He knew who I was from the moment we ran into each other at the airport.He knew who I was when he offered his place to stay.He was trying to clear his conscience.Were all those nice things he did for me all a ruse?But why?
I take a shaky sip of my champagne, the bubbles prickling my lips.“Please excuse me.I need to leave.”
Alain’s mustached lip forms an incredulous O-shape.He stands frozen as I rush past him.
Desperate to get out of this apartment as fast as I can, I weave in and out of rooms, searching for my coat, when I spot Luca talking to a woman with high cheekbones and pouty lips.
My vision blurs as tears spill over and race down my cheeks.Everything about this party was a bad idea.
When Luca catches my glare, my chest tightens.Liaris all I can think when I see him.
“Jemma?”he questions, reaching toward me.
I recoil, stepping back.“No.”
“What’s wrong?”he presses.
When I don’t respond, Luca’s expression quickly shifts from confusion to hurt.
“I’m leaving, Luca.”I slip past him, rushing toward the door.
“Wait, Jemma.Don’t go!”he calls after me.“Let me go with you.”He’s quick on my heels, following me into the hallway.
“No, I’m leaving Paris!”I shout, pressing the round button on the wall over and over, anxiously summoning the elevator, feeling trapped.
“Leaving Paris, but why?”A stunned look falls over his face, his features freezing in place.
The elevator dings, and I step inside, the door positioned to close.
“Because you lied to me,” I manage to say before the door seals shut, the sound of his voice fading into the silence just as my heart plummets to my feet.
ChapterTwenty-Eight
LUCA
I knew who she was—Jemma with a J.
I first saw her in the conference room at Foster & Sons.She was just a name to me.Until she wasn’t.
I’ve done this thousands of times—coaching people on what to say and evaluating them afterward to help them improve on the process going forward.
I never let myself get attached.It’s part of the reason I love international projects.I know I’ll never see these people again.
But I did.I saw her again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
I couldn’t ignore her.She was everywhere.
I didn’t want to admit this, but I overheard her and her co-worker, who I later found out was her best friend, talking in the hallway after she was let go.I heard the speech Gretchen gave Jemma about finding herself.
My heart broke for her, and in that intense moment, I found myself reevaluating whether this job was truly right for me.I was the axeman who ruined people’s lives.I came in and chopped up companies for the sake of filling the pockets of greedy CEOs and shareholders.I’d move quickly, leaving before I could fully grasp the devastation I was causing.I never had to face the people I hurt.
But then she slammed into me at the airport.
