s. She decided it was far too risky to go back up for the phone. Waking a drunk, angry Julian was

down apartment in Queens. The train car was nearly empty. A homeless man slept on a bench across from her. Chloe stared out the

l her provider and cancel her missing cell phone before Julian woke up. As she walked down the stairs, her neigh

k corporate SUV pulled up aggressively to the curb beside her, cuttin

the back seat. He looked impeccably groomed in a fresh navy

oritative tone that she get into the car immed

body to keep walking toward the Harrison Properties building

r cell phone. The screen was cracked from where he must have gripped i

ing apps. "You went through my phone?" she said, her voice rising. Julian

avy door and slid onto the co

he driver to lock the doors and drive. "Where are we going?" Chloe demanded. Julian ignored he

tically that she had a crucial 10 AM executive meeting with Mr. Harrison rega

errogating her, his voice a low whip, demanding to know why she was sneaking around

some old mail she had forgotten to forward. "Mail," Julian repeated, laughing

mother's birthday-the exact same six-digit passcode she had used for the past ten years. The device unlocked instantly, a chilling, physical reminder that despite the

some petty eavesdropper, but his lip curled in absolute disgust. "I see Ethan Foster is practically begging for your attention, making sure you got home safe,

ke you, he actually cares about peopl

Harrison Properties staff just to secure her position. "Is that how you got the proj

ing. She told him he had absolutely no right to judge her morals while he broug

mention of Poppy in that context. The muscle in his jaw ticked vio

highway upstate, far beyond the city limits. The skyscrapers were gone, replaced

m on the brakes. The heavy SUV swerved and pulled roughly on

with absolute venom. He told her to ge

ing panic that he was literally stranding her in the middle of nowhere. "You can'

pper arm. He shoved her door open and physically pushed h

face him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You're insane," she said. Julian tossed her cr

ay without a single backward glance, leaving he

s 9:45 AM. She stood up and tried to hail a passing car, but they all sped by, ignoring

got one weak bar. She called the office, praying Diane

ally pulled her from the project lead role for unreliability and missing the critical meeting. "You were supposed to present this m

her broken phone to her chest, feeling entirely defeated, humiliate