Chapter 2

At midnight on the dot, I sent the revised draft to the work group chat. Malcolm didn't reply. But a second later, my phone buzzed with a photo from Savannah.

In it, she was leaning against Malcolm's shoulder, still wearing his jacket. He had his head tilted slightly toward her, listening to something she was saying, looking more patient than I'd seen him in a long time.

Then came the follow-up message.

"June, don't bother waiting. Malcolm isn't coming to see you tonight."

I stared at the words and suddenly found the key card sitting on my desk laughable.

The next morning, Malcolm pulled my draft up on the conference room screen. "The Stellara project will be led by Savannah. June will assist."

My head snapped up. "I put that proposal together on my own."

Savannah, seated to his right, gave me an apologetic smile. "I just got back and need a project to get up to speed on the market. Don't worry, execution will still follow your lead."

I looked at Malcolm. "From the initial client meetings to the draft, I did all of it."

"Which is why you're assisting her." Malcolm tapped the table.

"She handles direction; you handle execution. Is there a problem?"

"What about the credit?"

A few people in the room snickered.

"It's one project. Is it really worth fighting for credit in front of Mr. Ridgeway?"

Malcolm's expression cooled. "June, the company isn't a place for you to compete for rankings."

Two years ago, when he gave me my first project, he told me the thing he admired most about me was my ambition. Now that Savannah needed a foothold, my ambition had become a character flaw.

I closed my laptop. "She can have the project, but my name stays on it."

Malcolm's tone left no room for argument. "The roster's already been sent to the client. Don't be difficult."

I picked up my laptop and headed for the door. Malcolm grabbed my wrist and pulled me back toward the table. My ankle knocked against the leg of a chair, and the color drained from my face. He loosened his grip instinctively but didn't let go.

"You want to slam the door in front of everyone and make yourself a joke?"

Savannah stood and reached for me too. "June, don't blame Malcolm. I can mention at the pitch meeting that you were involved."

I stepped away from her hand, but she stumbled backward, bumped into the edge of the table, and knocked over a cup of coffee in the process. Malcolm immediately stepped in front of her.

"June."

Every pair of eyes in the room landed on me, but Savannah was quick to speak up. "It's not her fault. I just lost my footing."

The more she defended me, the worse it made me look.

"Ms. Leclair is way too nice."

"Fighting over a project and shoving people around. She really thinks she runs this place."

Malcolm took off his jacket and draped it over Savannah's shoulders, his voice cold. "Apologize."

"I didn't push her."

"Her first day back, you went after her over a mug. Now you're humiliating her in front of everyone. June, I've been lenient with you. That doesn't mean you get to act without limits."

My nose stung. He said, "lenient". But in everyone else's eyes, he had never shown me an ounce of favoritism.

"When have you ever been lenient with me, Mr. Ridgeway?"

Malcolm said nothing. The late-night drives home, the hugs no one ever saw, the "I love you" that only ever existed inside hotel rooms and apartments, none of it could be laid out here.

Savannah tugged at his sleeve. "Malcolm, don't scold her because of me."

He pulled her behind him. "Last chance. Apologize."

I looked at him for a few seconds. "I'm sorry, Ms. Leclair."

Only then did the others seem satisfied enough to leave. But Malcolm's expression didn't ease. After the meeting, he cornered me in the file room.

"Why didn't you come last night?"

"I thought you didn't have a girlfriend."

"There were too many people at the team event. I had to say that." His thumb pressed into my wrist.

"The company's in the middle of a funding round. If the board finds out about an office relationship, it won't be good for either of us."

I'd been hearing this exact line for two years.

"So, when the funding closes, you'll go public?"

"Yes."

"When does it close?"

He paused. "Don't push me for a deadline."

I let out a short laugh. Every time I pressed, he said I was pushing him.

He placed a necklace in my palm. "Last night was my fault. Take this, and stop being upset."

It was the exact style I'd mentioned offhandedly six months ago. My heart softened for a foolish, fleeting second.

Then Savannah walked in. She spotted the necklace and gasped, covering her mouth. "Malcolm, you actually found it? That's the one I lost when I was abroad."

Malcolm took the necklace from my palm immediately. "I've been looking for it for you."

He fastened it around Savannah's neck himself, then turned to me. "I was just having you take a look at it. Don't get the wrong idea."

I let my hand drop. The clasp had left a red line pressed into my palm.