Chapter 2

After leaving Giselle’s house, I checked into a hotel.

Lying alone on the hotel bed, I realized that leaving her wasn’t as hard as I had imagined.

I used to dread the thought of what my life would be like without her.

After my parents passed away, Giselle became the only family I had left.

But now that I had finally made the decision to leave, I wasn't heartbroken.

Instead, I felt a sense of relief, as if a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Maybe my feelings for her had been worn away long ago.

I was just going through the motions, blindly giving without realizing that in this scarred and broken relationship, my love had been eroded, piece by piece, until nothing was left.

That night, I typed up my resignation letter and sent it to Giselle’s email.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by my phone ringing.

I groggily glanced at the screen. It was my assistant from the office.

I answered, and her frantic voice came through the line.

"Director Vance, there's an error in the data for the project we submitted!"

"Ms. Thorne is furious. She’s in the conference room tearing everyone apart and wants you back here immediately."

"I've already..."

Before I could finish my sentence, she hung up.

I thought about the proposal I’d pulled several all-nighters to finish and sighed.

I got up, showered, and prepared to head to the company.

But before I could even leave the hotel, Giselle’s call came through.

I picked up, and she immediately launched into a tirade.

"Declan, what the hell were you thinking? How could you mess up such simple data? Do you not want your Director position anymore?"

"Get your ass back here now!"

She hung up before I could say a word.

The moment I knocked and pushed open her office door, I saw Zion scrambling off Giselle's lap, his face flushed.

“Director Vance! I was just giving Ms. Thorne a neck rub, that’s all. Don’t get the wrong idea…”

Zion’s voice was laced with panic, but his eyes held a look of pure provocation.

I didn’t react the way he wanted. I didn’t lose my cool seeing them together.

I just looked at them calmly.

“Where is the error in the proposal data?”

A flash of surprise crossed Giselle’s face, but she quickly composed herself.

“See for yourself.”

She tossed a folder across the desk at me.

I opened it and saw a clear alteration mark on one of the data points.

I recognized the handwriting instantly and smiled. I knew Giselle's handwriting better than anyone.

I looked up at her, my tone laced with sarcasm.

“Ms. Thorne, are you sure this data is incorrect?”

Her expression didn’t change. A slight smirk played on her lips.

“If you can’t even spot such an obvious mistake, Director Vance, then you don’t deserve to be in this position.”

The moment she said that, I knew what her game was.

And sure enough, her next sentence confirmed it.

"I'm giving the Director position to Zion. He's a graduate from a prestigious university and has a unique vision for the company's future."

"As for you, you can be his secretary."

Giselle then turned to Zion, her voice warm.

“Zion, your brother held this same position. I know you’ll do great.”

"If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask Declan. He..."

I cut her off without a second thought.

"Ms. Thorne, I sent you my resignation letter yesterday. You should find some time to read it."

My words made Giselle’s face turn black with rage.