9. Magnolia Steel
Chapter 9
Magnolia Steel
Violet stayed the night. She made me drink too much wine, ordered greasy takeout we barely touched, and didn’t let me cry alone. I woke up to the sound of her snoring on my couch, with her makeup smudged and her arm draped over her eyes as though she’s shielding herself from the weight of my heartbreak.
Or a hangover.
But she was there. She stayed. And somehow, that matters more than anything else.
But now?
Now I’m driving to work with a head full of fog and a heart ripped in two.
The drive is a blur—stoplights and street signs bleeding together in streaks of red and green. My hands clutch the steering wheel with a desperation, knuckles stiff with nails biting into my palms as if I grip hard enough, I can hold the pieces of myself together.
I should’ve called in sick. Taken the day. Hell, maybe the week. But I couldn’t spend another second in that apartment, surrounded by silence and the echo of a future I’d started building around a man who doesn’t want me.
I didn’t even mean enough for him to end things via FaceTime. He only considered me worthy of a few distant lines on a screen—clinical, detached, as if I never mattered at all.
The words loop in my head on repeat. I’ve never hated a sentence so much in my life. I’ve never hurt like this.
I pull into the Soul Sync parking lot. The engine hums beneath me, and the morning sun blares against the windshield like some smug bastard, too bright, too cheerful. I release a shaky breath and drag trembling fingers through my hair.
I glance into the rearview mirror. My eyes are swollen, my smile is a lie, but it’s all I have left to give.
You’re fine.
You look like hell, but you’re fine.
You have to be.
Squaring my shoulders, I reach for the door handle. Time to walk into work and pretend my world didn’t just fall apart.
People smile and greet me as I pass, but their voices sound distant, like echoes from another world. The usual morning buzz—phones ringing, keyboards clacking, casual laughter—blurs against the pounding in my ears. Every step toward my office drags heavier than the last. By the time I close the door behind me, the walls feel too tight, the air too thin, and exhaustion seeps deep into my bones.
I sink into my chair, dropping my bag onto the floor beside me, and stare at my desk. It’s covered in neat stacks of design proposals and client portfolios—proof that life moves on, with or without me.
A soft knock interrupts my downward spiral, and I glance up as Violet slips inside, holding a cup from my favorite coffee shop. Her expression is gentle, her eyes full of kind understanding only your closest friend can offer.
“Morning,” she says, placing the cup on my desk. “I figured you could use this.”
The familiar scent of caramel and espresso drifts up, but instead of comfort, it only makes my stomach roll. “Thanks, Vi, but I’m not sure I can keep anything down.”
She sits in the chair across from me. “I’m sorry, Mags.”
A fresh wave of pain crashes over me, and I blink, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. “I can’t talk about him anymore.”
Before she can respond, my office door opens with a quiet click, and Elijah steps inside like he belongs here. His gaze sweeps over me, slow and assessing.
“You look… tired.” He steps closer, too close, as if he’s testing how much I’ll tolerate today. “Rough morning?”
Violet straightens in her seat, throwing him a warning glance, but Elijah doesn’t acknowledge her.
I sit up straighter. “It hasn’t been a great morning.”
He moves around my desk and perches on the edge. “I worry about you, Mags. You push yourself too hard. You always do.”
I clench my jaw, my patience wearing thin. “I’m fine.”
Disappointment flashes across his face. “I’m trying to look out for you. I hate seeing you this way.”
Violet clears her throat, her tone sharper than usual. “She said she’s fine, Elijah.”
“Sure.” He pushes off my desk and stands. “I’ll be around if you need anything. You know where to find me.”
Violet gets up and shuts the door he left open. “Forget Elijah. Forget everything else for now. Let yourself feel this. You don’t have to be strong all the time.”
I nod, staring down at the untouched cup on my desk. “Thanks, Vi. For always being here.”
She reaches for my hand and squeezes. “Always. And I mean that. If you need to fall apart, I’ll be right here to help you put yourself back together.”
“It may come to that.”
“I’ve got a broom, duct tape and Gorilla Glue ready to go.”
“You’re the best, Vi.”
“I know.”
She leaves, and I let my head fall into my hands, wondering how much longer I can hold myself together before I break apart.
The morning drags on in a blur of unanswered emails and half-finished sketches, my brain refusing to focus on anything but the text burning a hole in my phone screen.
Don’t call or text me again. That would only make this worse. This relationship is over.
I’ve read it so many times I can see the words even when I close my eyes, looping through my mind like a broken record I can’t turn off.
I stare down at the mood board glowing on my tablet, the layout of fabrics, color swatches, and furniture samples blurring together into an uninspired mess. I’ve rearranged them at least a dozen times, but nothing clicks. Every combination is wrong—disjointed and lifeless.
