Tristan
The phone goes silent, and I pull it away from my ear, staring at the screen. I can still hear the strain in her voice, the way she fought to stay composed despite the tears.
I wish I could reach through the phone and pull her into my arms, tell her everything will be alright, but I’m left with nothing but the cold emptiness of her words.
I sit back in my office chair and turn to face the windows, with their view of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains.
I’ve been keeping tabs on Chloe as much as I can, although it’s been a challenge.
Ivy, ever the guardian, is harder to bully than the hospital staff were.
She only gives me small updates, just enough to keep me from going entirely crazy with worry.
She tells me Chloe is healing, at least physically. But that’s all the information I get.
And I understand it. Ivy is protective of Chloe, who has become a friend to her in these difficult times. I can’t fault her for that. Chloe’s been through so much, and I know she’s leaned on Ivy for support. It’s just another layer of complication in an already tangled situation.
I tap a button on my desk phone, paging my receptionist. She answers quickly. “Mr. Thorne, what can I do for you?”
“I need to see my brothers in my office.”
“Beckett and Gabriel are both in meetings, sir.”
“This is important.” My mouth feels dry. “Tell them it’s urgent and I need them here as soon as possible.”
There’s a brief pause on the line, then she replies, “Understood, Mr. Thorne. I’ll make sure they come to you right away.”
I end the call and sit back in my chair, running a hand through my hair.
The room feels suddenly too small, and the responsibility on my shoulders feels almost physical.
I know this conversation will be hard, but it has to happen.
My brothers need to know the full story.
Not just the surface of it, but everything that’s gone down.
And odds are, they’re going to be pissed.
Minutes later, the door to my office opens, and Dominic and Reid step inside. Reid walks up to take a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of my desk while Dominic hovers along the wall.
“We’ll wait to get started,” I say heavily. “Gabe and Beckett are in a meeting, apparently.”
A few more minutes go by, and a soft knock on the door announces Gabriel and Beckett’s arrival. I gesture for them to come in, and they enter, looking both curious and concerned.
“Thanks for coming,” I say, trying to sound more composed than I feel. “Let’s get started. I need to fill you all in on something important.”
Reid leans forward, shifting in his chair, his attention focused on me. Dominic, who has been leaning against the wall, straightens up and crosses his arms, his usual easy demeanor replaced by something tense and guarded. Gabriel and Beckett take their seats, and I can feel them watching me.
“I know you’ve all been wondering what’s going on with me and Chloe,” I begin. “The situation is more complicated than a simple argument or dispute. It involves serious breaches of trust and business ethics.”
Gabriel’s brows shoot up. “What do you mean, serious breaches?”
“Genevieve, Chloe’s sister,” I say, “has been involved in stealing confidential information from our company. She accessed sensitive files that were crucial to our operations. In short, it amounts to corporate espionage by MediaSphere.”
The reaction is immediate. Dominic swears, turning away to face the windows. Gabriel’s index finger rises to massage his forehead. Beckett and Reid exchange a worried glance.
“Chloe didn’t know about any of this,” I continue. “She’s been deeply hurt by what her family has done. I told you all that we had an argument. This was the subject. I accused her of wrongdoing, and she was innocent.”
The room goes quiet, my words hanging in the air. Dominic turns back, his face etched with anger and frustration. “You had no way of knowing,” he says, his voice tight. “But still, this whole mess—”
“I know. It’s a shitshow.”
Dominic’s anger is obvious. He paces back and forth, frustration coming off him in waves. “You should have told us earlier. We could have done something to help, or at least been prepared for this mess.”
Reid, ever the voice of reason, steps in to defend me. “Give him a break. He’s telling us now, and we need to focus on what we can do to fix this.”
“Until you’ve been head over heels, you don’t know what you’d do for the woman you love,” Gabriel adds, making fleeting eye contact with me as he speaks. “We’ve all got our reasons, but Tristan’s heart is in this. He’s been through a lot.”
The woman you love.
Gabriel’s words make everything I’ve been feeling click into place. I’ve been blind to what I’ve actually been feeling, but now it’s clear.
I’m in love with Chloe.
Sure, I knew there was an attraction between us.
I knew I wanted her, knew that I didn’t want anyone else to have her.
But love… I haven’t thought about love in a long time.
I once thought I understood it and used the word too freely with Iris.
