"If it goes nuclear," Kora said, "we can always come back to hot yoga. Nothing cures heartbreak like heatstroke."

  I laughed despite myself. Maybe she was right. Maybe everything would be okay.

  Or maybe I was about to lose the best thing that had ever happened to me.

  Only one way to find out.

  36

  ORION

  "You invited her to dinner again, didn't you?" I asked, watching my mother bustle around her kitchen with suspicious energy. Eating dinner with my mom and sister was a weekly ritual of great importance to me, even if I wouldn't admit such a thing aloud to any living soul.

  "Of course I did." Mom didn't even try to look guilty. "That girl lights up this whole house. And you smile more when she's here."

  "I do not."

  "You're smiling right now," Remmy called from the living room. "Just thinking about her."

  I quickly schooled my expression. "I was not."

  "Were too." Remmy appeared in the doorway, phone in hand, her face wearing that look that usually preceded uncomfortable questions. "So... when are you going to admit you're dating her?"

  "We're not⁠—"

  "Oh please," Mom cut in, batting my hand away from the sauce she was stirring. "The way you two look at each other? I wasn't born yesterday."

  I loosened my tie, suddenly feeling warm. "It's complicated."

  "Because you're making it," Remmy said. "You know what is actually complicated? Trying to convince an up-and-coming artist that the ten-foot-tall beef sculpture doesn't violate his vegan principles. He's saying he won't let me show his art while that beef stands. Can you believe it? The beef isn't even real. It's made out of scrap metal."

  "What if you promised him a separate room?" Mom suggested.

  My attention wavered as I looked down to read the email that just appeared on my phone. It was from Roman, saying Davenport was currently talking with Cole Northman at a well-known restaurant in town.

  My stomach clenched. I was sure we had the contract all but locked up. What was that snake talking to him about, and why was Davenport willing to meet him?

  "Orion?" Mom was watching me with concern. "You've gone pale."

  "It's fine," I said, shoving my phone in my pocket. "Just work things."

  "Yeah," Remmy teased. "Just work, as if you don't treat work like it's life and death."

  I left my mom's kitchen to sit on the couch and stew. My thoughts went from Davenport meeting with Cole to Ember and even to our conversation about legacy and my father's wishes for me.

  I rested my face in my hands as I let it all wash over me.

  To my surprise, I was most upset by the idea of Cole getting Davenport's business because I worried he would do exactly what I had planned to do. I knew Ember would be devastated if anyone tore down those factories. Without realizing it, my priority had somehow shifted from using this opportunity to catapult Foster Real Estate to the top to protecting those factories—to protecting Ember and Davenport's vision for their future.

  The woman was turning me softer than fucking white bread, but I couldn't bring myself to regret any of it.

  I only wished I knew how Cole was still stringing Davenport along.

  I carefully ignored the little voice in my mind that told me I already knew how he was doing it. It was a fact that had become increasingly hard to ignore, but I was doing my damndest to keep it in the back of my mind.

  Just keep focusing on what you can control, Orion. Keep moving forward, and don’t worry about… that.

  Another email came through from Roman.

  Mr. Foster,

  Davenport called the office. He said he's concerned we have been stealing ideas and information from Cole Northman. Apparently, our proposals are almost identical to Cole's. He seemed like he was thinking about pulling out of the deal with both companies because he doesn't know who to trust.

  Roman

  I swallowed what felt like a ball of ice that settled deep in my stomach. I hated that my first thought once again went to Ember, the charity gala, and the knowing, smug look on Cole’s face when he noted that Ember was working for me.

  But I pushed the thoughts away before any real conclusion could form. I didn't even want to take my mind there, because the idea of Ember betraying me hurt more than I wanted to admit.

  It had to be something else. Some other explanation. Even if it sounded insane, I was almost certain I had begun to fall for Ember Hartwell. It wasn't a soft, graceful fall, either. I was falling at terminal velocity and without any fucking control. It was exactly the sort of thing I had avoided for years, and somehow I had walked right into it willingly.

  There was a knock at my mom's door. I rushed to get up and pull it open before Remmy or my mom could emerge from the kitchen.

  "I got it," I said.

  "Love sick," Remmy sing-songed from the kitchen.

  "Like a cute little golden retriever eager to greet its master," my mom agreed.

  Ignoring them, I pulled the door open and stepped out into the apartment complex hallway to stand beside Ember.

  She looked... worried. Her shoulders were tense and her eyes darted everywhere, seemingly unable to meet mine.

  "Hi," she said.

  "Hi..."

  "I know you didn't want to know, but I can't keep this in any longer."

  My stomach clenched in anticipation. I nearly told her to stop. I nearly kissed her, just to keep her from saying more. But all I could do was stand with my back to my mom's door and wait for her to drop the hammer.

  “I know you don’t want to know this, but I need to get it out. I’m tired of letting this fester and get worse and worse because I care about you. I even care about Foster Real Estate, and until I get this out, I feel like I’m betraying you with every breath I take.”

  “Ember…” I started.

  She shook her head. “Let me do this. Please.”

  I swallowed, waited, and then nodded.

