her bag. “I should go.”
Eric frowned. “I’ll drive you home.”
“No need.” Her voice was clipped. She just wanted to get out of there before she said something she’d regret.
She took a step toward the door. And then the woman spoke.
“I’m so glad to finally meet you, Angela.”
Angela froze mid-step.
Slowly, she turned back, her stomach twisting into knots. The woman was smiling, a warm, genuine smile that didn’t match the storm raging in Angela’s chest.
Did she know her name?
Before Angela could even process that, Eric cleared his throat.
“Sorry,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I should’ve introduced you earlier.”
He gestured toward the woman. “This is my cousin.”
Angela blinked. “Your what?”
“Cousin,” he repeated casually, as if he hadn’t just turned her world upside down.