Chapter 2
As soon as I walked through the door, my phone started blowing up.
It was Emma Clark.
She was Julia's secretary, a sharp, no-nonsense girl.
I didn't answer.
But the phone just kept ringing, over and over, like it was on a mission.
I walked into the kitchen, filled a glass with cold water, and chugged it down.
The icy water slid down my throat, but it couldn't put out the slow burn in my chest.
The phone finally stopped ringing.
Three seconds later, another call came in.
It was Julia.
I stared at my phone as the contact name "Honey" lit up on the screen.
How absurd.
I picked up, but didn't say a word.
"Luke! Are you out of your mind?" Julia snapped, her voice full of anger.
Her tone shook with rage, wind and car horns blaring in the background—she was clearly outdoors.
I stayed silent.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're causing the company? Why are you suddenly selling off your shares? You didn't even give me a heads-up!" she snapped.
Her tone was all accusation, like I'd just committed some unforgivable crime.
"Since when do I have to report every move I make to you?"
I finally spoke.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
She probably didn't expect me to respond like that.
"Luke, what are you trying to say? We're a couple, and the company shares are our joint property. Shouldn't you at least talk to me before making a decision this big?" she demanded.
"A couple?"
I let out a bitter, scoffing laugh.
"Ms. Summers, so you do remember we're married? Did that slip your mind when you walked into that hotel with Mr. Ford?"
The call went utterly silent on the other end.
After several seconds, Julia finally broke the silence, her voice shaky and clearly rattled.
"You... you saw that?" Julia stammered.
"Yeah, I saw it," I said, my voice cold.
I walked over to the living room window, gazing out at the night so thick it felt like it could swallow everything.
"I also saw Mr. Ford's hand on your waist, Ms. Summers. You two were laughing so heartily," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"It's not what you think! Luke, just listen to me!"
Julia's voice shot up, sharp and desperate.
"Michael and I were meeting with an important partner! It was about getting funding for the Riverfront One project! You know how big this is for the company!" Julia shot back.
"A partner? So important you had to talk business in a hotel room? So important your VP was all over you with his hand on your waist?" I retorted.
"You're impossible!" Julia snapped, her voice turning cold.
"Luke, I don't have time for this right now. Call Jim and stop selling! The stock price is already dropping. If you keep this up, it'll trigger a domino effect!" she demanded.
"That's your company, not mine. From the moment I decided to pull out, what happens to Sunrise is none of my business anymore," I said coldly.
"You..."
Julia started, but before she could finish, Emma's frantic voice cut in from the background.
"Ms. Summers, bad news! Somehow, word got out about Mr. Chandler pulling his investment. The internet's blowing up with bad news, and a bunch of investors are calling. The stock price just tanked!" Emma shouted.
I heard Julia's breath hitch immediately.
A second later, she screamed at someone beside her—almost certainly Michael—her voice spiraling out of control.
"Let go! Get your hands off me!"
I heard hurried footsteps, then the car door slammed hard.
"Luke, just you wait! If you dare destroy Sunrise, I swear I'll make you pay!" she yelled.
With that, she hung up.
I set my phone down, staring at the black screen.
She'd make me pay?
Julia, this was only the beginning.