Chaoter Seven:

~~SARAH BENETT~~

“What was the meaning of that Julian!?” I fumed as soon as we both walked in through the door. The ride back home felt like years to me as all I wanted to do was burst open in Julian's face.

How could he just stand still while everything I'd worked so hard to get…the very position I'd left Ethan for, was taken from me at a word?

Dumping my newly purchased designer bag on the glass table in the middle of the living room, my angry paces grew faster, catching up to Julian's lazy ones halfway through the stairs.

“Answer me!”, I angrily demanded, taking a defiant posture in front of him.

“Sarah—mmm”, a heavy sigh left him, his forefinger pressed against his sweaty forehead. “Look, I need some time to myself right now. If you're too angry to drive, tell Marcus to take you home, okay?”

My eyes widened in shock and disbelief. I opened my mouth, intending to say something but all that could come out were gasps for air.

He weakly brushed past me, continuing on his way to his room upstairs which only fueled the storm inside inside my chest.

“I’ve done all you’ve asked me to do Julian, and the one time you finally give me what I want, you can't even protect it?”

I watched as his back grew stiff, before turning around with a cold air of resolution around him. “What exactly do you want from me Sarah?”, his face darkened with anger.

“You think I'm the one to blame here?”, he slowly climbed back down, advancing towards me who was suddenly speechless. “Your ex-husband now owns more than half of my company's shares and a mere position is all you can care about?”

“I earned it Julian”, I retorted sharply. “And how was I supposed to know that poor rat had connections? I'm not a stalker, and definitely not his”.

Julian's cold, blue eyes studied me with a deadly calm that almost made me loose my posture.

“The Vance Cooperation would not take it lightly with you if they found out the baggage from your past was suddenly disrupting the peaceful flow of operations they're used to”

His piercing eyes bore holes into mine, causing me to take involuntarily steps backwards. “So you better find a way to fix this or else”

My pupils trembled slightly in fright, unable to look away from the daring glint in his eyes which were barely an inch away from mine.

Just when I'd began to suffocate, he sharply turned around, climbing back up with his back straightened than before.

This incompetent fool! So now he was threatening to make me take the fall of all that happened right?

Why wasn't it surprising to me? These big tycoons, especially their good for nothing children, would gladly give up other people to pay for their own mistakes.

At least, now it was clear where I stood with Julian. And I couldn't afford to be his or his family's sacrificial lamb.

The Vance family was brutal, and Julian was the only powerful backing I had to protect me.

I'd already unknowingly lost one, so I couldn't dare loose this one too.

~~ALINA JOHNSON~~

"To the new Executive Vice President!" Maya shrieked, slamming her martini glass against my bottle of beer.

I had told her everything that happened in the office today which is why she insisted we come out to celebrate. She had always been the “celebrate every little win” kind of friend

The bar was loud, a divey spot on the edge of the Seaport District.

I’ve always loved the spot since I could remember but tonight, my mind was miles away.

"Alina, earth to the big boss!" Maya nudged me, her eyes dancing. "You just went from being a target to being the person holding the gun. Why do you look like you just lost your cat?"

"I’m just tired, Maya. It’s been a long day," I lied.

The truth was, I was scared. He did that to help me, to repay the Favour he owed my father but now, I’d be a target to them at the Vance cooperation and I knew for certain, they’d make life very difficult for me.

Her brows furrowed in concern. “We should get you to rest then”

I nodded. “Yes. After this bottle maybe”

I let out a long sigh and scanned the dim room.

Without warning, my eyes landed on a very much familiar figure, tucked away in a corner booth, far from the neon lights.

I gulped. Ethan Wilder

He wasn't wearing his suit jacket anymore. He sat with a glass of neat whiskey in front of him, staring at it as if the liquid held all the secrets he wanted to rid of.

He looked lonely.

"Is that him?" Maya whispered, following my gaze. "Holy... Alina. You didn't tell me he looked like that. He looks like a fallen angel who’s about to start a riot."

"That’s my boss, Maya. Be quiet."

"He doesn't look like a boss right now," she noted.

"He looks like he’s hurting." I completed

I watched him. He didn't move for ten minutes. He didn't check his phone, and he didn't look at the women trying to catch his eye at the bar. He just rotated the Phoenix Ring on his finger, over and over.

Every time he looked at it, his jaw tightened.

My chest constricted at the sight. “I have to go say something," I said, sliding out of the booth.

"Alina, wait..”

I stopped in my tracks and turned my attention to my friend.

“Why?”

Maya sighed. “I think you should let him have his moment”

“He looks like he needs someone to cheer him up..” I insisted then walked through the crowd, my heart hammering against my ribs.