The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

In the kitchen, Mrs. Hughes was arranging fresh fruit on a plate. She looked up when I entered, a smile warming her round face.

“Good morning, Mrs. Wells. Would you like coffee or tea with your breakfast?”

“Coffee, please,” I replied, settling at the large marble island. “Has Mr. Wells already left for the day?”

Mrs. Hughes nodded, pouring dark coffee into a delicate china cup. “Yes, ma’am. He was in quite a hurry this morning. Didn’t even

have time for breakfast, just grabbed his briefcase and was out the door before seven.

“I see. My fingers curled around the warm cup, seeking comfort in its solid presence. “Thank you, Mrs. Hughes.”

“Is there anything special you’d like prepared for tonight? I was thinking of making that roast chicken Mr. Wells enjoys.”

I took a sip of coffee to hide the slight tremor in my hands. “That won’t be necessary. I’m not sure what time either of us will be

home.”

Mrs. Hughes gave me a concerned look but didn’t press further. Her attentiveness was a recent development. For most of our

marriage, she’d barely hidden her disdain for me, the outsider who’d married into the Wells family. Derek’s return seemed to have

prompted this sudden change in attitude.

As I ate my breakfast mechanically, I knew I couldn’t let this unravel me. If last night was a momentary lapse for him, then I had to

treat it as the same.

Four Seasons Florals was unusually busy for a weekday. Under normal circumstances, I would have welcomed the distraction, but

today I couldn’t seem to focus on anything. Twice I used the wrong flowers in an arrangement. Once I completely forgot a standing

order for the Prescott Hotel until Mia gently reminded me.

“Are you feeling okay?’ Mia asked during a rare quiet moment, placing a steaming mug of tea beside me. “You seem a little…

distracted.”

I forced a smile. “Just tired. Didn’t sleep well last night.”

Mia gave me a searching look but didn’t pry further. She’d been with me since I opened the shop and knew when not to push.

During my lunch break, I retreated to the small garden behind the shop. It was my private sanctuary, filled with potted herbs and climbing roses that perfumed the air. I sat on the wrought iron bench and pulled out my phone.

No missed calls. No text messages. No emails.

Before I could think better of it, I typed a short message to Derek: [Meeting ran late?]

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Chapter 45

Simple. Casual. As if I didn’t care one way or the other.

I stared at the screen, waiting for the three dots that would indicate he was responding. Nothing. The message showed as delivered

but not read.

Setting the phone down, I sipped my tea and tried to ignore the hollow feeling in my chest. This was ridiculous. Derek had no

obligation to check in with me or respond to my messages. Our marriage was a legal arrangement, nothing more. In two months, we

would go our separate ways, and I would no longer have any claim on his time of attention.

Yet as the afternoon wore on and the shop emptied of customers, I found myself checking my phone repeatedly. By closing time, I’d

sent two more messages: [Will you be home for dinner?] and a simple [Derek?]

All delivered. None read.

As Mia and I were cleaning up, a sudden, impulsive thought seized me. I would go to his office. I wouldn’t make a scene or demand attention. I just needed to break through this suffocating silence, to see for myself that I still existed in his world.

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The CEO’s Unspoken Love