Chapter 3

3

"You're rejecting me for this lowly assistant? Fine. Let's see who's laughing when this is all over."

Elias shot me a glare and stormed out.

I went to pick up my blazer, but a firm pair of arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me into a solid chest.

Kaelan's lips brushed against mine again.

I pushed him away, my voice icy.

"Getting a little too into the role, aren't you?"

He didn't answer or try to push further.

A strange flicker of emotion crossed his eyes.

For some reason, I felt a sudden pang of guilt.

I was used to bossing Kaelan around, but using him this blatantly was a new low.

I hid my feelings, masking them with my usual business coldness.

"How many days until he's finished?"

"He," of course, referred to my ex.

"Three days."

I gave a satisfied nod.

The next morning, before Kaelan could report in, my best friend, Zara, burst through my door.

She was one of the only two people who knew about my relationship.

Before she even stepped fully inside, she started screaming.

"Elias is a total piece of garbage! You must have had the worst luck in the world to date a loser like that."

I shrugged, unaffected.

"He's an ex-boyfriend now. It doesn't matter."

"Sienna! Ex-boyfriends should be treated like they're dead! Why is he out there telling everyone you're sleeping around?"

Five years ago, I was still struggling to stabilize my position at the Zhou Group.

At a business banquet, one of our partners had a bit too much to drink and tried to force me into a toast, arms linked.

"Ms. Zhou is so formal. How about I call you Sienna?"

"Sienna, you're just a girl. You need a man to protect you. Drink this, and I'll have your back from now on!"

*Thud.*

Elias had punched him right into the floor.

At the time, I'd thought it was reckless, but he looked at me with such conviction.

"A woman's reputation is everything. I can't stop other people, but I want to protect you."

Looking into those clear, honest eyes, I spent the next month cutting off that partner, finding a new supplier, and eventually buying out their failing company just to hand it to Elias.

"A celebration gift for becoming my boyfriend."

I remember exactly how I felt saying that, the waves of emotion I tried to hide.

Five years later, he was the one dragging my name through the mud.

It seemed I was the one who hadn't seen clearly all along.

"Sienna, that dog Elias is telling everyone you got your projects by sleeping with people and using your status to bully assistants into affairs. It's disgusting."

"The rumors are spreading through the whole industry."

"Don't be soft. Just post the photos of you two, show everyone the five years of history, and expose his cheating once and for all."