Chapter 225

Chapter 225
QUEENIE’S POV
We lingered outside the café for a bit after we had lunch. The sun was beginning to set.  The late afternoon breeze caressed my skin as we stood. Logan adjusted his jacket and turned to me.
The traffic was beginning to get heavy. It’s almost closing for offices around the day. 
“Come on, I’ll give you a ride home,” he casually offered as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
I shook my her head with a small smile. “Don’t worry about it. . I’ll grab a taxi. But thank you again… I’ll probably never stop thanking you  for everything you have done for me.”
He returned the smile but there’s something softer behind his eyes now. “You deserve it. You deserve everything . All of it. And more.”
I shifted my weight before I nodded in response. “ You can come see it for yourself, once the clinic is up and running. At least you can give me a professional review, if that won’t be asking for too much. I’ll give you a call if you don’t mind.”
“I’d like that. It’s fine. I can do that for you.” Logan said with an almost reflective tone.
I extended my hand for a shake. He extended his to meet mine, we almost shook before his eyes glanced down  and remained on my finger.
It took me a second to realize the engagement ring was still glinting in the sunlight and was impossible to miss. 
I saw his  expression shift from warm  friendliness to something I couldn’t quite place my hands on.
He asked with a heavy voice. “Are you…”,  he clears his throat “Are you engaged?”
I  gave out a small laugh to in an attempt to dispel the unexpected tension I felt in my nerves from that question
“Oh! Yeah. I wonder how that part skipped my mind.”
I lifted my hand, and the ring caught the full glare of the sunlight. 
“I never  thought you’d be that interested in my personal life.” I said as with a curious expression as I watched him. 
Logan fell quiet for a while and suddenly lets out a dry chuckle. “Well… I  certainly wasn’t expecting that.”
“What were you expecting?” l asked as I  watched him closely.
He scratched the back of his neck. “ Definitely not the engagement. Don’t get me wrong . I just… I thought you were single. Given with how hard you’ve been working and  how much you have had on your plate. I don’t know why but for some reasons I just assumed… ”
I gave a light scoff.  
Men and their assumptions. Is that how he sees me? Someone with a lot of baggage.
“I am engaged. And my fiancé has been my pillar through it all . He’s the major reason I’ve been able to even hold on as long as I have. I’m really grateful to have him in my life.”
Logan nodded stiffly. “Right. Of course. My congratulations.”
The words sounded flat. There was a change in him now. His whole demeanor was different now. He was no longer the smiling charming Logan I met all those years in medical school. He became more distant. I caught the slight edge in his eyes and a glimmer of disappointment he didn’t  bother to hide.
“Well,” I said as I forced a smile and stepped back, “Thank you very much. For everything you have done.”
“Yeah. Of course. It’s no biggie.” Logan gave me  a curt nod.
It felt like we were suddenly strangers again. The easy air between us had completely vanished.
I waved down a taxi and hopped in. I closed  the door behind me with a soft sigh.
I didn’t even turn to glance at him as the taxi drove off.
I leaned  back and exhale as the car pulled away from the curb. The folder on my lap suddenly felt like a trophy and a burden at the same time. 
I opened it again and ran my hand over the approval letter. My throat tightened with disbelief and excitement. It was done after months of silence and hurdles from the board.
Finally.
My thought went to Michael. I thought  about how he tried to ruin me by almost taking my reputation,  peace, and ability to move on. 
I thought of going to see him just to wave this letter of approval in his smug face to prove that he didn’t win and I had the last laugh.
I pressed my lips into a firm line as I closed the file and held it against my chest.
Then  I heard Logan’s voice echoed in my mind  “I thought you were single.”

I frowned. There is something about the way his face fell. He was too disappointed when he realized I was taken.
Did he do this because he thought I was available? Was he doing this with the intention of winning my heart?
I got home. I paid the cab driver and walked back to the house. I was stunned to see the door already open with Anton standing there,  leaning casually against the doorframe.
“You’re home.” I said with wide eyes,  I smiled as stepped into his arms.
“ Yeah. I missed you,” he murmured as he wrapped me in a hug.
It felt so good being in his arms. 
I felt his kiss on my cheek. “I got bored at work and I wanted to see my fiancée.”
I laughed and held him tighter. “That’s the best excuse ever.”
As we made our way inside, his eyes fall on the file in my hand. “What’s that?” he asked.
My eyes crinkled as I smiled widely. I  held up the document . “This says something amazing.”
We sat down together, and l launched into the full story. I narrated how Logan called me, presented the file and my shock when I saw the board’s approval letter.
Recounting the whole story made me obviously excited again.
Anton wasn’t excited as I was. He just nodded slowly with an unreadable expression on his face . He gave a tight smile.
“So…” he said carefully, “this Logan… how exactly was he able to achieve this?”
I blinked. “I don’t know. He said he had connections. That’s all.”
Anton nodded.  He kept tapping his fingers  slowly on the armrest of the couch as he ruminated over what I told him.
“You have no idea how he did it?”
“No,” I said as my  smile faltered slightly. “But it’s done. That’s what matters, right?”
He exhaled and he  stood. “It just feels rushed. I mean, everything with Michael will get sorted soon. You could’ve waited and gotten the approval through legitimate means. That way you avoid any surprises. ”
My brows knitted  together. “What are you trying to say? You don’t think this is legit?”
“I’m saying it’s convenient,” he said with a sharper than before tone, “And you don’t  have no idea what Logan’s angle is. Guys like him don’t do big favors without wanting something in return.”
I sat back and crossed my arms. “So, you think he has some hidden motive?”
“There is every possibility,” Anton replied. “And I think you are a little too trusting.”
I scoffed. “He didn’t even ask for anything in return. I told him what I was going through, and he helped. That’s all.”
Anton’s jaw ticked. “I wonder why you felt comfortable sharing all that with him anyway? Why did you not wait for me to handle it? Or did you  think I couldn’t?”
I  felt my throat tighten. “Don’t twist this into something it’s not, Anton. I didn’t ask him for anything. He reached out. What was I supposed to do tell him no because I’m waiting for my fiancé’s approval?”
“That’s not what I said…” 
“You didn’t have spell it out, but that’s what you meant!” I snapped as I stood now too.  I felt my blood boil at the thought. 
“You think I should’ve sat and waited like a good old damsel in distress for you to come save the day while I kept getting rejected over and over?”
“That’s not fair.” His voice dropped a bit.
“Neither is you questioning everything because you realize another man is involved,” I fired back.
We stood in silence, the air between us was alive with tension.
Anton raked a hand through his hair. “I just don’t want you getting yourself into something you don’t fully understand the price of, Queenie. People don’t do these things without strings attached.  There is always a price to pay. How do you think he was able to it? He started like this with others too. One day, he’ll call in a favor you’re not comfortable with  and then what?”
His voice was low and without malice. There were genuine hints of concern on his eyes.
I sighed. I felt the exhaustion creep in.
My voice dropped. I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t know what you will have  me do. Return the approval? Throw it in the trash? Pretend it never happened? Go to the board and ask them to revoke their approval?”
“I just want you to be careful. I don’t want to see getting blindsided by this” he muttered.
“No,” I said in a low voice and tired time. “You want me to be dependent on you for everything.”
“That’s not true.” Anton denied it. I could see his countenance had fallen. I didn’t care. I was past caring. I was hurt by all these insinuations he had made.
I was already walking away. “I’m going upstairs. You can sit here and interrogate yourself.”