Mysterious Mrs. Pansy

Monica clenched her fists behind her back, a reluctant apology escaping her lips.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

Jane, with a sly smile, teased, “I didn’t catch that. Could you say it louder? What did you say?”

Louder and more begrudgingly, Monica repeated, “I’m sorry!”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Patrick’s commanding voice echoed in the room, making Monica tremble. She nodded in response to his stern directive.

As Monica left Patrick’s office, she shot a fierce glare at Jane. Things hadn’t gone as planned. The country girl had turned out to be more resourceful than Monica anticipated. She not only fell into Jane’s trap but also made a fool of herself in front of her crush, which was nothing short of humiliating.

Monica was determined to get back at Jane. She would ensure that Jane faced twice the humiliation she did that day.

Once again, Jane found herself working past the closing hour. She stayed late to cross-check the data on the document Monica had given her.

As she waited by the roadside for a taxi, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of her.

It was Patrick’s car.

“Get in,” Patrick said, rolling down the window and looking at her.

Jane took a step back, declining his offer. “No, thanks. I’ll take a taxi.”

Patrick wasn’t inclined to accept her refusal. He got out of the car and looked at Jane with a determined expression.

“Taxis are scarce on this road at this hour. I won’t leave you alone here. Who knows, you might end up under a desk again, and I’d have to rescue you and take care of you all night.”

“Gosh!” Jane rolled her eyes, recalling the embarrassing incident. She retaliated, “It was your fault!”

Patrick was taken aback. How was it his fault? What did it have to do with him? “I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s not my problem.”

Jane didn’t hold back. She raised her eyebrows and declared, “Monica has a crush on you. It’s your fault she’s been harassing me. If it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t have targeted me.”

Monica had a crush on him? Patrick was oblivious to her affections. His heart was already occupied by a girl he’d met as a child. Nevertheless, whenever he was around Jane, he couldn’t help but feel a slight flutter in his heart. He didn’t understand it, but he continued to resist it.

With a wry smile, he asked, “Are you jealous?”

“Me, jealous? Are you insane?” Jane pointed to herself, raised an incredulous eyebrow, and turned to leave.

But Patrick didn’t let her go. He pulled her back, gently shoved her into the car, and commanded, “Stay put!”

Jane, taken by surprise, didn’t resist. She had promised her grandfather that she would get along with Patrick. It appeared they were on the same page, working towards returning to their normal lives in three months. However, it wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Spending three whole months with this man would be quite the challenge.

Jane pondered this while a large hand appeared in front of her. Startled, she leaned back and eyed the man beside her cautiously.

Patrick leaned in, his arm crossing her chest, and their eyes locked. The air between them seemed to sizzle.

“I want to help you fasten your seat belt,” Patrick calmly explained without breaking eye contact.

“I can do it myself,” Jane replied, a bit flustered as she reached for the seat belt. Her mind had jumped to conclusions that Patrick hadn’t intended.

The warmth of his hand sent a flush to her cheeks. With a slight shrug, Patrick withdrew his hand, straightened up, and started the car. In his eyes, a hint of unexplainable tenderness shone through.

He couldn’t help but notice the familiar fragrance that Jane exuded, much like that of the girl from his childhood. Could it be that Jane was the girl who saved him all those years ago? After mulling it over several times in his mind, he finally turned to her and asked, “Jane, have you ever been kidnapped?”

“What?” Jane was taken aback by the unexpected question. “Kidnapped? Where did that come from? What a strange question.” She shook her head and replied, “No.”