Real Heiress: Flash Marriage With Boyfriend's Uncle - Chapter 398

Chapter 398: Not everyone’s first love
Nora glanced at her watch. It was already past her working hours. Letting out a small sigh, she grabbed her bag and hurried out of the office building.

As she stepped outside she heard a familiar voice called out to her.

“Nora!”

Her head snapped in the direction of the voice when she saw Demitri standing beside his white car. She instinctively glanced around, scanning the area for lingering colleagues, before quickly making her way to him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.

Demitri didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached for the car door and pulled it open. “Get in.”

Nora hesitated for a brief moment, then slid into the passenger seat. She knew better than to question him right there, in front of the company, where curious eyes could be watching.

Demitri walked around to the driver’s side, got in, and started the engine. He drove the car out of the company’s premises to the main highway.

“Why were you waiting for me?” Nora finally asked. “What if someone saw us together?”

A smirk tugged at Demitri’s lips. “You’re so insecure about this relationship, aren’t you?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “No, that’s not true,” she said quickly, lowering her gaze.

Demitri’s fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “Then what is it? Is it because you’re just a receptionist while I hold a much higher position?”

The car slowed to a halt as they hit a red light. Demitri turned to look at her. The traffic around them was heavy, but at that moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

Nora curled her fingers around her purse, her grip tightening as she bit her bottom lip. A lump formed in her throat, but she forced herself to speak.

“I do feel like I don’t deserve you,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I mean… I still wonder why you asked me out. I have nothing. I don’t have any friends, and I’m not well-off.”

Demitri inhaled deeply, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. For a moment, he said nothing.

“I asked you out because I believed you would understand me,” he said. “You never pry into my job or ask unnecessary questions. That means something to me.” His fingers drummed lightly against the steering wheel before he continued. “If my status is what’s making you feel this way, then you need to understand something—if you keep looking at me as someone above you, you’ll always feel insecure. Instead, look at me, not my position.”

Nora remained silent, absorbing his words.

“I’ve told you before,” he added. “A receptionist’s job is just as important as a top-tier secretary’s. You should take pride in what you do, Nora. Never compare your job with mine or anyone else’s.”

However, at the same time, he understood why she felt that way. Letting out a sigh, he glanced at her once again.

“I must say, you’ve always been surrounded by people who looked down on you,” he said. “You’ve seen how wealth can influence everything, how selfish people with power can be.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “But not everyone is like that, Nora.”

He held her hand and squeezed it warmly. “And I don’t think we should be worried of the others. We are dating, and there’s nothing wrong in that,” Demitri said with a warm smile.

Nora felt better to hear those words. “Sorry. No one ever waited for me,” she whispered.

“Then, you’ll keep seeing me waiting for you,” Demitri replied.

Nora hummed softly. “The vehicles are moving,” she pointed out.

Demitri blinked, snapping back to the present, and focused on the road. With a smooth turn of the wheel, he maneuvered the car through traffic.

After one and a half hour, he eased the vehicle to a stop in front of Nora’s house, glancing outside before turning his attention to her.

“You mentioned you were looking for an apartment. Did you find one?” he asked, his gaze settling on her.

“Not yet,” Nora admitted. “I need something within my budget.”

Demitri leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel. “Move into my house,” he suggested.

Nora’s eyes widened. “What?”

“You can cover the groceries until you find a place that suits you,” he explained. “My house is big, and I only use one room. You can take the one next to the stairs.”

Nora hesitated, her grip tightening on her purse. “I’ll pay rent too. Only then will I move in.”

Demitri shook his head. “That would make me feel low. I knew you wouldn’t agree so easily—that’s why I suggested groceries instead of rent. I just don’t like the idea of you commuting so far every day. And honestly…” His expression darkened slightly as he glanced at the dimly lit surroundings. “I don’t feel safe leaving you here every night. This place doesn’t look secure to me.”

There was genuine concern in his voice, making Nora bite her lip. She had never expected him to worry about her like this.

“And we’re in a relationship. It’s not wrong to live together, is it?” Demitri asked, watching her closely.

Nora hesitated before shaking her head. “No, it’s not. But… I just don’t want to invade your personal space.”

Demitri let out a soft chuckle. “Well, I’m pretty sure even if you move in, you won’t.”

She studied his expression for a moment, then exhaled. “Hmm… then, I’ll move into your house.”

A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. “Great! Now go grab a bag with some of your clothes. I’m not letting you stay here tonight.”

Nora blinked at him in disbelief. “You’re really serious about this, huh?”

“Yeah,” Demitri replied without hesitation.

She sighed before nodding. “I’ll be back soon,” Nora said before stepping out of the car.

Demitri watched as she hurried inside, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel while he waited. Ten minutes later, she returned with a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. Without a word, Demitri reached out, took the bag from her, and effortlessly tossed it into the backseat.

“Let’s go then,” he said, starting the engine.

~~~~~~

“Boss, this drink is for you to officially step into a new phase of your life,” Roger said, raising his glass of alcohol.

Aiden and Zayne followed suit, lifting their glasses with smirks of approval. Lucius held his own glass, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he glanced at them.

They brought their glasses together before taking a sip.

Lucius set his glass down on the table, exhaling softly. “I’m already missing Layla,” he murmured. “But since she hadn’t spent time with her best friend in a while, I couldn’t refuse when she asked to stay a night with Ruby.”

Earlier in the day, after Lucius and Layla had lunch at Ruby’s place, Ruby had urged him to let Layla stay the night. Even Layla had insisted, pleading with him until he finally gave in.

“Layla is less than an hour away from you, Boss,” Aiden remarked, pouring another glass for Lucius.

“Yeah,” Lucius nodded, though he still felt her absence. As he reached for his drink, his gaze landed on Zayne, who was drinking more than usual. His brows furrowed slightly.

“What’s with you? Are you still upset?” Lucius asked, studying Zayne.

“Huh?” Zayne blinked, momentarily flustered by the sudden question. He hesitated before downing another sip of his drink, as if trying to mask whatever was on his mind.

“Zayne, you loved June a lot, right?” Lucius asked.

Both Aiden and Roger turned their attention to Zayne.

“Yeah, I did,” Zayne admitted, noticing their worried glances. He was never good at hiding his emotions. Lowering his eyes to the glass in his hands, he continued, “I wanted to marry her, Boss. I imagined an entire life for us.”

“Not everyone’s first love is fulfilled,” Roger said, his tone carrying the pain of his own experience. No one knew better than him what it felt like to be betrayed by the person you loved first.

Zayne frowned and looked at him. “Did you have a first love too?”

Lucius and Aiden exchanged glances, wondering if Roger would actually speak about it.

Roger let out a dry chuckle. “Sylvia. I loved her. She was my first love,” he admitted before shaking his head with a bitter smile. “I must be drunk. That’s the only reason I’m talking about this.”

Zayne stared at him in shock before shifting his gaze to Lucius, as if searching for confirmation.

Lucius leaned back slightly.

“It’s hard to cope with losing your first love, but if it’s not worthy of you, you need to let go of it sooner rather than later. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t let yourself stay trapped in the memories of someone who was never meant to be yours,” Roger advised him. “June didn’t have any real feelings for you, Zayne. And more than that… she wouldn’t have hesitated to kill you for her mission.”

Zayne gripped his glass tightly. The truth was painful, but deep down, he knew Roger was absolutely right.