Chapter 2
Watching Sophie take a selfie, Edward was content to fade into the background. While his smile was barely perceptible, the softness in his eyes told a different story, which laid his feelings for her completely bare.
I remembered his last secretary. He fired her on the spot for texting a colleague during a business dinner.
But now, he wasn't just putting up with it. He was happily getting in the shot, using his title to make her look important.
He saw Chloe at that table. The reason he was so brazen was because he felt justified. It was payback for the morning, when I had lost it over a million-dollar necklace, smashed his antique vase, and torn his favorite painting to shreds.
He paraded another woman in front of my best friend, knowing word would get back to me. He let his secretary post that picture, knowing I would see it. He encouraged her inappropriate behavior. Every single action was a piece of revenge aimed at me.
Too bad for him. When it comes to revenge, the entire Sterling family combined couldn't hold a candle to me.
I texted him: [You going to explain the girl warming your seat?]
Five minutes went by, and he still didn't reply.
I texted Chloe: [Did he look at his phone?]
She replied instantly: [Yep. He saw it and ignored it. Did you confront him?]
I fired off another message to Edward: [Text me back. I know you've seen my message.]
My message vanished into a digital void. He was pointedly ignoring me.
I texted again: [I'm giving you one last chance. If I don't get a reply in ten seconds, what happens next is on you.]
Ten seconds later, I sent him a photo.
Edward replied instantly: [Olivia Summers! What the hell are you trying to do?]
At the same time, Chloe texted me.
[Holy shit! What did you send him?! His face just went ghost-white. I've never seen him look like that. He looks like he saw a ghost.]
I sent Chloe a devil emoji: [Just watch.]
The photo I had sent was of a faded pink envelope, something clearly treasured for years.
It was a love letter from his high school girlfriend. The girl who had died saving him, shoving him out of the path of a speeding dump truck before it took her life.
That letter was the last piece of her he had left on this earth. He valued it more than his own life.
At that moment, it all clicked. This new secretary had the same eyes and the same smile.
So that was it. Edward was playing out some tragic substitute romance fantasy. He was seeing his dead first love in his ambitious new secretary.
When I didn't reply, another desperate text came from him.
Edward: [Don't. Touch. It.]
His panic bled through the text. There was no question: that love letter had him completely on edge.
Olivia: [Edward. Call me. Now.]
This time, he obeyed. My phone rang instantly.
His voice was a strained whisper. "Liv, please. Can we just talk about this when I get home?"
"Put me on speaker," I commanded.
"What are you trying to prove?"
"I said, put me on speaker!"
Edward had no choice but to do as I said.
"So sorry to interrupt, everyone," I said. "I heard my husband brought a new plus-one tonight. I just had to call and congratulate her personally."
Edward's voice was tight with anxiety. "Liv, it's not what you think. We're just colleagues. Don't misunderstand."
I laughed sharply. "Oh, really? What kind of 'colleague' gets a million-dollar necklace from her boss?"
I paused for effect. "Edward, I don't care what your relationship is. Right now, I want you to slap her. Twice.
"You can refuse. But you know the consequences."