  "Cole Northman was my ex," she said. Her words came out fast, as if she was gaining momentum as she went, each word barreling into the next. "He cheated on me and was trying to promote his new girlfriend until she could make my life miserable at Northman Group, where I used to work. When I didn't quit like he wanted, he came up with another idea. He asked me to infiltrate your company and give him dirt on you—something he could use to get an edge. That was when I got the idea to work for Hate Notes. I saw how you bribed people to quit, and I thought maybe you would eventually offer me a job if I never took the bribes..." she trailed off as tears welled in her eyes.

  I knew I should be mad at her. I was mad. But my damn soft side hated seeing her cry, and it took all my self control not to pull her into a hug and tell her it was all okay. Instead, I waited, eyes steely as she gathered herself and continued.

  "I never cared about helping Cole. The whole idea was just a petty way to get revenge. I wanted to drag it out and see how long I could get him to keep paying me while I was working somewhere else. And I imagined how pissed he'd be when he realized I was only stringing him along with no plans to help him. After reading all those Hate Notes and reading online about you, I thought you were probably just as bad as Cole. So I thought if I accidentally hurt you somehow to keep the game going longer, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But," she added quickly, probably seeing the stunned and hurt expression on my face. "I realized I was wrong. Something about you... and something about working for Foster Real Estate... it changed my plans. I liked the job and, well, I even liked you."

  I thought about the email from Roman and felt my expression harden. "But you still betrayed me."

  Ember's expression of pain was so clear it made my chest ache. I watched a tear roll down her cheek as she shook her head, lips trembling.

  "Not on purpose," she managed. "I... I was trying to buy just a little bit of time early on. Cole made it seem like he was going to call the whole thing off if I didn't give him something. And I just blurted the name Davenport. I didn't know how important the contract was and I had no idea who he even was. I didn't expect it to matter, but Cole latched onto it immediately. And then I found out recently he got access to my cloud files by guessing my password. He was using information from my proposal documents to try to win over Davenport. I changed the password, and he texted me asking for it just a little bit ago. And..." Ember sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "And I'm so sorry, Orion. I should have told you sooner, but I liked you and the job, and I was worried you would hate me or fire me or⁠—"

  "Stop," I said, holding up my palm. "That's enough." There was an odd coldness in my chest. All the warmth and change I had felt beginning to spread over the past few weeks seemed like it had been snuffed out by a sudden, icy breeze. "Thank you for informing me. You can go now."

  "Orion?" Ember asked, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "I really am sorry. I know I should have⁠—"

  "We're done here. You can keep your job, but you'll be under close scrutiny until I know you can be trusted again. Otherwise, there's no need for us to speak further. Have a good night, Miss Hartwell."

  "Orion, I—" Ember had wrapped her arms around herself, shoulders shaking as she cried in the hallway.

  Good, I told myself. Let her hurt like I was hurting.

  I stepped inside my mom's apartment and closed the door, knowing even in that moment that it wasn't true. I didn't feel good knowing she was hurting. Hadn’t I betrayed her in the same way by keeping the truth about our plans for Davenport’s factories a secret?

  But I bucketed those… Just like she stopped trying to help Cole weeks ago, from the sounds of it.

  “Dammit,” I muttered, punching the doorframe and ignoring the concerned looks of Remmy and my mom. I yanked the door open and rushed back out into the hallway, but Ember was already gone.

  I stared at the empty hallway and thought about texting or emailing her, but all I could do was sink down with my back to the wall. There was a chasm of emptiness in my chest that felt so cold and empty it practically burned.

  I deserve this.

  37

  EMBER

  Iwalked without direction through Manhattan, unable to stop replaying everything that had just happened. I kept walking, even when thunder cracked overhead and the sky darkened. I didn't stop when it poured rain and people around me either opened umbrellas or scrambled into shops for cover.

  Every step took me further from Orion's mom's apartment, but I couldn't escape the look in his eyes when I confessed—like I'd killed something fragile that had been growing between us.

  My feet carried me through familiar streets until I found myself standing outside a large, old brownstone mansion. I recognized the address. It was Eleanor Golding's house, and warm yellow light spilled invitingly from the windows.

  Before I could talk myself out of it, I was walking up her steps and raising my hand to knock on the elaborate double doors.

  What was I doing?

  "Miss Hartwell?" Eleanor opened the door, concern spreading across her face. She was pushing eighty years old, liver-spotted and frail, but with sharp intelligence shining through her brown eyes. She was also immaculately dressed in some sort of designer sweater that looked amazingly comfortable. "Good heavens, you're drenched! Come in, come in."

  Minutes later, I sat in her study wrapped in a fluffy blanket, holding hot tea while surrounded by her ceramic duck collection. Sir Quackington watched from his perch of honor, along with Duck Norris and the rest of her feathered army. It was my first time seeing the assembled crew in person, and I found I recognized almost all of them from our long conversations.

  "Now then," Eleanor said, settling into her armchair. "What brings you to my door looking like a drowned cat?"

  "I made a terrible mistake," I whispered. "Several, actually. And I think I've ruined everything."

