Chapter 3

HR didn't approve my resignation.

She called and told me to come to the office the next day to talk it through in person.

The next morning, a downpour hit just as I came up from the subway.

I didn't have an umbrella, and I was going to be late. So I just put my head down and ran through the rain.

By the time I reached the office, I was soaked through.

I was still wringing water out of my clothes when a Bentley pulled up behind me.

The door opened. A bodyguard held an umbrella over Lucian, who walked in with Nora cradled in his arms.

When he saw me, he paused. His eyes lingered on the water dripping from the ends of my hair, and his brow creased.

"Why didn't you ask me to drive you?"

Beside him, Nora covered her mouth in exaggerated surprise.

"Mia, looking like that really doesn't reflect well on the company."

Lucian was still watching me, as though he expected an answer.

The truth was, I had asked him. Plenty of times.

On more rainy days than I could count, I'd stared helplessly at my Uber app, watching hundreds of people ahead of you on the screen, and asked Lucian if he could pick me up.

Lucian would only answer, coldly, "I've got a meeting. No time."

"Besides, if I drove you in, people at the company would say I was playing favorites. Figure it out yourself."

After a while, I stopped asking.

I lifted my eyes and met his.

"Lucian, we've already broken up. You never drove me to work before. I'm not going to let you drive me now."

Nora's face lit with quiet triumph. Lucian's eyes turned to ice.

"Fine."

"Let's see how long you keep this up."

"Nora, ignore her."

He turned, Nora still in his arms, ignoring every curious look from his subordinates.

I looked away and headed back to my desk.

Soon after, Ms. Smith, the HR manager, called me into her office.

She kept her eyes down, flipping through my paperwork.

"The resignation forms are all in order. But, Mia—are you sure about this?"

"Back then, you turned down other offers just to come here for Lucian. I always thought that was a shame. You've finally worked your way up to team lead. If you're leaving in a fit of anger over a fight with him, it isn't worth it."

Ms. Smith had been my senior in college, and was one of the few people who knew about Lucian and me.

I gave her a small, helpless smile.

"It's not a fit of anger. We broke up."

"My grandmother passed away. I want to take her back to our hometown. Thank you, though."

She looked genuinely startled, then sighed and told me she was sorry.

"All right. I respect your decision."

"But at least see the current project through. It's years of your work, it's substantial, and it'll look good on your résumé."

She was already thinking about my next job for me.

I nodded gratefully and agreed.

My flight out was booked for the following Wednesday. Wrapping up the project in the days I had left would work out just right.

To finish sooner, I stayed at the office late.

I didn't hear Lucian approach until his knuckles rapped against my desk.

The assistant behind him held out a cup of coffee.

The cup was stamped with a small gold logo—the mark of the Moretti family's private beverage line. Only five of those shops existed in the world. It didn't come cheap.

"Why aren't you answering my messages?" he asked.

I frowned and finally looked at my phone.

Two hours ago.

Do you take sugar in your coffee?

At that very moment, a new post from Nora popped up on Instagram.

I tapped into the photo. There were more than ten drinks lined up on a table—milk tea, whiskey, coffee, everything imaginable.

The caption had a coy little pout to it.

Lucian is such an idiot. Who orders this many different drinks because he doesn't know what I like? He's going to turn me into a piggy!

Also spilled one of the coffees. I don't really drink coffee anyway, but it still made me sad.

I stared, silently, at the coffee the assistant had just set in front of me.

Up close, there was a smear along the rim.

Maybe it was the one that had been knocked over.

Expressionless, I pushed the cup into the trash. "Sorry. I'm allergic to caffeine."

Lucian froze. His brow drew tight.

"Since when?"

"Always."

"Sorry. I've been busy. It slipped my mind."

Silence hung between us. I had no intention of continuing the conversation, but Lucian spoke again.

"Mia. That project you've been leading—let Nora have it, to cut her teeth on."