Chapter 4

I believed him for six years. Then Vanessa arrived and woke me up. When he asked, "Claire, are we boyfriend and girlfriend?" I finally understood how he'd seen us all along.

This wasn't a healthy relationship. To put it bluntly, I was a kept woman.

A man with his power could have told the world I was his, and no one would have dared say a word. He could use his connections to drop Vanessa into my station and set her against me for the same job. He just didn't want anyone to know about me.

The next day, the office was still full of people congratulating Vanessa. Everyone was happy except me.

That evening, I sat on the couch at home and waited for Ethan, without turning on the lights. I'd rehearsed what to say all afternoon, and now none of it sounded right. I watched the clock tick past ten.

Just three days earlier, I'd tried asking him. "I'm thinking about doing a feature for the business channel. Would you be willing to go on camera?"

He'd frowned slightly. "I don't give media interviews."

That was true. There wasn't a single press photo of him online. He guarded his privacy and kept away from the spotlight.

When I learned he'd agreed to Vanessa's interview, I felt lied to. I also realized how one-sided things between us had become.

Sitting in that conference room, listening to the manager, I'd known Ethan's backing was a big reason she'd won and I'd lost. The hurt had settled in slowly, along with resentment and a feeling that it wasn't fair. My six years of work meant less than having Ethan in her corner.

Looking back, I'd gotten nothing out of those years of love. Now my career was slipping away too.

The front door opened in the entryway, and I looked up. Ethan's eyes met mine.

"Why did you give Vanessa the exclusive?" My voice trembled.

He looked down at me. "She had the stronger position. She's a better fit."

His cool, reasonable tone made our six years together sound ridiculous.

"Ethan, did you think about me at all? Did what we have ever make you want to choose me, even if you don't think of us as a couple?"

His expression didn't change. "Claire, work isn't about personal feelings. There's a lot of money and business tied up in this."

My vision blurred. I bit my lip to keep from crying out loud. He could brush it all off so easily. I couldn't. I'd spent six years working toward that job, through more long days and sleepless nights than I could count.

He stood there with one hand still on the doorframe, saying nothing.

"Let's break up."

Then I shook my head. "No, that's wrong. To you, we were never even a couple. So let's just stop seeing each other."

For a moment, he looked startled, almost panicked. His brow furrowed.

"Claire, you're upset. We'll talk when you've calmed down."

I took a deep breath. "Ethan, I am calm. I know exactly what I'm saying."

The interview was set for that week, and I was assigned to help Vanessa with it. I told myself it was just another job. My hands were steady, and that surprised me.

We carried our equipment into Blackwell's offices, press badges around our necks.

Ethan sat on the couch with his long legs crossed, completely relaxed.

Our eyes met. I looked away without reacting. We could have been strangers. I played my part well, and so did he. I didn't say one word to him the entire time. Nobody else in that room knew I'd barely slept.

Vanessa conducted the interview, her voice smooth as honey, and Ethan answered every question she asked. I stayed behind the camera with the rest of the crew, handling equipment and support. Watching through the viewfinder was easier than looking at him.

When it wrapped, my coworkers and I started packing up.

One of the Blackwell employees we'd been working with came over. "Ms. Bennett?"

I paused.

A few coworkers drifted closer, smiling and teasing. Ethan and Vanessa noticed too.

The employee rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

I couldn't ignore the heat of Ethan's stare. He was watching me closely.

"No," I answered politely.

Ethan went still, his expression tightening in surprise.