  "With that handsome boss of yours?"

  I nearly dropped my tea. "How did you⁠—"

  "Dear, I've been around long enough to recognize a broken heart when I see one." She smiled gently. "Tell me."

  So I did. Everything—from Cole's manipulation to my growing feelings for Orion to tonight's devastating confession. Even as I spoke, I couldn't help noticing how her ducks seemed to be judging me less harshly than Catman would have.

  "And now Cole's trying to steal Davenport’s business, and he’s only able to do it because of my own careless, stupid mistakes," I finished miserably. "I wish I could just snap my fingers and undo all this damage, even if it still meant Orion hating me. Expecting things between us to get better would be selfish, but I wish I could undo my part in all of this."

  Eleanor was quiet for a moment, studying one of her ducks. "You know, Marcellus Davenport and I go way back."

  I blinked. "You know Mr. Davenport?"

  "Oh yes." Something softened in Eleanor's expression, a hint of nostalgia and perhaps something more crossing her face. "Our families were quite close. We were... well, there was a time when everyone assumed we would end up together. But life had other plans." She stood, walking to her desk with careful steps. "This was us as children." She held up an old, elaborately framed picture of a group of teens.

  I noticed she touched Davenport's face in the photo with gentle fingers before setting it down, and there was a wistfulness in her voice when she added, "He used to bring me rubber ducks from his father's factory, you know. Said ceramic ones were too fragile for true love. That's actually what started my collection, though I switched to ceramic ones after... well, after we went our separate ways."

  "What happened?" I asked softly.

  "Life," Eleanor said simply, but her small smile held decades of untold stories. "His family wanted him to focus on the business, mine had other plans for me. Sometimes the timing just isn't right." She straightened, her usual brisk manner returning. "But that was a lifetime ago."

  I considered commenting on their tragic history, but sensed it was an old wound she didn’t want to open further.

  I smiled as I studied the picture of her as a teen. "You were beautiful," I said, eyes scanning the picture for a young version of Davenport.

  She pointed to a broad-shouldered boy with a strong jaw and his arm around her shoulder. "That's Marcellus. We went to the same boarding school."

  Now that she mentioned it, I saw all the children wore the same collared uniform with the same emblem on their chests.

  "Anyway," Eleanor said, setting the photo down on her desk. "I'm sure Marcellus would agree to meet with you if I asked it as a favor. And the Marcellus I know would soften if he heard your story. I think it's worth trying, at least."

  "I don't know how to even begin to thank⁠—"

  "You could start by using an umbrella next time it's pouring rain," she said with a smile. She walked over to a bucket by the door and pulled out a black umbrella with a gold handle, extending it toward me. "Keep it. It matches Sir Quackington's top hat."

  I laughed despite myself, clutching the umbrella. "Thank you, Eleanor."

  "Don't thank me yet. You still have work to do." She gave my arm a soft squeeze. "Though between you and me, that Foster boy of yours could still use someone to shake up his perfect little world. Maybe once you've cleared things up with Davenport, he'll see reason and forgive you."

  I doubted it, but didn't bother saying so. I didn't feel like I particularly deserved forgiveness. Whether he forgave me or not, I was going to do everything in my power to fix the mess I'd created.

  I couldn't undo my mistakes. But maybe I could still make things right.

  Starting now.

  38

  EMBER

  "So what exactly am I looking for?" Kora asked, hunched over her computer in the empty break room at Northman Group. It was nearly nine at night, and the office was deserted except for the cleaning crew.

  "Anything about Cole's plans for the Davenport factories," I said, pacing behind her. "Or other similar projects. There has to be something that explains why he wants this contract so badly."

  "You know this is probably illegal, right?" Despite her words, Kora's fingers flew across the keyboard. "I mean, I still have access to Cole's files because he's too lazy to have IT update permissions when people change departments, but still."

  "It’s only illegal if you get caught."

  “That’s… not technically true.” She paused, squinting at the screen. "Oh. Oh shit."

  "What?"

  "Look at this." She pulled up a folder labeled 'Davenport’.

  There were several files that included land value assessments and records of the geological surveys that had been done before the factories were built.

  “Wait… why would he want the geological surveys?” I asked.

  “He would need those if⁠—”

  “He wanted to build something where those factories stand. Is planning to demolish them? But Davenport would never stand for that.”

  “While he lives, no,” Kora said slowly. “I wonder if Cole has some plan to stay in control of them after his death.”

  “He wants to trick Davenport into trusting him with the factories just so he can turn around and destroy them as soon as Davenport dies?” I felt sick to my stomach.

  “Look,” Kora said. “Profit projections. These don’t say where the hotels would be built, but something this size wouldn’t fit on any open lots I know of. And there are three of them… Three hotels and three factories. I don’t think it gets much more clear than this. Cole wants to demolish those factories and build hotels. That is why he wants the Davenport contract so badly.”

  My head swam, but not just because it would be a terrible betrayal of an old man’s trust if he could pull it off. My head swam because it made too much sense. “Cole’s not the only one who would have realized this.”

  "What?"

  I shook my head. "Nothing. Keep looking."

 

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