Chapter 7 #2
"Winter, you are the most tenacious, ambitious, badass woman I know.
You've built an incredible business from nothing.
You've worked your ass off for every single client and every single success.
But when it comes to romance, especially with Rowan, you've had blind spots.
And that's not your fault. It's human. But don't let those blind spots extend to how you handle this now. "
Her words hit hard because I know they're true.
I've been making excuses for Rowan for longer than I want to admit. Ignoring red flags because I wanted to believe we were building something real. Letting my blind spots convince me that everything was fine when it clearly wasn't.
But I'm done with that now. I turn my phone face-down on the table and push it away from me.
"You're right. I'm not responding."
The phone buzzes again almost immediately, but I don't look at it.
We sit in silence for a few more minutes, the three of us drinking our coffee while the morning stretches on around us.
At ten o'clock, my phone rings. Not a text this time. An actual call. I glance at the screen and see Maya's name. My assistant.
I take a deep breath and answer, putting the phone to my ear.
"Hey, Maya."
"Hey, Win." Her voice is bright and cheerful, the way it always is in the mornings.
"Just checking in on today's schedule. The Chen meeting is still set for two this afternoon, and the fabric samples arrived yesterday like you wanted.
I put them on your desk so you can review them before the meeting.
Also, there's a new inquiry that came in this morning from a potential client in the Upper West Side.
They're looking for a full renovation on a pre-war apartment, and they specifically asked for you.
I can send you the details if you want to take a look. "
I close my eyes and press my fingers to my temple. Maya sounds so normal, so business-as-usual, and I realize she has no idea what happened last night. No idea that my entire life just imploded.
"Maya," I say, and my voice cracks slightly.
"I need to reschedule the Chen meeting."
There's a pause on the other end.
"Oh. Okay. Is everything alright? You sound a little off."
"I had a personal emergency come up. Can you reach out to Mrs. Chen and see if we can push the meeting to early next week? Monday or Tuesday if she's available."
"Of course. I'll take care of it right away." Maya's voice is concerned now.
"Are you sure you're okay, Win? Do you need anything?"
"I just need today," I say quietly.
"I'll be back in the studio on Monday, but I need to take today to handle some things."
"Take all the time you need. I've got everything covered here."
"Thank you, Maya. I really appreciate it."
"Of course. And Winter? Whatever's going on, I hope it gets better."
I hang up and set the phone back on the table, staring at it like it might explode. This is the first time in five years that I've canceled on a client for personal reasons. The first time I've let my personal life interfere with my business.
“It feels like failure,” I say out loud.
Kate reaches over and squeezes my hand.
"You're not failing. You're human. And you're allowed to take a day to deal with something this big."
I nod, but I don't quite believe her. All I can think about is how much I have to do. How many decisions I need to make. How many pieces of my life I need to pick up and figure out how to put back together.
But for now, I'm sitting in Kate's kitchen with my two best friends, drinking coffee and trying to remember how to breathe.
The morning passes in a strange blur of forced normalcy.
Kate takes a client call in her bedroom with the door closed.
Amy sets up at the dining room table with her laptop, headphones on, typing away at something work-related.
I find myself at the corner desk in Kate's small home office, my own laptop open in front of me, trying to focus on the mundane tasks that make up running a business.
Emails. So many emails.
I answer the urgent ones first, the ones from vendors and contractors who need approvals or clarifications.
I review budget spreadsheets for the Williamsburg loft project, checking numbers that all blur together because I can barely concentrate.
I read through the specifications for the Chen project's custom millwork, trying to focus on the details even though my mind keeps drifting.
I need to keep busy. If I stop moving, if I let my mind wander too far, I'll start thinking about everything that happened last night and I'll fall apart all over again.
So I keep working.
Around one in the afternoon, I'm staring at a spreadsheet that I've read three times without absorbing a single number when I remember the business card.
Knox's business card.
I close the laptop and reach for my suitcase, which is still sitting in the corner of the guest room where I left it this morning. I dig through the front pocket until I find my portfolio, and tucked inside is the heavy card stock with embossed lettering.
Knox Sterling
CEO, Sterling Luxury Developments
His direct cell number is printed beneath his name. I carry the card back to the desk and sit down, turning it over in my hands. The paper is expensive, substantial, the kind of business card that announces success before you even read the name.
Eight to ten million dollars for three model units. Six months from contract to installation. The biggest project I've ever been offered, the kind of opportunity that could completely transform my firm's trajectory.
Yesterday, sitting in this exact position felt impossible. Yesterday, I was torn between the opportunity and what Rowan would think, how he would react, what complications it would create in our relationship.
Today, there is no relationship. Today, this is purely a business decision, exactly the way Knox said it should be.
I'm still staring at the card when I hear footsteps in the hallway. Kate appears in the doorway, her phone in her hand, clearly just finishing up her call.
"Hey," she says softly. "How are you holding up?"
I look up from the card. "Can I ask you something?"
Kate steps into the room and leans against the doorframe.
"Anything."
I take a breath, trying to figure out how to explain this.
"Yesterday, before everything happened with Rowan, I had a meeting. A job opportunity. A really big one."
Kate's eyebrows go up slightly.