My work, the thing that has always grounded me, is foreign today. Like I’m grasping at something that just isn’t there. I set the tablet aside, rubbing at the ache forming between my brows.
A shaky breath escapes me, and I blink hard against the sting in my eyes.
I don’t understand. I just don’t. We were fine. Weren’t we?
I squeeze my phone so tightly it’s a wonder it doesn’t crack.
What did I do wrong?
The logical part of my brain tells me that obsessing over this won’t fix anything. But logic and heartbreak don’t go hand in hand.
I flip my phone over on the desk, pushing it away as though that will somehow stop me from reaching for it again. I need to focus, to work, to do something productive.
Instead, I sit there, staring at nothing, my heart aching in ways I don’t even have words for.
Gabby’s voice cuts through the hum of my thoughts, making me jump. “Magnolia, can you step into my office for a moment?”
My stomach twists. This is it—Gabby’s going to tell me I’m heading back to Sydney. And I should be thrilled. It’s what I wanted. What we wanted. But now? Now I don’t know what to feel. How can I go back to the city where he is and not see him? And worse… what if I do see him? What would I say? What would I do? My heart’s still in pieces, and the idea of pretending I’m fine in the same city as Alex Sebring seems impossible. But how do I decline after being so adamant about going without telling Gabby why? I’m not sure which version of this will break me more.
I force a nod and push myself up from my desk, hands trembling. The walk to Gabby’s office seems longer than usual, my heels clicking against the tile floor in a steady rhythm.
She’s already seated when I step inside, her expression unreadable as she gestures for me to close the door. I do, my pulse drumming in my ears.
Gabby folds her hands atop her desk. “Take a seat.”
I lower myself into the chair across from her, every muscle in my body coiled tight.
She exhales, a beat of hesitation before she slides her tablet across the desk. “I received an email this morning. A complaint.”
The words hit me like a slap. I blink, my mouth suddenly dry. “A complaint? Is someone unhappy with their suite? I can fix whatever it is.”
Gabby shakes her head. “It’s not about your work, Magnolia.”
Something in her tone makes my heart stop.
She straightens, and her expression sends an icy chill racing down my spine. “It’s about you. Someone reported you for fraternizing with a Soul Sync client.”
The world tilts under me. Blood drains from my face so fast I become lightheaded. My lips part, but nothing comes out.
Fraternizing . The word is a grenade, ready to blow my entire career to pieces. Because I did far more than fraternize.
I fell in love.
My mind spins, latching on to every worst-case scenario imaginable. What has Gabby been told?
I swallow hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. “What does the complaint say?”
Gabby taps the screen of her tablet, her eyes scanning the text before meeting mine. “It states that you engaged in an inappropriate personal relationship with a Soul Sync client while you were in Sydney.”
Shit.
The air leaves my lungs in a sharp exhale. My fingers tighten around the armrests of the chair, nails digging in.
“You’re quiet. Is there anything you want to say before I go any further?”
My stomach twists into knots, dread curling in my chest. “What am I being accused of?”
Gabby’s eyes search mine for a moment before she taps her tablet, pulling up the email. Her expression hardens as she reads.
“To Whom It May Concern. I am writing to report a serious violation of Soul Sync’s policies regarding client relations. Magnolia Steel, during her assignment in Sydney, engaged in an inappropriate romantic and sexual relationship with a client—Alex Sebring. This behavior compromised the integrity of Soul Sync’s services and created a severe conflict of interest, undermining the professionalism expected from your staff. It is in the best interest of Soul Sync that this breach of trust is addressed to protect the company’s reputation and uphold the standards you pride yourselves on. Respectfully. A Concerned Party.”
My entire body goes numb, the words slamming into me with a force that leaves me breathless.
She knows.
She knows everything.
My hands grip the armrests, the room tilting as I struggle to form a coherent thought.
Gabby lowers the tablet, her expression unreadable. “Magnolia?”
There’s no point in denying it. Lying would only make this worse.
I force myself to meet her gaze, my voice barely steady. “It’s true. All of it.”
Gabby’s expression hardens. “Tell me what happened. I need to hear the facts from you.”
I take a slow, steady breath, my fingers twisting in my lap. “I never meant for it to happen. Alex—Mr. Sebring—he asked to speak with me in his dating suite. He wanted to practice his conversation before his date.”
Gabby arches a brow. “That’s not part of our services.”
A sad smile tugs at my lips. “True, but it seemed harmless at the time.”
I square my shoulders, wanting to defend myself. “You asked us to take on new roles, Gabby. You wanted us to be flexible, to put our clients at ease. I thought I was doing my job by fulfilling his request.”
“Helping a client be comfortable and dating him are two different things.”
“I wasn’t dating him… at least not at first. I was helping him as he requested. And then he asked me to meet outside the suites. I didn’t think it would turn into anything.”
“He asked you to meet up?”
