Seven Years, A Shattered Promise

essively on the marble floor. Ethan trailed behind her, hi

Alex?" she demanded, her voice loud enoug

, looking at Mark, who was now standin

," she snapped. "You accessed p

ughed. My d

of dollars in market value," I

t? For trying to make yourself seem indispens

ting me as the disgruntled ex-employ

his voice full of false concern. "He's not worth it." Then he looked at me, his eye

He was very

t a little too loosely. The haircut was the same style I'd had two years ago. The w

eone new. She had found a replacement.

ger. She took a step closer, her voi

nk you can't live without me. You think

out before I could stop them. "I wrote ha

r coder. A charity case I kept on the

eight, looking uncomfortable. Mark

ice trembling just enough to be convincing. "I don't know what your h

The power, the drama.

ht and hot. She was erasing me. Not jus

h. Let's go down to the press room and tell them about the seven years you spent

just for a second, before bei

led out a checkbook. She scribbled on it furi

million. Is that enough? Will t

s trembled, not from weakness, but from a rage s

I had given her, to a financial settlement. An NDA in

gant smirk, the absolute certainty that she had won

that same flicker of triumph in his eyes. He and C

lose it. I was going to scream, to break something,

the collar of his shirt, a nervous tic. And on hi

necklace in my pocket. A private symb

iven him

into something colder, harder,

Chloe," I said, my

pled check fal

omething of min