CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
NATHAN
NOTHING WAS WORKING.
Not the top-shelf whiskey in the mini fridge at my penthouse in the Ritz-Carlton, not throwing myself into work, though Edge Entertainment was thriving.
The company’s biggest artists were booked for global tours, our streaming numbers were off the charts, and I’d closed more deals in the past month than in the entire last quarter.
Turns out, I was a more efficient CEO when I wasn’t rushing out of the office to spend time with my sexy girlfriend.
And working out? A complete failure. My body was wrecked from exhaustion, but the ache in my chest was worse.
Still, I pushed forward.
The rhythmic pounding of my feet against the pavement was the only thing keeping me tethered to reality. The burn in my muscles, the sweat dripping down my back, it was the only pain I could control.
“Fuck this. I’m done.” Ryan groaned, slowing to a stop as we hit the eleven-mile mark along The Strand, the ocean breeze doing nothing to cool the burn in our legs. Dalton was here too, doubled over and panting like he’d just run a marathon instead of keeping pace with our usual morning sprint.
I glanced at my watch. “We still have eleven miles left.”
Dalton gave me a withering look. “We’ve been doing this every day for two weeks straight. My legs are going to fucking give out.”
“Then train harder.”
Ryan shot me a glare. “Man, I swear to God, if you don’t chill the fuck out.”
I ignored him and kept running.
A beat of silence passed before I heard their heavy sighs and the sound of them jogging to catch up.
Every morning, we ran until my body screamed for rest and every afternoon, without fail, I waited outside her rehearsals just to catch a glimpse of her.
Pathetic, maybe, but it was the only part of my day that felt like breathing.
I’d wait until she came out, press a cold bottle of water into her hand, and pretend it was just about keeping her hydrated, when really, it was the only way I knew how to take care of her anymore.
Every day, I worked, stopped by rehearsals, then spent the rest of the night in my hotel room checking Elise’s social media like a fucking stalker, then tried to sleep. Rinse, repeat.
It was pathetic, but it was the only way I could function.
I barely registered when Ryan and Dalton finally tapped out. I was too deep in my own head, mentally replaying every moment leading up to Elise walking away.
The way her eyes had shimmered with hurt.
The way her voice had cracked when she said, there is no us.
I’d wanted to beg, sit outside her door every night if I had to, but I didn't. Because I knew she deserved better than a man who had kept secrets from her, who had pursued her for reasons other than love, even if I did love her.
And now? She was thriving.
Elise was preparing to dance across the world, smiling in every behind the scenes post, getting ready to perform in front of sold-out crowds, and live the dream she’d worked so hard for.
Meanwhile, I was following her like a lost puppy.
Ryan dropped onto a bench, wiping his face with his shirt. Dalton pulled out his phone and scrolled.
“You need a fucking hobby,” Dalton muttered, shaking his head at me. “One that doesn’t involve running us into the goddamn ground.”
Ryan hummed his agreement before handing me a water bottle. I took it, draining half the contents in one go.
Dalton’s gaze flicked toward the path. “How about that one?” I followed his line of sight and saw a beautiful woman walking toward us. Tall, toned, blonde. The type of woman I’d usually take home without a second thought. “She’s checking you out. Go say hi.”
I scoffed. “Not interested.”
Dalton raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t been interested in anyone since Elise left.”
Because there was no one else.
No one who made my pulse race with a single look.
No one who filled a room with her presence alone.
No one who felt like home.
“It’s Elise or no one,” I said simply.
Dalton sighed. “I get it, man, but at some point, you have to move on. She’s clearly not giving you a second chance.”
A sharp pang of pain sliced through me, but I masked it with a smirk. “I just need more time.”
Dalton let out a short laugh. “Time, huh? Guess she figured out how to keep herself busy in the meantime.” He held out his phone and shoved it in my face before I could react.
A music video played.
Titan sat in a chair, center stage of the video set, while Elise stood behind him, her hands gliding slowly down his chest in perfect sync with the beat. He tilted his head back, dangerously close to her breasts, playing his part of being hypnotized by her to perfection.
My jaw clenched.
Elise spun, her hips swaying in flawless rhythm as she stood in front of him, her body made for the spotlight. Titan leaned forward, their foreheads nearly touching, their lips just inches apart.
The illusion of a kiss, captured on film for the world to see.
Forever.
My pulse pounded as I scrolled down to the comments.
Titanluvsme4eva: I love the chemistry between him and his lead dancer, Elise.
Cliffhanger039: They’re smashing. There’s no way it’s just professional!
Totally4Titan: The chemistry between Elise and Titan is unmatched. They need to start dating already if they aren’t!
I swallowed hard, the blood in my veins turning cold. My fingers gripped the phone tighter. My stomach churned.
It wasn’t just the comments. It’s the way Titan looked at her, the way she lets him touch her. The tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I thought I was giving her space. But the truth was, I was losing her.
My breath hitched, and I felt a rush of panic rise in my chest. I stopped reading, my grip tightening on the phone before I shoved it back at Ryan. Silence pulsed in my ears, louder than the waves crashing against the shore.
My birthday was in two days.
I’d be thirty years old.
I should’ve been proud. The label I carried on my back since taking over for my father was stronger than ever. But none of it mattered, because Elise was slipping through my fingers. The stipulation deadline was closing in, and without her, I’d lose it all.
But standing there on The Strand, with sweat drying on my skin and Elise’s laughter echoing in my head, I realized something that gutted me.
I could build a hundred more empires, sign a thousand more artists, and it still wouldn’t mean a damn thing.
Because what I wanted, the one thing I couldn’t buy, negotiate, or win, was gone.
And I had no one to blame but myself.
I drew in a sharp breath, the decision crystallizing in my chest like glass.
I’d been telling myself that giving her space is what’s best for her, that she’ll come back when she’s ready. But in that moment, watching her in Titan’s arms, I realized how foolish I’d been.
I couldn’t keep waiting to see how all of this would play out. I couldn’t keep pretending like everything was fine. Elise was slipping away from me. The tour with Titan was set to kickoff soon and if I didn’t do something about it now, I was going lose her for good and that wasn’t a fucking option.
I turned, already walking toward my car.
“Where the hell are you going?” Ryan called after me.
“To get Elise back.”