The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes-Chapter 34-couple

Janet had just stepped out of the building and didn’t see Peggy’s car. She glanced toward the parking lot, feeling a flicker of confusion as Charles’s urgent voice came through her phone.

"What’s wrong?" Janet asked, catching the sharp tone in his voice. Somehow, she felt a bit annoyed — wasn’t he supposed to be with Elvira?

She looked around again but still saw no sign of Peggy’s car. Just as she was about to turn away, her eyes landed on a familiar black Maserati parked in the reserved spot.

A casual glance inside froze her heart.

Two men were locked in a passionate kiss.

Janet gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Her phone slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.

The two men in the car were none other than August and Manfred.

Suddenly, Janet remembered the matching diamond couple earrings she had seen on their ears before. Manfred had once said he wasn’t interested in women, and August, on the other hand, had a near-obsessive cleanliness when it came to women. Janet’s eyes widened in disbelief.

In just seconds, she quickly grabbed her phone from the ground and ducked behind a stone wall at the corner. This was a reserved parking area, and it was midday—no one would come by now. Charles’s parking spot was diagonally across from theirs.

Taking a deep breath, Janet peeked again—and all she saw was Manfred’s mischievous, smiling face, bright and wicked as always. August was a perfect man, yet the more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. She almost convinced herself it had been a hallucination.

Staggering out of the parking lot, the scorching sun made her squint painfully. She instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes.

Her phone rang again—this time it was Peggy.

Charles’s call had somehow already ended.

Janet walked toward a nearby Western restaurant. As soon as she entered, Peggy, dressed sharply in a professional suit, waved at her. Janet, still shaken, blurted out, "Why didn’t you come by car?"

"I came with my brother to meet a client nearby. I took his car," Peggy replied, taking a big gulp of ice water. She had already ordered before Janet arrived and hadn’t noticed the change in Janet’s expression. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

"So where’s Simon?" Janet blinked, looking around with some confusion. Peggy still had a year left at school, but she always said that without Janet around, it was boring to be alone—and Simon basically pushed her into the company.

"He took his girlfriend out and just left me here alone. No heart at all!" Peggy muttered, and just then, the waiter brought their meals. She looked ravenous, immediately cutting into her steak with knife and fork.

Janet hesitated but finally found the courage to ask about Manfred’s sexuality. If he really liked men, then what did all this sudden attention toward her mean?

"Peggy... Manfred, does he like men or women?" Janet carefully asked.

Peggy paused mid-bite, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Janet strangely. Then she reached out to touch Janet’s forehead. "You’re not running a fever, are you? Why’re you asking such a weird question?"

"He likes you. He wants to chase you, you didn’t know?" Peggy rolled her eyes. Last time, Manfred even used her as a go-between to invite Janet to a concert. It was obvious he was into her. Peggy was happy to play matchmaker—Manfred was a promising young man, no shame in pairing him with Janet.

Janet’s face flushed, unsure how to respond. The image of that dark, alluring face lingered in her mind. Maybe it was just one kiss—had she misread things?

Chewing on her medium-rare steak, Janet suddenly caught a familiar metallic taste in her mouth. Her stomach churned violently. She clutched her mouth and rushed toward the restroom.

"Ugh—ugh—" Janet felt like throwing up but nothing came out. She cupped some water and splashed it on her face, the metallic taste still lingering on her tongue. She touched her neck, confused. She’d eaten medium-rare steak before without this reaction—why today was it so different?

"Are you okay?" Peggy rushed in after her, concern etched on her face. She looked closely at Janet’s unusually pale reflection in the large mirror, gently holding her hand, scanning her from head to toe. "Janet, what’s wrong? Are you sick?"

"No, maybe it’s just my stomach. Let’s go." Janet recalled she hadn’t felt like eating much these past days but hadn’t thought much of it. She smoothed her clothes and led Peggy back to the table. When the familiar rich aroma hit her again, she only picked up a glass of juice, ignoring the food.

"Not feeling it? Want to go somewhere else?" Peggy noticed the hint of disgust in Janet’s eyes, though Janet wasn’t usually picky.

"No, no. My stomach hurts. You eat," Janet waved her off, pulling Peggy back down before she could get up. She was truly grateful to have a friend like Peggy when she felt utterly alone. Their bond far surpassed any blood ties she had with Elvira.

Before leaving, Peggy called over the waiter to order a slice of Black Forest cake and a coconut jelly for Janet, reminding her to eat it after returning to the office. Since Janet had to work in the afternoon, they didn’t linger, parting ways after the meal.

Walking back into the building, Janet instinctively glanced toward the parking lot— the black Seagrave was gone. She turned to enter the lobby and nearly bumped into a familiar figure.

"Sorry!" Janet’s eyes lit up in surprise. "Amos?"

Amos, followed by his new assistant, was headed out to oversee a shoot for a new ad. Seeing Janet after so long, his expression softened. "Janet, how’s it been working by the boss’s side?"

Amos had been Janet’s mentor since she joined Black Rock Co. Without him, she wouldn’t be where she was now. To Janet, he was both a superior and a teacher. "It’s fine. Are you heading out?"

"Yeah, there’s an ad reshoot. I need to set up the scene." Amos was known for his efficiency—one reason Charles trusted him to work alongside August.

"Oh, go ahead then. I’m heading upstairs!" Janet nodded at Amos’s assistant. She hadn’t had many chances to go on location inspections before, and now, assigned to Charles, her exposure to company affairs beyond the office was even more limited.

Janet took the elevator up to the eighty-eighth floor. Once inside the office, she remembered she hadn’t retrieved the documents she’d checked earlier in the finance room. Just as she set the cake down to go back, a shadow loomed behind her. She turned, only to be caught by a strong arm, her body pressed against the cold wall. She gasped softly in pain, a faint trace of Dior perfume surrounding her. Then, a storm of urgent kisses ravaged her lips.