Chapter 4

"Alright, Mr. Alex, I understand. I'll go negotiate as soon as possible."

She didn't seem to notice my scrutinizing gaze,

Just gave a casual reply and left with the file.

At lunchtime, Jake and she went out together to meet the client.

To say I wasn't envious or jealous would be a lie.

However, when I returned after lunch, I overheard others whispering.

"Wow, look at her, she's so old, but still so charming."

"What are you talking about? She doesn't look her age at all."

"Yeah, how can you say that? She takes such good care of herself, like a girl in her twenties."

When they saw me, they suddenly stopped discussing, but I was curious.

I walked over to the computer screen and saw Valentina's ID.

"So she's forty! You really can't tell at all."

Valentina was a full ten years older than me.

Yet, knowing her true age, I didn't feel disappointed.

A forty-year-old woman must have experienced a lot,

She'd definitely be more experienced in love and life.

Just as my thoughts were a tangled mess, and I was looking for an excuse to get closer to Valentina,

That very evening, I received a voice message from Jake.

"Alex, buddy, I'm at a hotel right now. Tonight's gonna be awesome. I'll tell you all the details when we meet tomorrow."

He was drunk, his voice full of triumph, even a hint of provocation.

Faintly, I could hear a woman's voice in the background.

I immediately thought of him going out alone with Valentina to meet clients today.

It looked like she had gotten drunk, and he had taken his chance.

Furious and desperate, I channeled all my loneliness and pent-up desire onto Chloe.

"Alex, I need to go home and see my parents tomorrow. I'll be gone for a few weeks."

I stroked her face, responding absently.

"Go ahead, take care of yourself."

The next day, I expected Jake to strut in, beaming and bragging about his conquest,

But his face was unusually pale.

I called him into my office. "What's wrong? Too much fun last night?"

He forced a weak smile and continued to tease me.

"If it were you, you'd be the same."

"They say women in their forties are like tigresses, insatiable."

I wished it had been me.

I asked him for details about last night, and he stammered, claiming he was too "overjoyed" to remember any.

Then he suddenly said he needed to take some time off.

I didn't hesitate; I immediately agreed.

"He must be completely hooked on Valentina."

But to my shock, less than a month later, Jake was dead.