"Okay. What kind of opportunity?"
"It's complicated," I say slowly.
"Because the person who offered it to me is Rowan's brother."
Kate's expression shifts from curious to shocked in an instant. She pushes off the doorframe and takes a step closer. "Wait. What? Rowan's brother? You mean Knox Sterling? THE Knox Sterling?"
"Yes."
"Oh my god." Kate's eyes are wide now, and she moves fully into the room, pulling out the chair next to me and sitting down. "Winter, why are you just now telling me this? When did this happen?"
"Yesterday afternoon," I explain.
"His assistant called and asked if I could meet with him to discuss a potential project.
I went to his office, and he took me to the construction site for Sterling Tower.
The whole thing happened so fast, and then I came home and everything with Rowan exploded, and I just haven't had a chance to tell you until now. "
Kate is staring at me like I've grown a second head.
"You met with Knox Sterling yesterday and you're just mentioning this now?"
"It's been a little chaotic," I say dryly.
Kate shakes her head in disbelief, and then her expression shifts to something more curious.
"Okay, so tell me everything. What was it like being in his presence? Is he as intense as people say he is? I mean, I've seen photos, obviously, and the man is ridiculously good-looking, but what's he actually like in person?"
I can't help but smile slightly at her eagerness. Kate and Amy have definitely swooned over Knox Sterling's photos before, usually when his face shows up in business publications or on some list of New York's most eligible bachelors. But neither of them has ever met him.
"He's very intense," I admit.
"Focused. He doesn't waste words or time. When he talks about his projects, you can tell he cares about them on a level that most developers don't. It's not just about the money or the prestige for him. He actually cares about creating spaces where people will live."
Kate leans forward, her elbows on the desk.
"And? Come on, don't leave me hanging. What was the vibe? Was it all business, or was there something else going on?"
"It was business," I say firmly, though I can feel heat creeping into my cheeks.
"He offered me a project. That's all."
"Uh-huh." Kate's grin suggests she doesn't entirely believe me, but she doesn't push.
"So what's the project?"
I glance down at the business card still in my hand.
"Eight to ten million dollars. Three model units for Sterling Tower, his luxury high-rise in Tribeca. Full interior design, custom everything, six-month timeline. It's the biggest project I've ever been offered, Kate. The kind of opportunity that could completely change the trajectory of my firm."
Kate's eyes widen even further.
"Eight to ten million? Winter, that's huge."
"I know."
"And yesterday you were hesitating because of Rowan," Kate says, her voice softer now.
"Yes," I admit.
"Yesterday, I was worried about how he would react. About the family drama it would cause. About all the complications that come with working for his brother when the two of them barely speak to each other."
Kate watches me carefully. "And today?"
I meet her eyes. "Today, Rowan doesn't get a vote in my career."
Kate's smile is slow and proud. "Then what's stopping you?"
"Nothing," I say, and the certainty in my voice surprises even me.
"Absolutely nothing."
Kate's smile widens into something genuine for the first time since I showed up on her doorstep in the middle of the night.
"Then I think you have your answer."
"I think I do."
Before I can say anything else, Kate's phone rings in her hand. She glances at the screen and grimaces.
"It's my client. I have to take this, but we're not done talking about Knox Sterling."
She stands and heads for the door, already answering the call with a professional greeting as she disappears down the hallway. I'm left alone in the small office, Knox's business card still in my hand.
I pull my phone toward me and unlock the screen, opening my contacts. I find his number, the one I input from his card yesterday, and tap to create a new message.
The cursor blinks on the empty screen.
What do I say?
I accept feels too abrupt, too casual for a decision this big.
I'd like to discuss the project further sounds too tentative, like I'm still unsure.
I need to sound professional. Confident. Like the businesswoman I am, making a business decision without hesitation or second-guessing.
I type carefully:
Winter: Mr. Sterling, I've considered your offer for the Sterling Tower project. I'd like to accept the position. When can we meet to finalize contract terms? - Winter Hayes
I read it three times, making sure every word is exactly right. It's professional and clear, with no mention of the breakup or the complications or anything personal. Just business, exactly the way it should be.
My finger hovers over the send button.
This is it. Once I send this message, everything changes. I'm committing to the biggest project of my career, to working with Knox Sterling for the next six months, to a decision that will reshape my firm's future.
I press send before I can second-guess myself.
The message shows as delivered immediately. I set the phone down on the desk and take a deep breath, trying to steady the sudden rush of nerves coursing through me.
I wait.
One minute passes. Then two.
My phone buzzes.
I grab it so fast I nearly knock over my coffee mug.
The message on the screen is from Knox.
Knox: Monday. 9 AM. My office. We'll finalize everything then. Looking forward to working with you. - Knox
I read the message twice, my heart doing something complicated in my chest that I don't want to examine too closely.
It's professional. Appropriate. Exactly the kind of response I expected.
But something about seeing his name on my phone screen, about knowing that in three days I'll be sitting across from him again, makes my chest feel tight in a way that has nothing to do with nerves about the project.
I'm hurting. I'm broken. I'm devastated by what Rowan did and what it means for the life I thought I was building.
But I just made the best business decision of my career.
And despite everything else, that feels like winning.