Since then, I’ve been hesitant to even consider it again.
But now, there’s no other word that fits.
No other way to describe what I feel for her.
This isn’t just about wanting her or being with her.
It’s something deeper, something I’m not walking back from.
The kind of love that makes every moment apart from her feel like I’ve lost something I can’t replace.
It hits me hard enough to make my chest tight, and I have to focus to keep breathing. I push through it and stay with the matter at hand.
“I’m planning to sue MediaSphere for breach of contract and theft of proprietary information,” I manage to say, my voice strained but resolute.
Dominic, still seething with anger, looks up from where he’s been pacing. “Count me in,” he says, his voice clipped. “I want those fuckers to pay for what they’ve done.”
I nod, appreciating the support despite the tension. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Sue them into the ground,” Beckett says. “They’re gonna regret it in the long run. They couldn’t play nice, so they don’t get to play.”
The fierceness in his tone matches the anger I feel. It’s good to see my brothers rallying behind me, each one ready to take on the fight. Their support is a reminder that I’m not alone in this.
“You’ve got legal briefed on this?” Reid asks.
“Not yet. I was planning on calling a meeting once we were done here. I wanted you four to be the first to know.”
“We’ll be ready to back you up,” Gabriel says. “But make sure to keep us in the loop as you move forward.”
I nod, trying to ignore the empty space in my chest that Gabriel’s words haven’t filled. The solidarity from my brothers helps, but it doesn’t touch the ache of Chloe’s absence.
The fight ahead pales next to the one I’ve already lost. The strength of my brothers is something, but they can’t replace what she left.
And honestly, I don’t know if anything can.
As I’m leaving the office later, my thoughts are still on Chloe. I haven’t been able to focus on anything—the MediaSphere lawsuit, the shambles of Eclipse Studios, or even ordering a sandwich for lunch.
In the elevator, I pull out my phone, acting on an impulse I can’t shake. I shoot off a quick text to Ivy.
ME: Hey, how’s Chloe doing?
The doors trundle open, and I step out into the lobby, making a small effort to set my expression to something neutral. A smile would be impossible to muster, but I can at least get to neutral.
Being the CEO of a company like Thorne Enterprises has been an illuminating experience. Sometimes, it feels like our stock declines any time I miss my morning coffee, as if the market can sense my mood and adjusts accordingly. Something as simple as scowling in public can spook some investors.
It’s a big job, but I’d be able to handle it all if she were with me. I know it.
My phone doesn’t buzz with a response from Ivy until I’m climbing into the driver’s seat of my Audi.
IVY: No different from how she was doing two hours ago, you freak.
I roll my eyes at the text. I’ve known Ivy long enough to know she’s just messing with me—she’s kept Chloe’s privacy her foremost concern, but she’s sympathetic to me too.
ME: Come on, give me something here.
IVY: You’re like an addict. I feel like I’m enabling you.
ME: Please?
IVY: Fine. She’s holding it together. She’s in the guest room watching a movie right now. You happy?
ME: Yes. Thank you.
I toss my phone onto the passenger seat and dig the heels of my hands into my eyes. No, I’m not happy, but I know that’s not an acceptable answer for Ivy. It’s not her fault that I’m in this mess.
Ivy’s updates aren’t enough for me anymore, either. I need to see Chloe—hear her laugh, hear her voice. I can’t keep doing this.
As I’m about to start my engine, my phone rings. I glance at the screen—it’s our private security firm. I answer quickly.
“Mr. Thorne,” the investigator says, “I have an update for you on the hit-and-run case involving Mrs. Thorne.”
I sit up straighter, my pulse picking up. “Go ahead.”
“We’ve identified the driver. He was arrested earlier today. It turns out he was drunk at the time of the accident. The police have him in custody, thanks to the information we provided.”
A grim satisfaction settles over me. “Good. Make sure he sees the inside of a jail cell. I want him held accountable for every bit of pain he caused.”
“We’ll handle it,” the investigator says. “You’ll be kept informed as the case progresses.”
I end the call, staring at the dashboard for a long moment. Anyone who hurt Chloe will be dealt with. I’ll see to it personally. Whether it’s her conniving family or the careless drunk driver, they’ll all pay for what they’ve done to my wife.
The anger inside me burns hot, but underneath it, I’m just frustrated. Seeing this man punished won’t undo what happened to Chloe or repair the damage done.