All Chapters of The Exit You Approved: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

There they were. Emails from her business partners, sent last night before she'd checked her phone.Only Julian had touched it.Anger surged. He knew nothing about her work, but he'd deleted her emails without asking. Losing this deal would slash company profits by at least ten percent!And where was Aaron? He used to have everything ready by morning, even when emails came in late.If he hadn't been sulking, they wouldn't have lost these partners.She called, ready to tear into him.He didn't answer.Every call got the same automated voice.Panic flickered. She checked the trash again and found a text Aaron had sent last night.She restored it. Her eyes stung as she read.[Eight years loving you in secret. Four years of this mess. I'm done. Ms. Weinstein, I'm not your secretary anymore. I don't love you anymore, either. Let's go our separate ways. We never have to see each other again.]She should've been relieved. He was over her.He'd stopped wasting his life waiting, jus

"Gracie...?"Julian couldn't believe the look in her eyes.It didn't change. Panic crept in."Why'd you do it?" she asked coldly.He looked confused. "Do what?""Why did you do it?" she screamed. "Why did you lie about Aaron?"Her tone scared him. But over her secretary? He didn't get it."He's just a secretary. What's the big deal? You said so yourself. Why are you so mad?"He acted like he'd done nothing wrong.Gracie's energy drained away.'He's right. I told Aaron to leave. Why am I so angry?'Julian stepped closer to hug her. "Don't be upset. Let's get food."His voice only grated on her. All she could picture was Aaron's face after everything he'd been through. Every time, she'd hurt him instead of believing him.'How much did it hurt?'Her chest tightened. She couldn't even fake a smile. She pushed Julian away."Go eat. I'm not in the mood."It was a light shove. He stumbled back a few steps, staring at her in disbelief.For days, Gracie had given him everything

Gracie's eyes went cold. Any pity was gone.He disgusted her. She'd done everything for him and kept hurting Aaron.Her fists clenched. Julian shrank from her icy stare.She'd never looked at him like that. She'd always given him whatever he wanted.'This is all that bastard Aaron's fault!'Hatred filled his eyes. He wanted Aaron to suffer. Gracie saw it.How had she taken so long to see him for what he was? Aaron had suffered for nothing.She gave a cold laugh. "Time to pay for what you did to Aaron."With strength she didn't know she had, Gracie grabbed Julian and dragged him to the door.Terrified, he forgot his pride and fought to get free. Her grip held.Outside the office, several guards took hold of him."You like making people stand? Your turn. Until tomorrow."She told the guards to watch him and walked away, ignoring his pleas.Aaron was all she could think about. Now that she'd admitted she loved him, she saw how badly she'd screwed up.After four years, she co

Gracie had dumped him. Julian had nothing left to lose. He laughed bitterly and let it all out."Aaron's an idiot. Four years, happy to be your dirty little secret!"You didn't believe him. You watched him suffer and still picked me. I drove him away? That was you!"Gracie's face darkened with every word. Her fists clenched."You still don't get what you did wrong."She ordered the guards to grab him and drag him away.Back at the mansion, she had Julian locked in the basement. Everything he'd done to Aaron, the guards did to him.They made him carry scalding bowls until his hands blistered. Forced him to stand all day. If he passed out, they put him back on his feet when he woke.Gracie never visited. She had something more important to do.She loved Aaron. She was getting him back.Dylan was her only shot at finding him. Julian had put them at odds, but she couldn't worry about that now.She went to Dylan's place and knocked.His smile vanished when he opened the door. Di

The coffee shop door chimed. Gracie spotted Aaron in a corner.One month apart. It had felt like a year. Seeing him almost didn't feel real.'He looks so different.'He'd usually worn office clothes around her. Even when they experimented at home, he'd seemed so serious.Now he wore casual clothes, his hair falling over his forehead. For a second, he looked like the shy guy who'd tried to hide his crush on her.She paused, then walked over with a smile."Aaron. Been a while."She held back the urge to hug him. She couldn't stop looking at his face."Yeah. Let's keep this short. I came to clear things up."Aaron took a sip of coffee. Before he could go on, Gracie jumped in."I know. It's my fault. I didn't know how I felt, and I let Julian hurt you. Aaron, I love you. You're the only one."She rushed through it, then waited, her eyes bright.He loved her. She'd pictured him forgiving her and coming home.His expression never changed. He gave a faint, empty smile."Too late