Chapter 79

I clenched my hands in my lap, my throat dry. "I thought I did."

Her gaze slid toward me, narrowing slightly. "You keep making choices that suggest otherwise."

My heartbeat thundered in my ears. “I’m not weak.”

Her lips twitched, not quite a smile. “No. You’re not. But strength without caution isn’t bravery—it’s stupidity.”

I set my jaw. "I'm not sure if I should take that advice from you. Aren't you the one always getting into a fight?"

"Have you ever heard of me losing a fight, Renee?"

I grimaced at that. "Are you saying I'm a loser?"

"I'm saying you don't plan to win and thus plan to lose."

The weight of her words settled heavily between us as the city lights streaked by outside. I didn’t know yet if she was warning me, threatening me, or trying to protect me. Maybe it was all three.

I really wanted it to at least still be protective.

I opened my mouth to manage some sort of reply, but Arielle’s sharp tone cut me off.

"If it's not an oath to do better, I don't want to hear it."

I set my jaw. "That's not fair."

Her gaze snapped to me like a whip, cutting me off before I could get another word out.

“Not fair?” She asked, her voice cold and authoritative. “You think I give a fuck about fair ---"

"You said---"

"When you don't know the first thing about what it means to be good to yourself?"

I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists in my lap.

“You don't have any room to argue with me about your well-being, about fair, about anything, at this point, Renee."

"I'm not a child."

"You're acting like one," she said. "You passed out, Renee.” Her voice stayed calm, but the steel underneath it was unmistakable. “You were dehydrated. Malnourished. Exhausted. You’ve been running yourself into the ground, and I let it go on with support because I figured eventually you would listen, and see where my attempt to be fair, to let you process, to be nice have gotten us?" I flinched at her tone as she hissed. "Gotten you? What exactly has being this stubborn gotten you? You think you've proven that you’re strong? That you can handle it?” She gave a short, bitter laugh. “To who?"

"I…" I swallowed and clenched my fists in my lap. "I just…"

Arielle took a deep breath. "You don’t have to prove anything to people who want to see you fail. What bearing do any of them have on your life?”

I tried again, softer this time. “I just didn't want… special treatment."

The words sounded like an even weaker excuse than before.

"Special treatment? The girl got a job on bribery, nepotism, and lies, and you don't want special treatment?"

"That's not who I am."

"You're also not the person who knows how to use your resources properly."

"I can't go crying to Dominic every time someone is mean to me."

Her eye twitched. "He is your boss. Your feelings aside, his job is to ensure you can do your job, to meet the accomodations you are due, and ensure a positivie work environment. The minute Vivian sauntered her skinny little ass over to the Finance department you should have said something."

"But--"

"The moment you knew she meant you no good, you were meant to speak up and say something." She took a deep breath. "He was wrapped around her finger, yes. Is she his daughter, yes, but you have no obligation to let her save face with him by letting him continue to think that she doesn't mean you harm. That there's a path to reconciliation between you two."

I dropped my gaze. "That's not… I mean… I just…" My shoulders slumped. "That's not what I was thinking at all."

"You think he's so infatuated with his little hellspawn he wouldn't listen or care without proof?"

I nodded.

"And that dinner conversation when he learned that you two have never really been friends wasn't proof enough in your mind?"

I lifted a shoulder. "I just… didn’t want there to be doubt…"

Vivian had gotten away with so much in my past life and this life too because there had been shadows of doubt.

"I had it under control."

“No, you didn't.” She snarled, sharper this time. “Not even close."

"Well, it was going to be okay, with the court case---"

"I am not talking about the legal issues," Arielled cut in. "I am talking about you. You, Renee. Just you. Not your reputation. Not your standing. Not your career. You as a person, a young woman, my cousin." She stared at me. "Have you even glanced at the therapist list I gave you."

I blinked at her. "You… gave me a therapist list? I'm not crazy."

Her eyes locked onto mine. “Therapy… is for healing. Which you are in need of by the metric fuck-ton."

I winced. "I'll… look at it."

She scoffed. "As if I'd be fool enough to trust that twice."

"What are you saying?"

"You may not like it, but as Luna of Mountainhowl, your wellbeing is my responsibility. And if you insist on being stupid, then it is my duty to step in and stop you from being stupid.”

The finality in her voice left no room for negotiation. My stomach twisted, equal parts shame and frustration burning in my chest. I knew I should be… grateful, I guess that someone in my life actively gave a damn, but it felt invasive. Controlling. Arielle exhaled slowly, her tone softening, but only slightly.

“I’ve already filed the necessary paperwork with Brightclaw and the company. You’re on medical leave effective immediately. Your supervisor has been notified. So has Dominic.”

I froze at that last part. "You can't--"

"Already done. Take it up with the luna-- oh, wait. That's me." She smiled thinly. "I'm not humoring complaints from you outside of you want more time, more amentities, more drinks, more time in bikinis flirting with boys, more lube, or some extension of those things."

My face burned. I stammered. "I--- I have never--- I would never!"

"Never say never, and don't frame it like a challenge." She continued. “You are not to return to work until I clear you. Not HR. Not Dominic. Me.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling the heat rise to my face. “You went behind my back.”

“I went around your stubbornness,” she corrected sharply. “There’s a difference.”

I shook my head, trying one last time to protest. “You can’t just—”

“I can,” Arielle said firmly, not giving an inch. “And I have. Dominic already signed off on the leave.”

My stomach twisted. I slumped back into the seat, defeated.

“Of course he did,” I muttered bitterly.

Arielle’s brows lifted. “Don’t start.”

“I’m serious!” My voice rose, the dam starting to crack. “He only cares now because it’s all blowing up in his face. Because it’ll ruin his precious company, his reputation—” My breath hitched, and the heat behind my eyes burned. “He’s just like Philip.”

The words were out before I could stop them, sharp and ugly.

Arielle’s expression flickered, but she said nothing, watching me. The dam of emotion cracked. The emotions rushed the banks of my mind and overflowed. The lump in my throat swelled, and the tears burned in my eyes, threatening to spill over before I could fight them back.

"I…"

My own words echoing in my mind. The sentiment I hadn't wanted to acknowledge, but I knew was there, could feel it still.

All the times I'd been pushed into terrible situations because of Phillip's ambition, not just with him compelling me, but just situationally. All the rejection form letters floated through my mind. My ruined clothes and possessions. My destroyed laptop. The dress that was still missing.

I struggled to breathe.

"I…"

"I don't…" I tried to speak, to push the thought awy. "I … I don't believe that."

"That he turned a blind out to your suffering for months?" Arielle asked, her voice hard and hammering through the last vestiges of my restraint. "That he saw, knew, and did nothing until it threatened his standing? That despite what you feel--"

"Stop, I gasped, my breaths coming in sobs.

"Despite what you suspect he might feel, his pride and standing will always be his priority, and that includes Vivian?“

I whimpered, not wanting to hear it, but I could hear the waves and the wind outside the yacht.

"That if thinks start to go down, you'll be the first person to be tossed?"

I covered my face with my hands, my shoulders trembling as the sobs broke loose. All the exhaustion, the fear, the betrayal—it crashed down on me like a wave I couldn’t stop. Tears gushed from my eyes. My whole body wracked with sobs that rattled and shook me to the core.

I didn't want to believe any of it, but… I didn't know what else there was to believe.