Chapter 6

I almost laughed.

Julian expected me to understand.

Funny. Where had all that empathy been when it was our own daughter who needed him?

The moment Julian and Chloe noticed me, their conversation stopped. The atmosphere turned awkward almost instantly.

A few coworkers quickly rushed in to fill the silence. They crowded around Julian and Chloe, effectively pushing me to the edge of the group as the teasing began.

"Chloe, you've been holding out on us! You and Mr. Winslow already have a daughter, and somehow nobody knew?"

"So, when are you two giving Daisy a little brother? You already make a pretty convincing family of three."

Chloe gave a soft laugh and glanced at Julian, looking almost bashful.

Julian didn't correct anyone. He simply stood there and let them tease the two of them as if there might actually be something between them.

I couldn't help remembering the last time I'd brought our daughter to the office.

She'd made the mistake of calling him "Daddy" in front of someone.

Julian had been furious. He punished her for it and told her that, at the office, no one could know she was his daughter.

Later, when rumors circulated that Julian and I might be involved, he'd fired the employees responsible for spreading them.

Back then, he'd gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure no one connected him to his own wife and child.

But now?

His employees were openly joking that Chloe was his wife and Daisy was his daughter, and he didn't say a word.

So much for keeping his personal life out of the office.

Apparently, the rules only applied when it came to us. What a hypocrite.

While I was thinking, Chloe sauntered over to me with a smug little smile. "Claire, you're just getting in? It's almost eleven. You've been with the company longer than almost anyone. Shouldn't you be setting an example?"

Julian's expression hardened. "She's right. What kind of attitude is this, Claire? If you don't want the job anymore, say so. Chloe can take your position. Frankly, she's more qualified for it than you are."

For a second, I wondered if I'd heard him correctly.

Then I almost laughed.

Julian knew better than anyone how much of the company's business depended on me. Chloe, meanwhile, could barely operate the office printer without asking someone for help.

And Julian was telling me she was more qualified to do my job?

Please. I knew what he was doing.

This wasn't about my work. He wanted to embarrass me in front of everyone, knock me down a few pegs, and wait for me to come crawling back to him.

Unfortunately for him, I had a flight to catch. I didn't have time for another round of their office politics.

That was enough.

"No need," I said coolly. "I already resigned. Chloe can have my position effective immediately."

For a split second, Chloe seemed caught off guard.

Then concern spread across her face so quickly it might have been rehearsed.

"Claire, don't make a decision like this just because you're upset. I mean, you're not exactly fresh out of college anymore. A position like yours isn't easy to come by at your age.

"If you walk away from this company, who knows where you'll end up? You might have trouble getting hired anywhere. Besides, the new collection is about to launch. After putting so much work into it, wouldn't it be a shame to leave now?"

That did exactly what she'd intended. Julian's face darkened further. "Don't waste your breath, Chloe. If she wants to leave, let her."

He turned to me. "Winslow Corp survived before you, and it'll survive without you. But I'm warning you. Once the new collection hits the market, the company is going to take off. Don't come back regretting your decision when you see what you walked away from."

Regret? I almost smiled.

We'd see who regretted what.

There was one small detail neither of them seemed to understand. I was the only person in the entire company who knew the proprietary process behind the new collection.

Without me, they couldn't even produce a finished prototype.

And Julian was dreaming about a product launch? Good luck with that.

I laughed. "I wouldn't count on making it that far."

Julian frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Before I could answer, his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, and a smug smile immediately spread across his face. "Perfect timing. It's one of our biggest partners. They're probably calling about the launch. Once this deal goes through, there won't be a place for you to come crawling back to."

Then, apparently determined to rub my supposed mistake in my face, Julian put the call on speaker.

The voice that came through the phone wiped the smile straight off his face. "Mr. Winslow, where is the latest prototype? We were supposed to have it by now.

"If it's not delivered by the end of the day, you'll be in breach of contract. And according to the terms your company signed, that puts you on the hook for a 30-million-dollar penalty."