Well, I supposed that’s not exactly how it happened. “He told me where he was going to be that night.”
“And you took it upon yourself to go?”
It sounds so much worst when she puts it like that. “I perceived it as an invitation.”
Her lips press together in a thin line, disappointment flickering across her face. “It sounds like you pursued him.”
I don’t have a legitimate argument for that.
Gabby sighs, setting her tablet down on the desk with a soft thud. “Do you have any idea what kind of mess this has created for Soul Sync? This isn’t just about you and him.” Her tone is sharp, but beneath it, I hear something worse—disappointment.
I already understand where this is going, but I stay quiet, bracing myself.
“There’s a client who paid for a match that she didn’t receive.” She levels me with a pointed stare. “You realize that, right? This isn’t just about your personal choices. It’s about how they affect the business and clients.”
Alex paid Celeste off with an obscene amount of money to stay quiet. So how is this blowing back on me?
“I never meant for any of this to happen. I didn’t think?—”
“No, Magnolia. You didn’t think at all.” She tosses the printed complaint onto my desk, the paper skidding to a stop in front of me. “We aren’t certain if the person who sent this complaint will make it public.”
Gabby leans back in her chair, the disappointment etched into every line of her face. “I never expected this from you. You were one of my best employees.”
Were . The past tense slices through me like a blade, sharp and unforgiving.
I think I’m in serious trouble. “I put the company in a difficult position, and I’m so sorry.”
Gabby sighs, rubbing her temple. “You broke the code of conduct and put the company’s reputation at risk.”
I stare down at my hands, unease coiling in my gut—not for what I did, but for how it all ended.
Alex isn’t just any client. He is the man I fell in love with before I realized it was happening. The man I risked everything for.
I meet Gabby’s eyes, bracing for whatever comes next. “It’s over.”
Gabby’s expression softens for just a moment before the steel returns. “That doesn’t change the fact that you violated company policy, and now we’re dealing with the fallout.”
I nod, swallowing hard. “I’m so sorry.”
Gabby exhales a long breath, folding her hands on the desk. “I have no choice. Your employment with Soul Sync is terminated, effective immediately.”
The words hit like a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs.
“What?” My voice comes out small, shaky, like I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing.
Gabby’s expression softens, but her tone remains firm. “I’m sorry, but there’s no way around this.”
Another shock. Another piece of my life slipping through my fingers. The walls close in, and my chest tightens with panic. My job—over. Alex—gone. Everything I built, everything I thought I could count on, crumbling in front of me.
“There has to be another way. Reprimand me, Gabby, but please don’t fire me.”
“There’s no coming back from this.” Gabby shakes her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Security will escort you out now.”
Security. Like I’m a criminal. The ultimate humiliation.
I nod even though I’m falling apart right here in this chair. “My things?”
“We’ll box them up and send them to you.”
I blink, my vision blurring. Just like that. Over six years with this company and I’m walking out of here with nothing. Not even my dignity.
The walk back to my office feels like a walk of shame. Security follows close behind, their presence a reminder that this is real—I’m being escorted out of the building like I’m a danger.
I grab my purse from my desk, my fingers trembling as I clutch it to my chest.
This isn’t happening. It can’t be happening.
But it is.
Stepping into the hallway, I catch sight of Violet emerging from her office. Her gaze finds me and flicks to the two security guards trailing at my heels. Her eyes widen, confusion flashing across her face. “Magnolia? What’s going on?”
I shake my head. “Not now.” My voice barely holds together. “We’ll talk later.”
Her brows knit, panic flickering in her eyes. “Later? No, we’ll talk now. Why are they?—”
They’re watching. All of them. And they know Violet and I are best friends. If they suspect she was aware of my relationship with a client and didn’t report it, she could be next.
“Please,” I say, cutting her off. “Just go back to work.”
Violet’s mouth opens, but no words come out. She looks at me like she’s searching for some explanation that will make this make sense. But there isn’t one. Not one I can give her, not here.
Movement in my peripheral vision catches my attention—coworkers gathering to see what’s happening, their curious stares slicing through me like a thousand tiny cuts. I can hear the whispers already. They don’t even try to hide them.
She’s being escorted out.
Wonder what she did.
Didn’t see that coming.
She’s always been Gabby’s pet.
Shame burns through me, hotter than the grief that’s been eating me alive. I lift my chin, refusing to let them see me break. Not here. Not now.
But inside, I’m crumbling. My entire life—my job, my relationship, my future—has fallen apart in a few days, and the one person I want to turn to isn’t an option anymore.
Tears prick my eyes, but I force them down. I’ll cry later. Right now, I have to make it out of this building with whatever shred of dignity I have left.
The security guard clears his throat. “Miss Steel.”
I nod, swallowing hard, and let them lead me away, leaving everything behind.