The Administrative Assistant

Chapter 2 The Silent Severance

Chloe sat on the edge of Julian’s oak desk with her dress pushed above her thighs. Julian stood between her knees. His jacket lay on the floor, and his tie hung loose.

His hands were planted on either side of her. Jasmine perfume filled the office.

Then Chloe’s necklace caught the desk lamp.

A deep blue sapphire rested on a thin platinum chain.

I had spent months taking that piece from a raw sketch to a finished design. It was meant to be my secret anniversary gift to Julian. Two weeks ago, he had blamed the jeweler’s backlog for the delay.

The stone, the setting, and the fine clasp at the back were all mine. Julian had taken my design and given it to Chloe.

Chloe touched the stone and looked straight at me.

Julian jerked away from her. “Harper! What the hell? Don’t you know how to knock?”

He pointed at the door. Apparently, I was the intruder. Chloe adjusted her dress and watched to see what I would do.

I walked past them to the credenza. My laptop was where I had left it. I shut it down and slid it into its sleeve. The secure drive was still in the side pocket.

“Say something,” Julian demanded.

His hand went to his tie. Chloe stayed on the desk, still wearing the necklace.

My eyes went to the few things in the room that belonged to me: the laptop, the secure drive, and the ring on my hand. That was all.

I returned to the polished oak and raised my left hand. The diamond engagement ring came off without catching. I placed it beside my Vance Group employee card.

*Harper Sterling, Administrative Assistant.*

The card and ring lay side by side. My entire place at Vance Group fit on the corner of his desk.

“Harper, don’t be dramatic. This isn’t what it looks like.”

I looked at the sapphire once more. Julian could explain the rest to himself.

I picked up my laptop bag and closed the office door behind me.

The elevator took its time descending from the penthouse. I watched the floor numbers change with my laptop bag at my feet.

Downstairs, the doorman tipped his hat. “Have a good night, Ms. Sterling.”

“You too.” My answer came easily.

Outside, I flagged a taxi and put my bag on the seat beside me. City lights moved across the window while the ballroom receded behind us.

In the taxi, I took out the secure phone Julian had never seen and dialed from memory. Sebastian answered on the first ring.

“Harper. I was wondering when you’d call.”

“Protocol Black. Sterling, Authorization Black. Revoke the patent license for the Aegis core architecture immediately. Freeze every anonymous credit line and financial guarantee tied to Vance Group.”

My holding company owned the licenses and had funded Vance Group’s expansion through those guarantees. I could revoke both.

There was a short pause while my brother typed. “Consider it done. Welcome home, sis.”

I put the secure phone facedown. City lights moved over the window, and for once, no work at Vance Group was waiting for me.

The next morning, a message arrived from a number I had deleted.

“Aegis has a critical bug. Log in and fix it within the next ten minutes. I need the talking points for Chloe’s Forbes interview on my desk by noon.”