Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was nearly eleven when I got home. I was leaning back on the sofa when Sterling finally walked through the door.

"What are you doing sitting here in the dark?" he asked.

"Waiting for you."

He unbuttoned his cuffs, his voice dripping with irritation.

"What happened tonight was too much. Luna is just an intern. She's twenty-two and doesn't know how things work. Was all that necessary?"

"If she doesn't know better, what's your excuse?" I asked, slowly swinging my legs off the sofa.

"Sterling, do you really not know what kind of woman I am?"

"Of course I know," he snapped, tugging at his tie. His voice rose.

"You're a control freak. An intern sat in my car and you lose your mind? Do you have any idea how that looks to everyone else?"

"Do you honestly think I care what 'everyone else' thinks?"

He blinked, momentarily stunned.

"I have to take people around for work. Giving her a ride was just convenient. What's the big deal?"

"Convenient?" I laughed.

"Every estate in this neighborhood is on private land. We know every neighbor for miles. Tell me, Sterling, whose house was on your way?"

His face went pale. He didn't speak for a long time.

Finally, he spoke in a low, gravelly voice.

"I'll handle the car tomorrow. But about the girl... can't you show some mercy? She just graduated."

"I don't take back my words."

"Seraphina!"

"If you feel that sorry for her," I interrupted, standing up to walk toward the bedroom.

"Go comfort her right now. But if you walk out that door, don't bother coming back."

Silence followed me into the room.

The next morning, I found a scrap receipt for the car on the coffee table. Next to it was a copy of the termination papers.

The signature at the bottom was Sterling's.

I glanced at it and set it down. At least he wasn't stupid enough to openly defy me yet.

My assistant sent a short voice note.

"Ms. Thorne, Luna Rivers' termination is complete. Mr. Vance signed it himself. However, she cried at the front desk for thirty minutes before leaving. She said one thing: 'Seraphina Thorne will regret this.'"

I typed back two words: "Duly noted."

I'd heard that line a thousand times. None of the people who said it ever lived to see me regret a thing.

I'm not usually someone who enjoys total destruction.

But I have a flaw. The more someone tries to play hardball with me, the more I want them to know that I am the last person they should ever mess with.

During lunch, I got a text from Sterling.

"Car is gone. She's gone. Is that enough for you?"

I tapped back: "Depends on your behavior."

He didn't reply.

Things seemed to settle down for a while. But a month later, I felt something was off.

Sterling was too quiet. It wasn't like him to be this obedient.

That night, I went through the project logs he had handled over the past six months. I found a supplier name I didn't recognize. I screenshotted it and sent it to my assistant.

"Look into this company."

Three minutes later, she sent a long reply. Only one sentence mattered.

"Ms. Thorne, the registration info for this company is... strange. I'll keep digging."

I stared at the company name for a long time before putting my phone face down on the pillow.

Before sleeping, I texted Sterling: "Breakfast together tomorrow."

He replied instantly: "Okay."

I shut my phone and whispered to the empty room.

"You'd better mean that, Sterling."