Page 30 of The Heart of Winter

Fifteen minutes later, as I reached the parking lot and pulled into one of the few empty spaces, I spotted an Uber stop nearby. And stepping out of it? None other than Winter.

Our eyes met, and I figured, why not? Perfect chance for a little follow-up.

"So, turns out it was more than just a battery issue?"

Winter didn’t look thrilled to see me. No surprises there.

"I don’t know yet. I had to make a stop on the way, parked the car, and after that, it wouldn’t start again."

"Got it. Sounds like you’ll need to call roadside assistance and have it towed." I shrugged. "In the meantime, my offer still stands, I can give you a ride. No need to waste money on Uber."

I added a small, innocent smirk, because let’s be real… Winter, as a high-ranking executive, probably didn’t care about the cost of an Uber.

Well, I guess my offer didn’t land.

His gaze slid lower, over my chest, and fixed on the scene. I could literally see him freeze for a second, the meaning of it registering in his mind. Maybe he even put the pieces together, realizing that the other T-shirt prints were also about him?

Then he straightened up, gave me his signature unreadable look… and walked right past me without a word.

Wow, respect! He really controlled himself well, not showing what he truly felt about my little displays of dark humor.

Or he just really didn’t care?

Still, I spent the day in a relatively good mood. Even the slightest thaw in my interactions with Winter had a strangely uplifting effect.

Why was it important anyway? He was a withdrawn, emotionally unavailable guy. Probably a total psycho. Definitely hated alphas for no reason. And he personally couldn’t stand me. What was I expecting? That our professional relationship would greatly improve? That was wildly unrealistic to begin with.

But later that afternoon, as I was leaving work, I was in for a surprise.

It was raining. Hard. Sheets of water pouring from the sky.

Hesitating, I stopped just before the exit, but then I noticed Winter stepping out of a different elevator, phone in hand.

He was probably calling an Uber. Or maybe he already had.

Standing there, I considered my options.

For some reason, I felt a weird reluctance to speak to him again, so I just pretended to scroll through something on my phone.

He paused by the glass wall of the lobby, waiting for his ride.

Eventually, I thought, screw it. Why not try again?

"Excuse me, sir. I see you’re waiting… Maybe you’d reconsider that ride? I’ve got time."

Winter slowly turned his head to look at me, like a machine with rusty gears.

"What exactly is this game, Lowen?"

I froze. "What… game?"

He made a short gesture toward me. "This whole act of sucking up."

I felt the heat rise to my face. "I… This isn’t sucking up. When I see I can help someone, I try to do it."

"Might I suggest applying to an animal shelter? That big heart of yours could be put to good use where it’s truly needed."

I clenched my teeth. Hilarious.

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