Chapter 3

The morning sun was blinding as Kelsi walked out of the hospital's sliding glass doors.

She had refused the wheelchair the hospital offered. She walked slowly, her hand pressed firmly against her right side, her posture slightly hunched to protect her stitches. Every step sent a dull ache through her core, but she needed to walk out on her own two feet.

She had instructed the billing department to send the hospital invoice directly to Harrington Group. It was the absolute least Jeb owed her.

She stood on the curb and pulled out her phone to order an Uber. She typed in Gisele's address in SoHo, not the Hampton penthouse.

As she waited, her phone started vibrating in her palm. An unknown number flashed on the screen.

She hesitated, then swiped to answer.

"Kelsi!" A shrill, grating voice pierced her eardrum. "Why haven't you been answering your phone? Do you know I've been going crazy trying to reach you?"

Kelsi pulled the phone an inch away from her ear. "Aunt Brenda. What do you want?"

"Did you and Jeb get into a fight?" Brenda demanded, her tone dripping with accusation. "What about Kevin's job? You promised me you would talk to Jeb and get Kevin a position at Harrington Group!"

Kelsi closed her eyes. A wave of exhaustion washed over her.

Kevin Crowley was her lazy, entitled cousin. Ever since Kelsi got engaged to Jeb, her aunt and uncle had treated her like a golden ticket, constantly demanding favors and connections.

"I'm not talking to Jeb about Kevin," Kelsi said, her voice completely flat.

Brenda gasped loudly. "Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? Kelsi, don't you forget who took you in when your parents died! We fed you and housed you for years! Now you're acting like you're too good to help your own family?"

Kelsi let out a dry, humorless laugh.

Took her in. They had moved her into their cramped attic and used her parents' trust fund to pay off their own mortgage, all while complaining about the cost of her groceries.

"First of all," Kelsi said, her voice dropping to a cold, hard whisper. "My parents' trust fund paid for every single cent of my living expenses and my tuition. You didn't give me a dime. Second, Kevin's employment is his own problem. It has nothing to do with me."

"You ungrateful little brat!" Brenda shrieked. "You think the Harringtons are going to respect you if you cut off your own family? You need us to look good!"

"Don't worry about it," Kelsi said. "And don't call me for this kind of thing ever again."

She hung up the phone. She went straight to her settings and blocked the number.

A black SUV pulled up to the curb. Kelsi verified the license plate and climbed into the back seat, wincing as she settled against the leather.

Thirty minutes later, the Uber pulled up to Gisele's luxury apartment building in SoHo.

Gisele was already standing on the sidewalk. The moment Kelsi stepped out of the car, Gisele rushed forward, her hands waving frantically in the air.

"Oh my god, Kelsi! You look terrible!" Gisele grabbed Kelsi's arm, supporting her weight. Her dark eyes scanned Kelsi's pale face. "Where the hell is Jeb? Why didn't that bastard come pick you up?"

"We're done, Gisele," Kelsi said quietly as they walked toward the lobby.

Gisele stopped dead in her tracks. "Done? What do you mean done? Kelsi, don't be impulsive. Couples fight, it's normal..."

Kelsi turned to look at her best friend. Her eyes were clear and completely devoid of emotion.

"I'm not fighting with him," Kelsi said. "I left him. I need to borrow your car, or I need you to come with me. I have to go pack my things."

Gisele stared at her. She saw the absolute finality in Kelsi's expression. Gisele's mouth snapped shut. She nodded sharply.

Meanwhile, across the city, in the sleek, glass-walled executive office of Harrington Group.

Jeb Harrington threw his phone onto his mahogany desk. It hit the wood with a loud clatter.

He rubbed his temples in frustration. He had tried calling Kelsi three times. Every call went straight to voicemail. His text messages were bouncing back with red exclamation points.

She had blocked him.

Jeb scoffed, leaning back in his leather chair. Unbelievable. She was throwing a tantrum because he went to Seraphina's party instead of sitting in a hospital waiting room for a routine appendix removal.

She would get over it. She always did. Kelsi was soft. She had nowhere else to go.

He pressed the intercom button on his desk.

"Yes, Mr. Harrington?" his assistant answered immediately.

"Order a massive bouquet of roses. The expensive ones," Jeb commanded. "Send them to the penthouse. And track down Kelsi's location. Find out where she went after she checked out of the hospital."

He released the button and turned his attention back to his computer monitor. He wasn't going to chase her. He would let her cool off for a few days, and then she would come crawling back.