Chapter 5 5

Olivia smoothed her modest navy suit for the fifth time as the elevator climbed toward the executive floor of Jensen Corp. The outfit, purchased secondhand and carefully tailored to hide its origins, represented her new reality. Gone were the designer labels and custom pieces that had once filled her closet. Gone was the Montgomery fortune, the Reed connections, and the safety net she'd been born into.

One floor at a time, she reminded herself. One step at a time.

The last five years had taught her to measure progress in tiny increments. Surviving each day in a loveless marriage. Building a secret emergency fund one small deposit at a time. Planning an escape from Alexander's increasingly volatile moods and wandering eye. And finally, gathering the courage to walk away with nothing but her dignity.

The elevator chimed, and Olivia drew a steadying breath. Executive assistant to Jensen Corp's VP of Operations wasn't glamorous, but it was honest work. A starting point. A way back.

"Ms. Montgomery?" A young woman greeted her as she stepped into the reception area. "I'm Sarah from HR. There's been a change to your interview schedule."

Olivia's heart sank. "It's been canceled?"

"No, no," Sarah assured her quickly. "Actually, you're being considered for a different position now. Executive assistant to the CEO."

"But Jensen Corp doesn't have..." Olivia trailed off, realization dawning. "The acquisition. It's happening today, isn't it?"

Sarah nodded, looking impressed. "The announcement hasn't gone public yet. But yes, Chen Innovations is finalizing the purchase this morning. Mr. Chen specifically requested to interview all executive assistant candidates personally."

The floor seemed to tilt beneath Olivia's feet. Ethan. Here. Today.

"Are you alright? You've gone quite pale." Sarah's concerned voice seemed to come from far away.

"I'm fine," Olivia managed. "Just... nervous."

"Don't be. Mr. Chen's team says he's demanding but fair." Sarah led her down a hallway lined with glass offices. "Wait here in the conference room. HR will bring in the paperwork shortly, and Mr. Chen will join you after the acquisition meeting."

Alone in the sleek conference room, Olivia fought the urge to flee. The irony was too cruel. Five years of carefully avoiding any path that might cross with Ethan's, and now here she was, applying to be his assistant. He would take one look at her and throw her out, if she were lucky. If not, he might drag out the humiliation, make her beg, make her squirm.

She deserved nothing less.

Her phone buzzed with a text from her former housekeeper, Margaret, one of the few who had remained loyal after her fall from grace.

The movers are confirmed for Saturday. Don't worry about the deposit, I've covered it. You can pay me back when you're settled.

Tears pricked at Olivia's eyes. Even her tiny apartment was becoming unaffordable now that the divorce was finalized and Alexander's lawyers had ensured she received nothing. The prenuptial agreement she'd signed in numb resignation five years ago had been ironclad.

The conference room door opened, and Olivia hastily pocketed her phone, expecting HR with forms. Instead, she found herself staring into achingly familiar eyes she'd seen only in dreams and news articles for five years.

Ethan Chen stood in the doorway, his tall frame blocking any escape, his expression unreadable as he regarded her. The boy she'd sacrificed everything for had become exactly the man she'd always known he could be, powerful, commanding, breathtaking. But the warmth that had once defined him was gone, replaced by something cold and remote that made her shiver.

"Olivia." Her name on his lips wasn't a question or a greeting. It was a statement, flat and emotionless.

She rose on unsteady legs. "Ethan. I didn't know...."

"Sit down." He closed the door behind him with a soft click that somehow sounded final, ominous.

Olivia obeyed, sinking back into her chair as he circled the conference table like a predator assessing its prey. He wore a suit that probably cost more than six months' rent for her apartment, his every movement radiating the easy confidence of a man who had conquered the world.

"Sarah from HR seems to think you're here interviewing for an executive assistant position." His voice was deceptively casual.

"I am." Olivia forced herself to meet his gaze. "Or I was. I imagine that's off the table now."

"Is this some kind of joke?" The first crack in his composure, a flicker of genuine anger. "The broken socialite comes begging for scraps from the man she discarded?"

Olivia flinched. "I didn't know this was your company. The acquisition wasn't public."

"And if you had known?" He stopped his pacing directly across from her, placing his palms flat on the table and leaning forward. "Would you have bothered to show up? Or would you have found another victim to extract pity from?"

The unfairness of it stung, but she swallowed her defense. What right did she have to explain, to justify, when she'd chosen this path willingly?

"I would have applied elsewhere," she said quietly. "I have no interest in disrupting your life, Ethan. I'll go."

She reached for her modest purse, but Ethan's voice stopped her.

"No. Stay."

Confused, Olivia looked up to find him studying her with calculating intensity.

"Your father cut you off." Not a question.

"Yes."

"Your husband left you with nothing."

"The prenup was clear from the beginning."

"And now you're applying for assistant jobs." The contempt in his voice made her wince. "The mighty Olivia Montgomery, reduced to answering phones and fetching coffee."

She met his gaze steadily. "There's no shame in honest work."

Something flickered in his eyes, surprise, perhaps, at her lack of defensiveness.

"You sold your jewelry," he said abruptly. "To pay for my mother's burial plot maintenance."

Olivia went still. How could he possibly know that? She'd been so careful, using three different intermediaries, ensuring complete anonymity.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"Don't." His voice turned sharp. "Don't lie to me. Not again."