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Simon gave a small smile, clearly enjoying himself. “I studied law, minored in finance and I’ve got a double doctorate. Got a problem with that?”
Kayla blinked, taken aback by how he casually listed all that off. It was the first time someone had introduced
themselves like that.
“Okay, so what’s your angle?” she asked, not buying it. There was no way someone from another company was offering to help her out of nowhere.
Simon shrugged. “I don’t want anything, really. You should know I’m single.”
Kayla looked at him, then quickly turned her gaze away. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m married.”
Simon raised an eyebrow “But I heard you’re getting a divorce?”
Kayla felt her annoyance spike. “Mr. Faulkner, please show some respect”
He couldn’t help but laugh and Kayla realized she had just walked right into his tease. She flushed.
Simon grinned, clearly unfazed. “Look, if you help me win this lawsuit, I’ll give you whatever you want.”
It was her shot, her one chance to win, no matter the cost. She had to make them pay and she would do whatever
it took.
Kayla explained everything, laying it all out. There was something about Simon that made her trust him.
And as he listened, she could see something flicker in his eyes, a mix of concern. It threw her off a bit–she didn’t
even know him, yet here he was, promising to help.
He handed her a contract and said, “You understand this, right? You studied law for a year.
Kayla looked down at the contract, surprised. “How did you know that?”
Kayla had started out studying law, but she switched to accounting when she had to step up and handle her
mother’s company finances.
Hardly anyone knew about the change–only a few people from her classes.
“So, you’ve been keeping tabs on me?” she teased, her lips curving into a faint smile
Simon froze for half a second, like he wasn’t expecting her to catch on. Then he shrugged, avoiding her eyes. “Just focus on the contract,” he said, his tone cool, but the slight flush on his face gave him away.
As Kayla scanned the document, something tugged at the edge of her memory. That face, his voice, it all clicked.
dahated him once back in collana Juhake way he came en familier‘ che thought
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Go Away My Dear Ex Husband
She had debated him once back in college. “That’s why he seems so familiar,‘ she thought.
It wasn’t just any debate, either. It was the one everyone on campus talked about. She had been on the affirmative side, Simon on the negative.
The classroom was packed, with students spilling into the hallway to watch the two of them go head–to–head. Kayla had been known for her sharp arguments and cool, no–nonsense attitude. Simon, on the other hand, was! charming, cocky and unshakably confident. The crowd had come as much for the drama as for the debate.
In the end, she won. It was a big deal, especially since it was Simon’s first loss. He took it hard.
Kayla, though, didn’t stick around to bask in her victory. Shortly after, she switched majors and left the law program behind.
What she didn’t know was that Simon never really got over it–not the debate and not her. The night he found out
she was leaving, he couldn’t sleep.
And when he learned she was moving to accounting, he decided to pivot too. He started studying finance, hoping it would bring him closer to her somehow.
What began as a rivalry had slowly turned into something much deeper for Simon. That one moment–their debate–had planted a seed he couldn’t ignore. And now, here they were, years later, their paths crossing again.
