Chapter NATHAN
NATHAN
I COULDN’T brEATHE.
Her words carved through me, clean and merciless. Congratulations. You hurt me in a way I didn’t think was possible.
I stood there, rooted in place as Elise walked away. No second glance. No hesitation.
My pulse pounded in my ears. My body screamed at me to move, to stop her, to fix this. But I just stood there, choking on everything I wanted to say.
The air felt too thin, my chest too tight. I wanted to chase her. To grab her. To tell her that what she read wasn’t the truth. That it was never about the money. But how the hell could I?
The company. The Inheritance.
That’s what she’d read was at stake. That’s what she thought I cared about. And maybe, once, it had been. But not anymore. Not for a long damn time.
The office was frozen. Silent. Every single one of my employees stood rooted in place, staring at the elevator Elise had just disappeared in. Like they couldn’t believe what they’d seen.
“What the hell are you all staring at?” I barked, my voice slicing through the tension. A couple of interns jumped, scattering like startled birds. “This isn’t a goddamn soap opera. Get back to work. Now.”
Chairs scraped. Fingers clattered over keyboards. Phones rang again. The illusion of productivity snapped back into place, but I felt the weight of their eyes, the judgment behind their stolen glances. I didn’t give a damn.
I dragged a hand over my face, my jaw clenched so hard it ached. I had done this. I had destroyed us. The worst part? I didn’t even know if I could fix it. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to sit here and let her think she was just a damn transaction.
Elise was out there, walking away from me, believing that I’d only ever wanted her for the inheritance.
Screw the stares. Screw the company. Screw the money.
I pushed the elevator button and stepped inside once the door slid open. I’d built an empire by never chasing anyone. But Elise Alexandre wasn’t just anyone. She was mine.
And I wasn’t about to let her go without a fight.