Julian didn't reach out to take the ring. It landed on the edge of the display case with a soft clink.
He stood frozen in place, as if pinned down by that faint sound.
As Brett and I left the showroom, Lexi chased after us all the way to the elevators.
She had changed into a sharp black suit, all traces of her previous timid sweetness entirely gone.
"Mrs. Stone, are you satisfied now? I'm suspended, my project is dead, and the whole internet is tearing me apart," she grumbled.
"I wasn't the one who gave you the credit," I stated.
"But you could have settled this privately," she muttered, gripping her purse straps tightly. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to make it out of a small town? Mr. Stone was willing to give me a chance, and I just took it."
I pressed the elevator
