Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

LaylaWhitmore Capital offered me the job Tuesday morning.By Wednesday afternoon, Wellington & Price had accepted my resignation, although Daniel made it clear he would have preferred a different outcome.“I won’t pretend I’m happy to lose you, especially now,” he told me after I handed him the letter. “You were finally getting the recognition you should’ve had months ago, and I meant what I said about recommending you when the next Senior Analyst position opened.”“I know, and I appreciate that. But I can’t keep waiting for a position that doesn’t exist yet.”He studied me for a moment before nodding. “Then I suppose all I can do is congratulate you.”Leaving Wellington & Price wasn’t easy. Nearly three years of my professional life had happened there, and despite everything with Natalie, I had learned more than I could measure from the people around me.But by Monday morning, when I stepped through the glass doors of Whitmore Capital as its newest Senior Investment Analyst, I knew

LaylaHarvey came to my desk at nine twenty the next morning.I noticed him before he reached me, mostly because the atmosphere around the investment floor changed whenever he crossed it. Conversations didn’t stop, exactly, but people became more conscious of what they were doing.He stopped beside my desk and placed a thin folder next to my keyboard.“Conference Room C. Ten minutes. Bring your Tectrics model and everything they sent over this morning.”That was it.No good morning. No explanation.He walked away before I could respond.Across from me, Annette glanced toward the corridor he’d disappeared into.“He came to your desk.”“I noticed.”“He has a secretary.”“I’m aware.”Annette looked as though she wanted to say more, but Peter appeared from his office.“Miller, conference room.”I picked up my laptop.◇Priya was already seated when I entered Conference Room C. Harvey stood near the windows reading something on his tablet, while Peter sorted through several reports.Harvey

LaylaMarissa pointed her fork at me from across the kitchen island. “If Taylor comes to Whitmore Capital again and starts harassing you, call me before you call the police.”I stopped reaching for my coffee. “Before?”“Obviously. The police are going to have rules about what I’m allowed to do to him. I don’t need that kind of negativity before I’ve had a chance to express myself.”I laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”“And you’re going to work for his brother every day, so I need to be prepared.” She lowered the fork. “Seriously, Layla. Don’t let what he said yesterday get into your head. Taylor thought taking away the money would send you running back to him, and instead you got yourself a better job. He wanted you frightened. You disappointed him.”That part wasn’t funny.“I know.”“Good. Worry about your mom today. Taylor Whitmore can survive not being the center of your attention for twenty-four hours.”My phone showed the reminder for Mom’s vascular scan at Saint Catherine.I reached

LaylaThe city moved beyond the tinted window in streaks of white headlights and blurred storefronts, while Harvey sat beside me with one arm resting against the seat, his attention turned toward the passing streets. I told myself the silence was normal. We had spent most of dinner discussing Tectrics. Peter had left with Kenneth and one of the founders. Harvey had already said more complimentary things about my work tonight than I had expected to hear from him in the next six months.There was nothing left to discuss.Which was why I noticed immediately when he turned his head.“Miller.”I looked at him. “Yes?”He was quiet for a moment.Then he said, “I was wrong about you.”I blinked. “About Tectrics?”“No.”His gaze held mine.“You.”The answer settled between us so abruptly that for a second I couldn’t think of anything to say.“What about me?”“When Taylor first brought you home, I made assumptions about why you were with him.”The warmth that had followed me out of the restaura

Layla The gates opened before I reached them. I slowed anyway. Beyond them, the road disappeared between towering pines bent beneath fresh snow, their branches forming a white canopy over the narrow stretch of pavement. Silverpine was somewhere ahead, hidden by the trees, and for the first time since leaving New York, I seriously considered turning the car around. Not because I had changed my mind. At least, I didn’t think I had. But saying yes from Marissa’s sofa had been considerably easier than driving three hours north with the knowledge that somewhere at the end of this road, Taylor would be waiting. With Sienna. My hands tightened briefly around the steering wheel. I kept driving. The trees eventually thinned, and Silverpine appeared between them. Calling it a mountain house would have been ridiculous. The main lodge rose three stories against the snow-covered mountains, built from dark timber and stone, with enormous windows reflecting the pale afternoon sky. Smoke cu