Chapter 2

The next morning, Nolan drove my car from the hotel garage and dropped me off at Aurora Clean Tech.

"Pick you up tonight?" He rested one hand on the steering wheel, still wearing the lazy look of someone who hadn't had enough sleep.

I pushed open the car door and smoothed my skirt. "Grayson said he's taking me to dinner. The board's been watching our marriage closely. I need to keep up the act."

Nolan's jaw tightened immediately. I leaned over and pinched his cheek. "Settle down. I'll go with you to check out the new race bike next week."

"I don't want a race bike." He caught my wrist and pressed a kiss into my palm. "I want you to end your marriage sooner."

I didn't promise a date. I just smiled at him and walked into the lobby.

The elevator doors were about to close when a young woman in a white sundress squeezed in. Leah saw me and visibly paled, then murmured a greeting. "Good morning, Selena."

My gaze landed on the delicate diamond pendant at her throat. Youthful design, modest price. Exactly the kind of gift Grayson excelled at: flashy enough to impress, with the actual cost kept carefully in check.

"That necklace looks lovely on you," I said.

Leah instinctively covered the pendant, then pressed the button for the marketing floor in a fluster. But when we reached the top floor, she followed me into the boardroom anyway, claiming she was delivering coffee to the executives.

Grayson was sitting at the head of the table. When he saw me walk in, he immediately put on a warm smile. "I was so busy last night I didn't have time for you. Did you sleep well?"

"Very well." I pulled out my chair and sat down. "The bed felt huge."

He didn't catch the implication, or chose not to.

Halfway through the meeting, Grayson tapped the table. "Regarding the West Coast urban energy storage project, I think Selena has been taking on too much lately. Between the IPO review, supply chain, and legal, she's spread thin. We should hand the project over to Eric."

The room went quiet.

This was a project my team had spent four months landing. The partner had even written into the letter of intent that the final contract had to be signed by me on behalf of the company. And now Grayson wanted to hand it to his man right before the deal closed.

I looked at him. "The partner only recognizes my team. If we swap the lead this late and it causes a delay, who takes responsibility?"

"I'm just worried about you." Grayson's voice was gentle, as if he genuinely cared about his wife's wellbeing. "The pre-IPO audit is more important than any single project. I don't want you running yourself into the ground."

Just then, Leah approached with coffee. Her ankle buckled, and an entire cup of scalding coffee splashed across the project files.

Brown liquid soaked through the pages.

Leah stumbled back two steps, clutching her ankle, her eyes turning red at once. "I'm sorry. I sprained my ankle last night and lost my balance."

Before I could speak, Grayson's face darkened. "Selena, why didn't you keep the important documents out of the way? This only proves my point. You haven't been yourself lately. The project gets reassigned today."

The board members exchanged glances. No one said a word.

I looked at this clumsy little performance and smiled. I pulled out a tissue and slowly wiped the coffee from the table. "Since you want it so badly, take it. I just hope Eric can handle what he's stepping into."

Grayson's eyebrows lifted slightly. He thought he'd finally brought me to heel.

I stood and walked over to Leah, straightening her crooked collar. "Next time you spill coffee, work on your aim. And the diamond clarity on that necklace is terrible. Since Grayson is willing to rub your feet in the middle of the night, you should at least make him buy you something worthy of the effort."

Leah's head snapped up, her face frozen in horror.

The nib of the pen in Grayson's hand snapped with a sharp crack.

I picked up my bag and walked out of the boardroom without giving either of them a chance to explain.

That evening, Grayson took me to a reservation-only restaurant by the lake. He cut my steak for me and slid a jewelry box across the table.

"Don't take this morning too seriously. That project was too risky. I didn't want the partner giving you trouble."

Inside the box was a pavé diamond necklace, a little more expensive than Leah's but just as perfunctory.

I closed the box and smiled softly. "Thank you. That's very thoughtful."

Grayson visibly relaxed. He took my hand and launched into visions of post-IPO travel, a house by the sea, and our long-overdue honeymoon.

I listened attentively. I even nodded along.

Because I knew this might be the last time he'd ever sit in a restaurant like this and talk about the future as a company founder.