Chapter 899: Chapter 899 Future
Three days later, Sarah was back in Chicago.
The whirlwind of passion she had experienced with Ross still lingered at the edges of her mind, but her daily responsibilities soon demanded her full attention.
As the store manager of Oakley Supermarket in the heart of the city, her days were packed from morning until night.
The building itself was a testament to Ross’s vision—grand, modern, and designed with both practicality and community in mind.
Oakley never did anything halfway, and this supermarket was proof.
Wide aisles, high-end facilities, and shelves stocked with everything from daily essentials to specialty goods made it a favorite destination for families across the city.
Yet what Sarah took the most pride in wasn’t just the efficiency of the store or the steady flow of customers—it was the charity wing built directly into the structure.
Nearly as large as the store itself, the charitable section functioned like a lifeline for the struggling and the poor.
Families could receive meals, groceries, and assistance without cost or shame.
Sarah often found herself working late nights there, not because she had to, but because she genuinely loved being part of something that mattered.
Ross had poured millions into this initiative.
In fact, there were entire months where the balance sheets bled red ink, the numbers dipping into the negatives.
Any other businessman would have panicked, cut costs, or shut down.
But Ross never flinched.
Whenever concerns were raised, he brushed them aside with that effortless confidence of his, promising to funnel more of his personal fortune into the store if needed.
To him, feeding the hungry mattered more than profit margins.
And it wasn’t just Chicago. Sarah had heard similar stories from other managers across the country, even abroad.
Every Oakley supermarket carried the same philosophy: provide for the community first, worry about the money later.
Some managers joked that Ross had to be running some kind of money-laundering scheme.
After all, who in their right mind gave so much away and kept opening more stores?
But anyone who truly knew Ross—or had seen his other ventures—dismissed the idea outright.
He was simply too rich, too successful, too public.
Between his earnings as a world-renowned athlete, his fame as an actor, and his countless other businesses across the globe, Ross Oakley didn’t need to launder money.
He was simply a man who refused to live small, even in generosity.
For Sarah, it was complicated.
On one hand, she admired him deeply—his vision, his courage, his determination to leave a legacy beyond wealth.
On the other hand, every time she walked through the supermarket, she couldn’t help but feel the ghost of his touch on her skin, the memory of that forbidden night whispering through her heart.
And though she buried herself in work, she knew it was only a matter of time before Ross appeared again in her life—because Ross Oakley never left things unfinished.
And Sarah was not wrong in her guess.
Just a week later, she found herself staring at the last person she wanted—or perhaps the one person she secretly craved—to see in her office.
"You..." The single word slipped from her lips, shaky and breathless.
Her pen fell from her fingers, clattering against the desk.
Ross Oakley leaned against the doorframe for only a second before stepping fully into the room, shutting the door behind him with a quiet but deliberate click.
His suit fit him perfectly, emphasizing his broad shoulders and the kind of power that seemed to radiate from him no matter where he was.
Sarah’s pulse quickened.
His presence was overwhelming in the enclosed space, leaving her with nowhere to look but at him.
This was the first time Ross had ever set foot inside her Chicago office.
If he continued, she knew gossip would soon spread like wildfire throughout the company.
The thought should have terrified her—it did terrify her—but the way her body reacted at the mere sight of him betrayed that fear.
"I know," Ross said smoothly, his tone casual but his eyes locked onto her with razor focus.
"It’s me." He took a slow step toward her, then another. "Professionally speaking, I’m just here to review the books..." He paused, lips curving into a half-smile. "...but you and I both know that today, I came for something more than numbers."
Sarah’s throat went dry.
Her mind screamed for her to stand, to demand he leave, to remind him and herself of the line they had already crossed.
But her body remained frozen in her chair, powerless.
The only sound was the steady, deliberate rhythm of Ross’s footsteps as he closed the distance between them.
"Ross..." she whispered, finally finding her voice, but it lacked conviction.
And then he was there, towering over her desk, his shadow swallowing her completely.
Before she could react, his hand cupped her chin, tilting her face up toward his.
His lips pressed against hers—firm, commanding, leaving no space for protest.
Sarah gasped into the kiss, her hands instinctively reaching out to push him away, but instead clinging weakly to his chest.
Within seconds, she was lifted, her body seated on top of the desk as if she weighed nothing.
Papers scattered across the floor, a pen rolled off and clinked against the wall, but Sarah barely noticed.
Her skirt rode up, revealing the creamy white of her thighs.
Ross’s hands spread her legs with ease, taking what he wanted, while his mouth trailed down to her neck, kissing, nipping, making her shiver.
"Stop... Ross," she finally managed, her voice trembling. "This is wrong. I’m married..."
Her words hung in the air, weak compared to the strength of his touch.
Ross’s lips brushed her ear, his breath hot against her skin.
"Married, yes," he murmured, his tone low and unrelenting, "but your body remembers me. It’s already betraying you."
Sarah squeezed her eyes shut, her heart racing wildly.
She wanted to deny it, to fight him, but the truth was undeniable—her body was trembling, her breath uneven, heat pooling inside her in a way that only he had ever managed to awaken.