All Chapters of You Chose Her, I Took Your Empire: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Elena MillerThe door to my office clicked shut, and Julian had me against it before I could even set my tablet down. He kissed me like he was starving, his hands firm on my waist, pulling me close. I melted into him as I felt the heat of his body through his clothes."Julian," I breathed, my hands tangling in his hair."One hour, Elena," he whispered against my neck. "In one hour, everything changes. I’ll be CEO, and you? You’ll be my VP. Then, there will be no more hiding. We can be together, officially. You want that, right?" I nodded, biting my lip. “Yes,” I said, and then he kissed me again.I closed my eyes, letting his words sink in. For three years, I was his assistant. We had spent countless nights in this office mapping out the merger, sacrificing everything to get him the penthouse office as the CEO of Jenkins Holdings. The board meeting started in forty minutes. If Julian wasn't there, the entire deal could fall through.I pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss. He

Elena Miller"I’m not leaving, Julian," I said.My voice didn’t shake. That surprised me. I walked toward the center of the room, heels clicking against the hardwood. Each step felt like a drumbeat.“Is this about San Francisco?” he asked“What do you think?”Julian’s face went rigid. He took a half-step toward me, his posture defensive."Elena, don't do this," he said, his tone dangerously calm. "The board has already finalized the restructuring. You’re being dramatic. You’re embarrassing yourself."Marie didn’t move. She just stood there, watching me with a look of bored curiosity, like I was an exhibit at a museum. She leaned back against the mahogany desk, crossing her arms."Jules, maybe we should just give her a moment?" she suggested, her voice dripping with artificial empathy. "She’s clearly overwhelmed by the news. It’s a lot to process."Overwhelmed.I stopped three feet from them. I looked at Marie, then back to Julian."Overwhelmed?" I asked, my voice rising. "Of course, I

Elena MillerI didn't end up driving the man to urgent care. He said that he had an urgent matter and that I could pay up some other time, so I just gave him my number. Everything happened so fast that I didn't even get his name.My fingers were still wrestling with the zipper of my purse when my phone vibrated. It was Arthur, the head of Human Resources."Elena, you have to get back to headquarters right now," Arthur pleaded, his voice trembling hard. "The moment Julian saw your resignation letter hit the system, he lost his mind. He literally shoved my glass coffee table off the rug. It shattered everywhere."I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a sudden, dull ache behind my eyes. "Is he completely unhinged?""He’s claiming I committed corporate negligence by accepting your paper without a thirty-day transition period," Arthur whimpered. "Elena, he threatened to terminate my contract on the spot. I have two kids in college and a mortgage to pay. If he blacklists me in this city,