“You’re right about one thing, you’re not my boss anymore. You’re not anything to me anymore.” I paused just after I finished pressing the button that would take me down to the lobby. “Oh, but congratulations. You hurt me in a way I didn’t think was possible.”
A bullet to the chest would’ve hurt less than my words but I don’t take them back, needing him to hurt with the same ferocity that I was hurting. Nathan didn’t say anything nor did he move,and I took the opportunity to step onto the elevator, taking my bleeding heart with me.
NATHAN
I COULDN’T BREATHE.
Her words carved through me, clean and merciless.Congratulations. You hurt me in a way I didn’t think was possible.
I stood there, rooted in place as Elise walked away. No second glance. No hesitation.
My pulse pounded in my ears. My body screamed at me to move, to stop her, to fix this. But I just stood there, choking on everything I wanted to say.
The air felt too thin, my chest too tight. I wanted to chase her. To grab her. To tell her that what she read wasn’t the truth. That it was never about the money. But how the hell could I?
The company. The Inheritance.
That’s what she’d read was at stake. That’s what she thought I cared about. And maybe, once, it had been. But not anymore. Not for a long damn time.
The office was frozen. Silent. Every single one of my employees stood rooted in place, staring at the elevator Elise had just disappeared in. Like they couldn’t believe what they’d seen.
“What the hell are you all staring at?” I barked, my voice slicing through the tension. A couple of interns jumped, scattering like startled birds. “This isn’t a goddamn soap opera. Get back to work. Now.”
Chairs scraped. Fingers clattered over keyboards. Phones rang again. The illusion of productivity snapped back into place, but I felt the weight of their eyes, the judgment behind their stolen glances. I didn’t give a damn.
I dragged a hand over my face, my jaw clenched so hard it ached. I had done this. I had destroyed us. The worst part? I didn’t even know if I could fix it. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to sit here and let her think she was just a damn transaction.
Elise was out there, walking away from me, believing that I’d only ever wanted her for the inheritance.
Screw the stares. Screw the company. Screw the money.
I pushed the elevator button and stepped inside once the door slid open. I’d built an empire by never chasing anyone. But Elise Alexandre wasn’t just anyone. She was mine.
And I wasn’t about to let her go without a fight.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
ELISE
THE HOTEL SUITEsmelled like comfort bottled into air freshener. It should’ve soothed me, but it didn’t.
I dropped my purse onto the entry table and walked further into the room, my whole body trembling like I’d run a marathon. Except I hadn’t. I’d just walked out of Edge Records with my heart split open, and somehow that was worse.
Nathan’s face kept flashing in my mind. The way his jaw had tightened. The way his eyes had searched mine like he was begging me not to believe what I’d read. The way he hadn’t moved fast enough to stop me before I walked away.
Kelsey’s hand pressed gently to the small of my back, guiding me inside. “You’re safe here. He won’t find you. I promise.” Her voice was soft but firm.
I nodded, but I knew better. Nathan wasn’t a man you could hide from. He knew me too well. Home and Alessia’s place was out of the question since he would’ve gone to both in aheartbeat. This suite, tucked inside my favorite hotel in the city, was the only place I could think of. And yet, even here, I didn’t feel safe. Not from him. Not from myself.
Taylor shut the door behind us with more force than necessary, her jaw tight and her eyes flashing. She cared about me like a sister, and she wore her anger like armor. She hated that I was hurting.
Kelsey guided me towards the sofa and sat down beside me, her arm sliding around my shoulders. “He’s a bastard, Elise. Don’t waste another second on him.”
“Bastard’s too kind,” Taylor muttered, pacing like she was working up to a fight. She spun on her heel, pinning me with a look. “Say the word, and I’ll handle him. I know a guy who can make Nathan suffer unimaginable pain. Just one call, and it’s done.”
Despite the heaviness in my chest, a weak laugh escaped me. “You do not know a guy like that.”
“Sure I do,” Taylor said without missing a beat. Her mouth curved into a dangerous little smile. “He’s my old commanding officer. Big guy. Scary as hell. Terrible Uno player, though. One call, and he’ll make Mr. CEO cry like a newborn baby.”
