Chapter 2

I walked into the office carrying the afternoon drinks.

The veteran staff spotted me and crowded around, delighted.

This was the company I'd built alongside Duncan from the very beginning.

From a single office to a whole building, I'd poured in no less than anyone else.

Later I got pregnant and slowly stepped back from running things, but the bond with the old employees was still there.

Florence, who'd been keeping me in the loop, jerked her chin toward the CEO's office.

I understood, handed out the drinks, told everyone to get back to work, and pushed the door open myself.

The first thing I saw was Duncan sitting at his desk.

A girl with a delicate face was leaning close to his ear, her lips almost touching it as she spoke.

I stood in the doorway for a few seconds.

Neither of them noticed me, and they held that whispering pose as if no one else existed.

I knocked on the door.

They both looked up.

Duncan saw me with makeup on, and something startled and admiring flickered in his eyes before his expression shifted.

The girl stayed in that intimate pose, looking puzzled.

"And you are?"

My voice was level. "I remember you. Brooklyn Fox."

Three months along, when I wasn't showing much yet, I'd come by the office once too.

In the corridor I'd run into her, silently crying over a résumé from our company.

I asked what was wrong, and she said the company discriminated by gender, that the CEO wouldn't hire female assistants.

I looked at her résumé and went to talk Duncan into keeping her myself.

His pen didn't stop signing the documents.

"No. You're already insecure during the pregnancy. I don't want to make you overthink."

Warmth spread through me. "It's enough that you care. I won't read into it."

"That girl really does meet the requirements. Don't let this give the company a bad name over something like this."

Only then did he grudgingly nod.

Five months later, the Duncan who'd said he didn't want me to overthink was so close to the girl I'd personally placed in the company that their breath tangled together.

Brooklyn froze, then quickly straightened up, putting distance between herself and Duncan. "It's you."

Her eyes landed on my heavily swollen belly. "You've changed... quite a lot."

Duncan's voice dropped low. "What are you doing here?"

Looking at the wariness in his eyes, a sharp ache went through me.

"I went out for some air, thought I'd drop off milkshakes on the way."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth and set the drinks on the desk.

"I'm heading out, so I won't keep you two."

His face eased. He stood up. "I'll walk you out."

While we waited for the elevator, he slipped an arm around my waist, familiar and easy.

"You didn't make a scene back there. You did well."

"So you've figured it out? Starting to act like a proper wife now."

My fingers curled, but I still couldn't help asking:

"Why cheat? Why her?"

He paused slightly, then reached up and ruffled my hair.

"Marianne, I'm a normal man. I have needs like anyone else."

"You're still pregnant. I don't want to hurt you."

"Be good. It's all just a game. She's the one you picked, so I didn't resist it as much."

With a ding, the elevator arrived.

I closed my eyes. "You don't need to see me down. I'll go by myself."

I stepped inside and watched his figure turn away in a hurry and disappear beyond the elevator doors.

The elevator went down to the first floor.

I didn't get out. Instead I pressed the button for the CEO's floor again.