Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Adrian Vitale, hated being inconvenienced more than anything.

In the three years we'd been together, no matter what I brought up, he only ever had one answer:

"Whatever you want."

I wanted to take a trip to the beach. He said, "Whatever you want."

The moment we arrived at the coast, he announced he didn't like water. He holed up in the hotel for five days straight, doing nothing but answering emails and scrolling through his phone.

The first time I went to meet his parents, I asked what I should bring as a gift. Same answer: "Whatever you want."

I spent an entire month's salary on expensive seafood. Walked through the door only to learn both his parents were allergic.

When I got pregnant by accident, I asked him shyly whether we should start planning a wedding.

He was quiet for a long time before he finally said:

"Whatever you want."

I thought that was just how he showed love.

But for three whole months, he never once came with me to a prenatal checkup. He never mentioned getting a marriage license. Never breathed a word about setting a wedding date.

Then I saw a post from his new assistant, Bianca.

"Adrian ordered an iced oat milk latte with only one pump of syrup not sweet at all."

Adrian had commented underneath:

"Listen to me—don't drink it too sweet."

I scrolled up through six months of interactions. He'd helped her map out her career. Helped her pick which handbag was best for client meetings. Even stepped in personally to scare off some guy who wouldn't stop pursuing her.

I clenched my teeth and dialed his number.

"Adrian, my ex-boyfriend wants me back. Do I pick you or him?"

He let out an absentminded mm.

"Whatever you want."

So that was it. "Whatever you want" was never about loving me. It was about not caring enough to bother.

Fine. This time, I'd give him exactly what he wanted.

…

"Okay. Got it."

I hung up and went straight to his office in Manhattan.

It was nearly the end of the workday. His executive assistant Grace Miller spotted me and visibly panicked.

"Miss Bennett, aren't you supposed to be resting at home? Why are you suddenly—"

I unplugged the desk phone in one swift motion, confiscated her cell, and held a finger to my lips.

The office door was half open. Bianca's voice floated out, bright and eager.

"So it's settled—we'll stop by that dessert shop in SoHo first for chestnut cake, and then you can help me pick out a lipstick."

"There's a private evening event at the aquarium tonight. I'm dying to go, but I heard you have to line up early."

Adrian let out a low laugh.

"If you want to go, we'll line up. It's only two hours."

"But it's over an hour's drive from SoHo to the aquarium. You won't get annoyed?"

"How could spending time with you be annoying?"

He paused, and his voice carried a patience I had never once heard directed at me.

"But there's one condition."

I stood frozen.

I could hardly believe that Adrian—who acted like five minutes of shopping with me was a chore—had this kind of tenderness in him.

Bianca turned her head and looked directly into my eyes.

She jumped off the edge of the desk in fright.

Adrian hadn't noticed. He continued, smiling:

"Listen to me—no skipping meals. Eat a proper dinner tonight."

I pushed the door open and walked in.

"You told me you had a board meeting tonight. And this whole time, you were planning to take her out for cake, lipstick shopping, and standing in line at an aquarium?"

Adrian finally turned around.

Surprise flickered across his face for a split second before he smoothed it away.

"Elena, what are you doing here?"

He sighed, a trace of weariness settling into his brow.

"Don't make a scene."

"Bianca passed her probation today. I promised her a little reward."

"You're pregnant—you need rest. That's why I didn't ask you to come."

Outside of business negotiations, he rarely strung that many sentences together at once.

Let alone explanations.

I glanced at his desk. More than half the things on it belonged to Bianca. Even beside his tea set—the one he never let anyone else touch—a pot of herbal tea sat warming.

"Adrian, Vitale Group has over two hundred employees. Do you take every single one of them on a date when they pass probation?"

"Six months ago, I closed a deal that could keep your real estate company afloat for three years. I wanted you to take me out to dinner as a reward. You still haven't found the time."

"Do you actually think I'm stupid? What are your feelings for her? Do I need to spell it out for you?"

A flicker of irritation crossed Adrian's eyes.

"Enough. Bianca is different—"

He stopped midsentence.

As if he realized that saying anything more would only make things worse.

"Forget it. I don't want to fight."

He pressed both hands down in a stop gesture.

"Whatever you want. I won't go. I'll come home right now. Is that enough?"

His effortless, throwaway concession was what nearly broke me.

I grabbed the pot of herbal tea and hurled it to the floor. Then I pointed at Bianca behind him, screaming.

"It's not enough."

"I want her out of your office."

"I want you home on time after work. No more seeing her alone."

The room fell silent.

I was gasping for breath, big, ugly tears rolling down my face.

Adrian clicked his tongue.

He didn't look at me. Instead, he crouched down to inspect the broken porcelain on the floor.

Bianca peered at me cautiously.

"Elena, I'm sorry, I—"

Adrian stood up and quickly stepped in front of her.

"This has nothing to do with you."

He tucked her behind him, his tone cold.

"Fine. Whatever you want."

"I'll move her to another department tomorrow."

"Can we go now?"