Chapter 2

Every eye immediately landed on the velvet box on the floor. Everyone seemed curious about what was inside.

Claire frowned slightly.

Ever since we’d gotten together, I had catered to her every wish. I’d never embarrassed her like this before.

“Ethan Grant, who do you think you are? You can just throw away something that important?”

For some reason, I thought I saw anger on Claire’s face.

She was the one who’d arranged to replace me. Who was that expression supposed to fool now?

Wasn’t she in love with Lucas? I was handing over not only my position but my wife, too. She ought to be secretly celebrating.

Without me in the way, they could finally be together openly.

Lucas went stiff, looking at a loss.

“Ethan, I really don’t care about the position. Are you upset?”

“Please don’t be angry. I’ll talk to Claire later. I don’t want your job, and I can’t accept whatever’s in this box, either.”

“If I took it, what would everyone think of me once they found out?”

As he spoke, he bent down, picked up the box, and handed it to Claire instead of me.

So he knew all about our relationship.

He even knew exactly what was inside.

Claire tightened her grip on the box and glanced at me. Then she smiled and pushed it into Lucas’s hand. “He gave it to you. Take it.”

“Ethan, I’m warning you. You gave it away, so don’t come crying and begging me to buy you another one.”

I shook my head with a bitter smile. I’d always wanted us to have proper wedding rings. I’d brought it up countless times, but she always refused, saying wearing them at work would draw too much attention.

Even this set had taken several requests before she finally agreed to buy it.

I really had begged for them.

So it was hardly surprising to hear her say that.

With Claire’s permission, Lucas dropped the box into his pocket without another protest.

“Ethan, from now on, you’ll be Mr. Reed’s assistant.”

Mr. Reed? His assistant?

Ridiculous. With my abilities, I was supposed to be his assistant? Claire was clearly trying to establish Lucas’s authority by grinding me under her heel.

“Since I’ve stepped down and Horizon Group no longer needs me, its employees are no longer my responsibility, either.”

Claire understood what I meant. Her face darkened, but she ignored it and immediately changed the subject. “Stop making a scene, Ethan.”

“Come in and celebrate the success Lucas has brought our company.”

She couldn’t get through a single sentence without mentioning Lucas.

She was even giving him credit for everything the company had achieved.

“Ethan, you’ve already kept everyone waiting long enough. Whatever the problem is, we can talk about it at the office tomorrow. Let’s eat.”

“Don’t make everyone go hungry.”

Watching them play off each other made my stomach churn. How could I possibly eat?

I stayed where I was. Claire turned, grabbed my hand, and dragged me inside.

She pressed hard on my shoulders, forcing me into a chair.

Then she walked around me and sat beside Lucas.

“Just eat. You never have time for company dinners. Now that you’ve finally made it to one, stop looking like we all owe you a fortune.”

It wasn’t that I never had time. She scheduled every company celebration while I was away on business, so I always missed them.

And now she was blaming me?

As she spoke, Lucas turned the lazy Susan in the center of the table, bringing a platter of foie gras in front of me.

“Ethan, Claire ordered this especially for me. It’s delicious. Have some.”

Like Claire, I never ate organ meat. She knew that.

Yet she didn’t say a word in my defense. She simply let Lucas pressure me into trying it.

I didn’t touch my fork. Lucas and I remained locked in a silent standoff.

Claire suddenly spun the platter toward herself. I thought she was going to help me out, but a second later, she dumped the entire serving onto my plate.

“One bite won’t kill you. What the hell is your problem, Ethan?”

“Stop whining like a little girl.”

“I told you to eat it!”