Chapter 10

I froze in place, forgetting even to greet him.

Ethan Sullivan sat behind the massive desk, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, his sharp gaze piercing through gold-rimmed glasses.

Who would have thought my ex-lover would become my boss?

I glanced down at my cheap office attire.

In front of him, I always felt inferior.

Ethan didn’t even look up, engrossed in reviewing documents.

I didn’t dare breathe too loudly, afraid one wrong move would get me fired.

I stood there the entire afternoon.

Clearly, he was deliberately making things difficult.

My colleagues’ initial envy turned to pity.

"Julian’s so unlucky. The new boss is using him to assert authority."

"Glad it’s not me."

"Better behave these days."

The next day, I was called into his office again.

This time, he made me wait on the sofa.

His gaze kept flickering toward me, making me squirm.

I couldn’t take it anymore. Slamming my hands on the table, I snapped, "Ethan, I give up. I quit, okay?"

Finally, he looked up, lips curling. "Quit? Who’s going to pay your $5,000 mortgage?"

I deflated instantly. "Then what do you want?"

Leaning back lazily, he said, "Try pleasing me. Maybe I’ll give you a promotion and raise."

"Why should I?"

"Because you still think about me."

"Narcissist."

Ethan suddenly stood, pinning me against the desk. "Did you miss me all these years?"

"No!" I turned my face away.

"Really?" His gaze turned intense. "But I thought of you every single day."

Missed me? Making me stand all afternoon is how you show it?

"Let me go first."

He released me. "Free tonight? We could—"

A sharp knock from his assistant interrupted him.

Ethan gave me a long look before hurrying out.

I leaned against the desk, heart pounding.

How had he become even more attractive than before?

Money really is the best skincare.

Our breakup hadn’t been pleasant, but was it worth holding a grudge this long?

Maybe I should give in. A promotion would mean a raise.

Ethan disappeared for days—rumor had it he was on a business trip.

At the end of my shift, I overheard the receptionist whispering:

"The new boss has a fiancée. Childhood sweethearts."

"Game over. Thought I had a shot at being Mrs. Sullivan."

A petite figure flashed through my mind.

So she was back.

They really did suit each other.

I was restless all evening, making mistakes while helping at the family restaurant.

Mom shooed me home. "Go rest if you're tired. Don’t make more work for us."

The ten-minute walk felt endless.

As I neared my apartment, headlights flared from a familiar black car.

This vehicle had been parked here every night since Ethan and I broke up.

So it was him.

"Julian, nothing stands between us now." Ethan stepped out, eyes burning. "Will you come back to me?"

In that moment, all hesitation vanished.

I threw myself into his arms. "I love you."

He held me tight, whispering the words over and over.

Late that night, I propped myself up. "What about your fiancée?"

"What fiancée?"

I explained the office gossip.

"That’s you." He chuckled. "I started the rumor to keep others from chasing you."

"Scheming devil." I swatted him. "What about your parents?"

"I call the shots now. Julian, I know you left because of my father, but I can protect you now."

On Thanksgiving, I brought Ethan home to come clean.

To my shock, my parents agreed immediately.

I’d braced for a beating.

Mom smiled. "We heard you crying every night."

"If Ethan had taken any longer, I’d have set Julian up on blind dates."

So that’s what she’d meant by "wait a little longer."

When Christmas Eve’s bells rang, Ethan embraced me by the window.

City lights glittered in his eyes.

He nipped my ear. "Block me again, and I’ll lock you up."

"I won’t. I promise I won’t."