The Miracle of You

Time stopped for Camille the moment Michael McGregor walked through those doors.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

And he looked more handsome than ever, if that was even possible.

He stood at an imposing height of six feet, possessing a commanding presence that seemed to fill the room. Suddenly, he no longer seemed like the mischievous, carefree boy that she knew all those years ago.

Gone was the dyed hair, replaced with a shade of light-brown that was impeccably styled, framing a chiseled face that could possibly belong to a cover model. The lighting cast shadows on his sharp cheekbones, complementing his well-defined jawline.

He was dressed in a tailored charcoal-gray suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and lean physique. Even from afar, his status was quite prominent, and he seemed to exude an air of timeless elegance.

Now Camille felt even more estranged from him, like the gap between their worlds had grown much wider. It occurred to her, at this moment, that this was the first time she had seen him dress and look like this in person.

Because who was she, anyway? She was just Christian Callahan’s overworked secretary. There was no doubt that she had no qualifications to even stand next to Michael McGregor.

She watched as he moved gracefully through the restaurant with measured steps and perfect posture. God, he had changed so much that it almost felt like he was a different person now.

Was this really the same man who used to smoke, drink, and skip classes back in high school? The same boy who she always scolded and tried to get back onto the right path?

‘And the same man that I rejected a new friendship with just a week ago…’ she thought.

When he headed their way, seemingly oblivious, Camille couldn’t help but pause in place.

Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed by Christian.

Christian lazily swept his eyes over his secretary’s strange demeanor before turning his gaze forward. He also paused in place, folding his arms across his chest.

Of course he knew who Michael McGregor was and what he looked like.

After all, how could he not know his rival in the business industry?

As well as Hailey van Gowen’s old friend from high school.

Christian’s lips tugged slightly upwards, his expression containing a hint of amusement.

Well, this was going to be interesting.

“Why, hello, Mr. McGregor,” Christian suddenly greeted with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to see you here.”

Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were on the trio, and the interest was evident in their expressions.

Camille felt a stab of foreboding in her gut.

Michael, who was in the middle of walking over, suddenly slowed a little in his steps. He seemed to have recognized them at this point, and it was clear that he was having an internal debate in his head.

Camille thought fast and took a small step backwards, letting Christian take the lead. She bowed her head slightly to show respect while also showing that she was just an assistant and was not a part of the conversation.

But in her head, she was cursing Christian incessantly.

Michael finally came to a stop before them. His gaze swept over Camille for a moment before he turned to Christian with a practiced smile.

“Hello, Mr. Callahan,” he said pleasantly, offering his hand towards him. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Christian took his hand and shook it firmly. “As much as I would be glad to converse with you more, I’m afraid my secretary and I have to return to the company as soon as possible. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, it’s fine,” Michael said calmly, though Christian didn’t miss the way his gaze flickered over towards Camille for a split second. “I don’t mean to take up too much of your time.”

“That’s good, then,” Christian said before he turned to Camille. “Let’s go now, Miss Parker.”

Then he walked towards the exit. Camille quickly followed him from behind, not even sparing Michael a single glance.

Michael looked back at their retreating figures, then turned away before people could notice his stare lingering for a little too long.

***

Camille felt the breath finally escape her lips the moment they returned to the car.

“Feeling relieved?” Christian asked.

“No thanks to you,” she snapped.

“How cold of you. Then what else did you expect me to do? Should I have ignored him and let the reporters concoct a wild rumor about us being total enemies who hate each other’s guts?” Christian said cheerfully, not sounding at all like he even cared if that happened instead.

“No. Absolutely not,” Camille said flatly, though her heartbeat was still accelerating slightly from the shock. “The company cannot afford to have that kind of rumor going around. We already have a lot of things on our plate. We need to focus on our new products at the moment, Mr. Callahan.”

Christian waved a dismissive hand. “Whatever you say. Anyway, he’s interesting, isn’t he?”

“Huh?”

“Your old friend, I mean,” he clarified.

Camille didn’t know how to respond. “What are you trying to say?” she asked evenly.

“Don’t you find it curious?” Christian said, and he sounded genuinely puzzled. “Why would Michael McGregor go to that kind of restaurant in the first place?”

Camille felt her heart stop for a moment.

“I’m sure you already know about this, but Haynes-McGregor Industries is much farther away from VG Hotel than Callahan Group,” Christian added, his smirk growing wider by the second. “Why would Michael McGregor make such a long trip during lunch hour to go there when there are already so many other restaurants near his company?”

“Mr. Callahan, I don’t see the point of you telling this to me,” Camille gritted out. “If this isn’t related to the business in any way-”

“Then perhaps you’ll be interested to know that he actually went there to meet with someone,” Christian interrupted smoothly. “Someone whom you know very well.”

Camille instantly froze in her seat.

No… He was just tricking her, right? He was just pushing her buttons again.

Because why would Michael…?

Christian took out his phone and pretended to read some notes. “I don’t think it’s too far off for me to assume that he’s meeting a member of the van Gowen family. Don’t you agree?”