Chapter 3

As I slammed the door and stormed out, James grabbed my hand.

He said, "Nora, do you have to blow things up like this?

"Mittens was old. He was bound to get sick sooner or later. Putting him to sleep was the best thing for him."

I didn't say anything, just slowly peeled his fingers off my hand.

Bella rushed over, sobbing and calling out.

She cried, "Nora, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have a cat allergy.

"James really couldn't help it. Please, don't be angry. Take it out on me if you want, hit me, yell at me, whatever. Just don't be mad at James, he's really been exhausted from work lately."

I laughed, and I called out her sweet, helpless little act for exactly what it was.

I sneered, "Having fun playing the victim?

"You're just like your mom, always taking what belongs to somebody else."

James frowned and pulled Bella behind him.

He said, "Nora, was that really necessary? No matter what, she's still your sister.

"Apologize to Bella. And don't threaten to break up with me. You know I hate when you pull that kind of stunt."

I didn't waste another second on them. I headed straight back to the hotel and rebooked my flight.

Before I boarded my flight, the hotel front desk called me.

"Ms. Stone, there's a gift bag left in your room. Would you like us to hold onto it for you?" the receptionist asked.

I kept my voice steady. "Just throw it away."

Back at my apartment, I sent my manager a request to end my leave.

My manager got back to me almost instantly.

He immediately followed up with a message.

[Ms. Stone, don't forget to follow up on the FusionTech Solutions contract. The 20 million dollar deal is about to be renewed.]

I replied with a quick [Got it] and started organizing my files.

After pulling five all-nighters, I finally wrapped up the renewal proposal.

Suddenly, the office door burst open.

James strode in wearing a sharp suit, Bella trailing behind him in a matching outfit.

My manager rapped his knuckles on my desk and said, "The people from BrightCore Headquarters are here for an inspection. Make sure you give them the grand tour."

I took a deep breath and kept it strictly business as I showed them around the branch office.

When we got back to my office, James and Bella came in after me.

James said, "Nora, it's been days. Can't you just let it go already?"

He added, "You said you're twenty-nine, not a kid anymore. Why are you still hung up on the past?"

I set my pen down and looked up at James.

It hit me for the first time that time really can turn somebody into a stranger.

My mom was murdered, and I'd never get the sight of her lying in that blood out of my head as long as I lived.

James saw me stay silent and thought I was starting to soften. He walked over and sat down next to me.

He cleared his throat and said gently. "Bella doesn't have many resources.

"The FusionTech Solutions deal is basically a sure thing, why don't you let her take this one? I'll make sure you get something else in return."

I leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on the security camera overhead.

"So you're really going to steal my deal for her?" I asked, my voice sharp.

"It's not stealing, just switching things up. Bella's got the talent, she just needs a chance to prove herself," James replied.

I let out a faint smirk, glancing at Bella, and she looked like she already thought the deal was hers.

"No," I said, my tone icy and unwavering.

James shot a look at the security camera, his face darkening. He grabbed Bella and walked out.

The branch office wasn't big, but I made sure to avoid him. And with James always keeping up his act of staying distant for appearances' sake, it was like he vanished from the office altogether, and I never saw him at work again.

I glanced at my watch. It was already noon, and the FusionTech Solutions procurement manager still hadn't shown up.

My phone lit up.

[Ms. Stone, get back to the office. We've already secured the FusionTech Solutions deal.]

By the time I got to the conference room, everyone was already celebrating.

There was a nine-tiered cake, definitely something you had to pre-order.

James held Bella's hand as they cut the first slice together.

When Bella spotted me, she came over with a slice of cake, a sly smile on her lips.

"Nora, this first slice is for you. After all, I only managed to land this deal because I had your help," she said, her tone dripping with fake sweetness.

Everyone turned to look at me, and when they saw how upset I looked, the commotion faded.

My manager kept shooting me looks, but I ignored him and fixed my eyes on James.

"Mr. Reed, that's quite the tactic, using someone else's achievements to make things easier for your girlfriend," I sneered.

The conference room fell into a dead silence.

James put the knife down, cool as a cucumber, like he'd been waiting for this moment.

He spoke with practiced calm. "Ms. Stone, be careful what you say. Making up rumors about people is against the law.

"As for the FusionTech Solutions deal, it's just a strategic move from headquarters. Everything HQ does is for the company's future."

Bella seized the moment, lifting the cake and pretending to be all sweet and innocent as she echoed James's words.

She said, "Nora, don't be mad. If it makes you feel better, I can just put your name on the contract too.

"Even though I landed the deal myself, if you want, I can share it with you."

Whispers started to spread around the room.

"Both their last names are Stone, so they're actually sisters?" someone murmured.

"Nora's probably just jealous of Bella, right? When she first started here, she wasn't nearly as good as her sister," another person snickered.

I shot them all a cold, indifferent look.

Three years ago, when the branch was in the red and about to let people go, I was the one who landed the FusionTech Solutions deal and kept everyone's jobs safe.

I turned around, pulled out my phone, and accepted the friend request from the chairman of our rival company, Wesley Drew.

[Mr. Drew, let's talk in detail after I resign.]

He replied almost instantly.

[Ms. Stone, BrightCore is looking forward to having you.]

James overrode my resignation, bypassing my manager and shutting it down himself.

As I was packing up my things, he pushed the door open and walked in.

"You worked so hard to get to where you are, and now you're throwing it all away over one deal?" he said, his voice full of disbelief.

So he did understand how hard I'd worked for it.

When I stayed silent, James let out an annoyed sigh, his patience clearly running thin.

"Take two days off and clear your head. When you get back, just use this plan to draft the contract. FusionTech Solutions is still waiting for your signature," he said.

I gave the document a quick once-over, and the more I read, the more it felt all too familiar.

My heart sank.

I grabbed it and flipped through page after page. It was word for word identical to the proposal I'd pulled all-nighters revising at least ten times.

My hands shook as I slammed the document into James's chest.

I snapped, "You snatched my deal, copied my proposal, and now you want me to draft the contract too?

"James, am I just here to boost Bella up for you?"