Chapter 1

When the elevator malfunctioned, panic set in.

In the pitch-black space, I instinctively reached out for my boyfriend.

He'd always had claustrophobia. In a dark, sealed space like this, his body and mind would both go into overdrive.

But my hands found only air.

I heard the rustle of fabric.

My boyfriend was already hugging the person beside him, his voice low and gentle as he comforted, "Don't be scared. I'm here."

*****

The office elevator suddenly blared a warning alarm and started plummeting.

There were about six of us inside, and everyone was freaking out.

The sudden drop made my heart race, like I couldn't breathe.

But none of that mattered to me.

Before the accident, Elliot Mallory was right next to me.

I reached out, forgetting our promise to pretend we didn't know each other at the company. All I wanted was to comfort him.

I'd seen Elliot have a claustrophobia attack before.

His face would go ghostly pale, sweat would pour off him, his limbs would go weak, and his throat would seize up.

He couldn't even speak.

I thought Elliot was probably scared out of his mind right now.

But my hands only found air.

Frantically, I pulled out my phone, switched on the flashlight, and searched the elevator for Elliot.

In the corner of the elevator, I heard a barely audible whimpering.

Macy Hawley was curled up in the corner, burying her head in her arms, shaking with fear.

Elliot's face was drenched in cold sweat, his limbs numb and weak, but he still forced himself to crouch down.

He held Macy, who was trembling uncontrollably, like two hurt animals clinging to each other, trying to comfort themselves.

"Don't be scared, Macy." His voice shook, but there was a steady reassurance in it.

Elliot hid his face in Macy's hair, rubbing her back again and again, trying to calm her. "I'm here."

Everyone waited quietly in the elevator for rescue, their eyes drifting to the corner from time to time.

Instinctively, nobody said a word.

Every now and then, a coworker would meet my gaze, then flick their eyes toward the corner with a look that said it all.

I kept my face frozen, dodging their eyes, but a dull ache settled in my chest, stretching on and on.

The air in the elevator was getting harder and harder to breathe.

In that suffocating space, my brain turned to mush.

Finally, the rescue team arrived. We'd only been stuck for less than half an hour, but it felt like half a century.

"Can you believe we got stuck in the elevator first thing this morning? What a way to start the day," a coworker said, still a little shaken.

He noticed I kept glancing over at Elliot and shot me a knowing grin, dropping his voice.

"Well, at least we got some juicy boss drama out of it," he added.

"Look at him, all rattled and anxious. Is that really our always unflappable CEO?" another coworker joined in.

"Love's a drink. Nobody can handle it sober," someone else joked.

Elliot had a commanding presence. He was tall and strikingly handsome, with deep, intense eyes.

Once he escaped the cramped, pitch-black elevator, he was back to his usual take-charge self.

He immediately called for a thorough inspection of all the company's elevators and made sure everyone who'd been trapped got proper compensation.

Everything was back in order, running smoothly and efficiently.

Finally, Elliot looked at Macy, who was so drained she could barely stay on her feet.

With everyone's eyes on him, he picked Macy up in his arms and walked away.

The whole time, Elliot never once glanced in my direction.

*****

Elliot came home really late that night.

I was curled up on the couch, a variety show playing on the TV.

The host and guests were laughing and joking around, but I didn't find it funny.

Elliot took off his suit jacket, reached out and hugged me close, letting his head droop onto my shoulder.

Elliot said softly, "Shelby, I'm so tired today."

Gone was the cool, collected CEO from work.

Normally, when he got all soft and needy like this, I'd keep a straight face, but it always melted me inside.

After all, who could resist that kind of contrast? Elliot always appeared cold and aloof outside, but was so gentle when we were alone.

But what happened in the elevator today left a bitter taste in my mouth.

My heart ached. After all these years, comforting Elliot was just a reflex for me.

Even though I felt a little off about it, I still reached out and gave his head a gentle rub.

Then I rolled up his shirt sleeve. Sure enough, his arm was covered in a rash, and I could tell he hadn't put on any cream.

Whenever Elliot got stressed, it always hit him hard. He'd break out in these rashes all over his skin.

There was always allergy cream in our place, so I grabbed some and gently applied it to his arm with a cotton swab.

I said offhandedly, "Why didn't you do something about it at work? Didn't it bother you all day?"

I had seen the Mallory family's private doctor show up at the office today.

That rash should've been dealt with right away. Elliot's private doctor knew his health well. He'd never forget the cream or allergy meds.

"It's not that bad," Elliot said with a smile, watching as I put the medicine away. "Honestly, I just want you to do it for me.

"Besides, that doctor's still stuck in grad school. I wouldn't dare let him treat me."

He looked relaxed, grinning as he joked about his private doctor still not graduating.

I smiled.

If Elliot didn't call the doctor for himself, then who else could it be for? The truth seemed obvious.

"By the way, Shelby, if an accident like today happens at work again, don't worry about me," Elliot said out of the blue. "Good thing I kept my cool today. Otherwise, our relationship would've been exposed."

So Elliot had actually dodged me on purpose in the elevator today.

I didn't get it at all.

At first, we kept things low-key at work just to avoid any unnecessary drama.