Page 161 of A Convenient Secret

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Saar

Notanswering that.

Cora

How is your asshole cousin?

Scheming and trying to get through my security team.

Celeste

How is your dad?

Better.

Saar

Is the job still overwhelming?

They will find out I’m faking it soon.

Saar

BS. You’re smart.

Celeste

You’ve got this, Lils.

Cora

Can we ask how you are?

The same.

Saar

Fuck

“You work too hard.” My father coughs in his bed. He takes off his glasses and puts down the paperwork he’s been reviewing.

I look at him from the makeshift desk I set up in his room. “Really? Says the man who should be resting.”

“Oh, the doctors are just being extra-cautious,” hecomplains, as he’s been doing for the past four days since he returned from the hospital.

“I think that’s a good approach.” I return to the spreadsheet on my screen.

“You’re deflecting, Cookie.”

“Don’t call me that. I’m not five anymore.” But I can’t help but grin at his use of my childhood name.

“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re deflecting.” He pins me with that fatherly gaze of his that always makes me sit up straighter. Even at almost twenty-six.

“Okay, I’m working extra hard because I have no choice. Because, for whatever reason, you decided none of your colleagues can run the company.”

“Oh, they can run it just fine, but none of them is you.”

“I don’t even know what that means. I’m not qualified.”

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