He Came With a Ring. I Had a Fiancé Chapter 06

He Came With a Ring. I Had a Fiancé Chapter 06

An hour later, Dylan reached my office building and raced up to the thirty-eighth floor.

The receptionist recognized him and spoke teasingly.

“It’s been ages since you last came to pick Audrey up after work!”

His throat tightened. It had been nearly a year.

“Is she here?”

The receptionist paused.

“Actually, I don’t think I’ve seen her today.”

She spotted another woman walking by and stopped her.

“Hey, you’re in Audrey’s department, right? I don’t think she came in today. Have you seen

her?”

The woman pursed her lips.

“You seriously haven’t heard? She resigned.”

“I don’t know what she was thinking. Probably something to do with that long-distance boyfriend of hers. She was completely obsessed with him.”

Dylan tensed.

“When did she resign?”

“About a month ago. She worked overtime for two straight months, saving up comp time to visit him. She was here until midnight practically every day. A few times, she was so exhausted she fell asleep right at her desk. Scared the life out of us.”

“And just when she finally had enough time off, she quit. Maybe she’s giving up her career for love and planning to stay home cooking for her boyfriend.”

The woman walked away.

The receptionist blinked at Dylan with interest.

“So did you really propose? When’s the wedding?”

Then she frowned.

“Wait. She’s been gone for a month, and you didn’t know?”

Dylan stood there for a moment before turning and leaving.

He couldn’t make sense of himself.

Why did Audrey’s silent departure make him both furious and terrified?

Hadn’t he always been indifferent to her?

He’d only chosen to date her in the first place because it let him stay close to Claire.

How had things ended up like this?

Dylan sat behind the wheel, feeling like a lost sheep.

He suddenly had no idea where to go, or where he could even begin looking for Audrey.

Only now did he realize how little he knew about her.

She’d always been the one orbiting him.

She knew everything he liked.

She’d stayed up until three in the morning trying to get concert tickets for his favorite band.

When she learned he had stomach problems, she’d taught herself to cook, searching for recipes every day even though she’d barely used a kitchen before:

She’d filled a thick notebook with detailed instructions, writing every word by hand.

The last time she visited, she’d accidentally left the notebook at his place.

He’d offered to mail it back, but she’d told him not to bother.

“This way, if some girl comes over with the wrong idea, she’ll see that notebook and know you’re already taken!”

He remembered the bright smile on her face. There was a touch of jealousy in her smile, gentle

and bright rather than sharp.

He caught himself smiling.

Then the smile froze.

Why was Audrey so determined to leave him?

Because he’d spent one night at Claire’s?

Because he’d been too blunt about bringing her an umbrella?

Dylan tugged irritably at his tie.

Before he could sort through his thoughts, one of his buddies sent him a video.

[Get over here! Someone’s harassing Claire!]

It was filmed in a bar.

A man was forcing Claire to drink.

Dylan acted on impulse and rushed straight to the bar.

Beneath the shifting colored lights, Claire stumbled as a man shoved her down onto a couch.

Dylan tried to pull her away, but she tore free.

“Stay out of my business!”

She dragged another guy to her side.

“This is my new boyfriend.”

“What do you

too!”

think? Better-looking than you, right? And he knows how to treat me better,

Dylan froze for a moment before recognizing the man as someone who’d once pursued Claire.

He released her and asked calmly, “Are you serious?”

“I am.”

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Dylan felt relieved.

“Okay. I wish you both happiness.”