Chapter 2

The force of the blow whipped my head to the side. My ears rang, and darkness swam in my vision.

Julian shifted instinctively, blocking me behind his broad frame, his voice dropping into a tight whisper. "You don't need to put yourself through this for their sake."

I bit down hard on my tongue until the metallic taste of blood jolted my senses awake. Forcing my posture upright, I stared at Ethan with a cold, unyielding glare.

"Fine. Break up with me," I said, my voice steady despite the trembling in my knees. "Threatening me won't work, Ethan. Business is business, and personal is personal. I said I won't approve your resignation, and that's final."

Ethan's face flushed a violent, mottled red. His knuckles cracked as he squeezed his fists. "Chloe, I must have been out of my damn mind to ever look at you! Look around this room! Everyone here has a family to feed!"

He gestured wildly at our tearful coworkers.

Liam dabbed at his eyes. "My kid just started elementary school, and my mortgage is over a thousand dollars a month. If I don't get this severance package, my wife is going to leave me!"

Mark sniffled, looking down. "My grandfather is seventy years old, still breaking his back on the family farm to make ends meet. I just wanted a better-paying job so he could rest. What did I do wrong?"

Sarah, the youngest hire, burst into loud sobs. "I'm only twenty, and my routine checkup just flagged an early-stage tumor... I don't know what to do..."

Everyone started pouring their hearts out, blending shreds of truth with piles of exaggerated melodrama.

Julian let out a cold sneer. "You chose to quit on your own, yet you're demanding that Chloe sign off on severance packages you aren't legally entitled to. Do you honestly think playing the victim changes labor laws? This is a business, not a charity."

I nodded firmly. "If you want to move on, you're free to do so. Submit your formal letters today, and your resignations will take effect in three months."

Panic flashed across Ethan's face. His new employer demanded he start immediately. Seeing that his emotional manipulation had failed, a sinister shadow fell across his features.

His eyes darted back and forth between Julian and me.

"Chloe, are you really going to push me to the brink?"

"I'm just following the rules," I said, enduring the dull ache tearing through my chest. "If there's nothing else, I'm heading back to my desk."

I turned to walk away.

Behind me, Ethan's voice dropped into a chilling hiss. "Then don't blame me for what happens next."

Before I could react, a heavy glass ashtray struck the back of my head.

CRACK!

A jagged shard grazed the corner of my eye. Blood immediately gushed down my temple, warm and slick, dripping down to my jawline. My vision went black, and my knees gave out beneath me.

Ethan's roar echoed through the office. "Grab her! Pin the btch down and get the company seal! Once it's stamped, our severance is legally binding!"

Chaos erupted. A swarm of coworkers rushed forward like feral animals. Julian shouted for building security, but he was instantly overwhelmed by the mob.

In the frenzy, heavy shoes stomped violently onto my hands, bruising and scraping my skin. People tackled my legs, pinning me to the carpet.

Ethan kicked me straight in the chest, knocking the breath from my lungs, and shoved his hand deep into my coat pocket.

He pulled out the metal seal with a triumphant howl, rushing to stamp his paperwork, only to freeze—the stamp face was completely blank. A placeholder.

I lay trapped on the floor, gasping for air.

Suddenly, a brutal fist caught my hair and wrenched my head backward.

Ethan stood over me, his face twisted into a mask of pure malice. "Chloe, tell me. Where the hell is the real seal?!"

He pulled a utility knife from his pocket, flicking the blade open. He rested the cold, gleaming steel against my cheekbone.

"Hand over the seal, and maybe I'll take back what I said about breaking up," he murmured, his breath foul against my skin. "Refuse..." He dragged the blade slightly lower along my cheek. "...and I'll carve up this pretty little face of yours so no one ever looks at you again."