When He Gave It Away, I Reclaimed My Deal

Chapter 2

Back at my desk, I grabbed a cardboard box and started packing.

The company group chat was still blowing up. Chloe had posted a string of cute stickers.

Chloe: Thanks, everyone, for being so sweet to me! Just got my full-time offer!

The replies piled on instantly.

Colleague: Chloe, you're incredible. Seven-figure deal right out of the gate.

Colleague: Mr. Cross clearly knows talent when he sees it.

Colleague: Not like some people who act like seniority means anything. Even Mr. Cross is tired of her.

I stared at the words, face blank, and hit Leave Group.

Box packed, I walked out of the building. The sky had gone dark, streetlights flickering on across the city. I hailed a cab and went straight home.

A little past ten, the lock turned.

Damian walked in carrying an insulated food bag, his expression awkward as he changed his shoes.

"Vivienne. Still upset?"

He set the bag on the coffee table and eased down beside me.

"I drove across town. Picked up that seafood soup you like."

I didn't move. I just looked at the bag.

Tucked under the seal was a pink sticky note.

Chloe: Damian, don't drink too much tonight. Eat something warm before you sleep. xoxo

Neat handwriting. A little heart drawn at the end.

I pointed at it, voice flat.

"This is what you made a special trip to get me?"

Damian followed my finger. His face froze.

He scrambled to peel off the note, words tumbling out.

"Vivienne, listen. Chloe shoved this at me at the dinner. I was swamped with clients, and I didn't even look at it. But I really did bring it back for you."

I watched him fumble and stammer and felt nothing but a cold, hollow amusement.

He used to run three blocks to grab my stomach medication. Now he brought me someone else's leftovers and called it love.

"Damian. You walked in here carrying her affection and tried to hand it to me like charity?"

I stood and looked down at him.

"Take your things. Get out."

His face hardened in an instant.

"You know what, Vivienne? Don't act like you're too good for this. I came here to make things right, and you're still not satisfied. Chloe's just a young girl who looks up to me and cares about me. What exactly is her crime? You keep twisting everything until there's nothing left of us. Is that what you want?"

Every accusation landed squarely on me.

I didn't argue. I walked to the door and opened it.

"Get out."

Damian clenched his jaw and let out a sharp exhale.

"Fine, Vivienne. You want to freeze me out? Enjoy the silence."

He stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

The apartment settled into stillness.

I sat down at my computer and opened an encrypted folder.

Three years of records. Every dime I had personally fronted for the company.

Seven million. My savings were drained.

I packaged the transaction logs and sent them to my lawyer.

Vivienne: Castellano, initiate recovery proceedings immediately. File the personal guarantee he signed with the court. I want an asset freeze on every account under his name.

I shut the laptop and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The city glittered below, gorgeous and indifferent. I no longer needed to stay for anyone.

The next morning, my phone rang. The company's finance lead.

"Ms. Hale, we have a situation. Chloe went behind your back and accessed your largest client account. She sent out the wrong quote sheet. Now the client is demanding we honor the mistaken price, or they're taking us to court for breach."

I gripped the phone, a cold laugh escaping under my breath.

So this was the talent Damian had bet everything on.

Fine. Let him figure out how to plug this hole.