Chapter 1

We had been secretly dating for three years. This week, my boyfriend, Julian, and I traveled to the corporate headquarters in Chicago for an annual conference.

At the after-party, our regional director, Mr. Sterling, smiled at him and said, "Julian, now that your career is taking off, you should really start thinking about settling down!"

"Honestly, I think Mia is a great catch. You two are already the dream team at work. Want me to play matchmaker for you?"

I looked over at Julian. His eyes were locked on Mia, the executive assistant, with a remarkably tender smile.

I turned around, clinked my glass with Mr. Sterling's, and said calmly,

"I think they make a perfect couple too. You have great taste, Mr. Sterling!"

Julian's face turned instantly pale when he heard me. He frowned slightly, his voice dropping. "Chloe, you've had too much to drink."

I leaned back against my chair. "Mr. Sterling, I'm single too. Why can't you find a nice match for me?"

I kept my tone light, joking through the alcohol. Mr. Sterling burst out laughing. "Oh, how could I forget about you, Chloe! Let me take a shot to make it up to you!"

I downed my drink, watching Julian and Mia exchange Snapchat handles. A bitter pang hit my chest.

The burning liquid slid down my throat, making my stomach churn painfully.

Just then, a clean tissue was handed to me. "Stop drinking. It's bad for your stomach."

I turned my head. It was Asher Vance, the young vice president of the company.

"Thank you, Mr. Vance," I whispered.

Next to me, Julian was still eagerly chatting with Mia, completely ignoring how his actual girlfriend was feeling.

"So, Julian," someone at the table teased, "you and Mia were classmates in college, right? You never dated back then?"

Mia covered her mouth with a soft laugh. "Don't even bring it up! He was the campus heartthrob. So many girls were chasing him!"

"Yeah," Julian chimed in, looking directly at her. "But I was always waiting for a certain someone to chase me instead."

They locked eyes. Everyone at the table could feel the spark, and the teasing grew louder. I clenched my fists under the table, feeling completely suffocated.

Julian, if you don't clear this up right now, I swear I will.

Mia's cheeks flushed red. Julian chuckled. "Alright, guys, stop. You're going to embarrass her."

The crowd finally let it go, but soon turned their attention to me.

"What about you, Chloe? What's your type? Tell us!"

I looked at Julian. He was currently leaning over, peeling shrimp from the seafood tower for Mia.

I used to love shrimp. But Julian was severely allergic to shellfish, so during our three years together, he never let me order it when we were out.

The one time I had asked him to help me peel one, he had looked at me with a cold, serious face. "Chloe, you're an adult. Have some boundaries. What if the juice splashes on my suit?"

That night, I had apologized profusely and never asked again.

I had even stopped eating shellfish altogether when I was with him.

Seeing him now, I realized that his "boundaries" only applied to certain people.

Coming back to reality, I smiled faintly. "My type? He has to be handsome, loyal, and absolutely devoted. No wandering eyes allowed."

"Basically, I despise wishy-washy men who can't make up their minds."

Julian's hand froze. He shot me a warning, displeased look, but said nothing.

I ignored him, laughing casually. "If you know anyone who fits the description, make sure to introduce us!"

As soon as the words left my mouth, the man sitting next to me spoke up in a deep, steady voice. "I do."

Everyone looked over in surprise. Even Julian raised his head, frowning.

Asher tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Chloe is an exceptional woman. Naturally, the man who deserves her must be just as exceptional."

"Here's to you finding the right one soon."

He raised his glass with absolute sincerity. Touched, I raised mine to meet his, but just as I was about to drink, his hand gently blocked the rim of my glass.

"Drink water instead. Your stomach is already hurting."

In that split second, my heart skipped a beat.

My stomach had been cramping all night, and I had only frowned once. Julian hadn't noticed at all.

But Asher had.

I obediently sipped my water, watching Julian smile as he handed another peeled shrimp to Mia. It felt incredibly pathetic.

For three years, he told me we couldn't go public because the company's HR policy strictly forbid office dating.

But look at him now.

A thought struck me, and I asked aloud,

"Wait, doesn't dating Mia count as an office romance? Is that allowed? Because if it is, I might actually start looking for a boyfriend within the company!"

Julian's face darkened again. "You seem exceptionally desperate to find a boyfriend tonight, Chloe."

I set my water glass down. "Well, just like Mr. Sterling said, it's always better to keep the talent in-house."