Chapter 2

The next morning, Jake was all business, his face a mask of concern that didn't reach his eyes.

"We need a press conference, Elara. This Chloe thing is a misunderstanding, a business dinner that got out of hand."

He paced our penthouse living room, the one overlooking Central Park.

"You'll stand by me. We'll show them we're solid."

I said nothing, just watched him. He didn't ask if I was hurt, or angry. He just expected compliance.

The press conference was a hastily arranged affair in an Apex Constructors conference room.

I wore a simple, elegant dark blue dress, one of my own designs from years ago.

Jake, in a perfectly tailored suit, put his arm around me, a little too tight.

He leaned into the microphone. "My wife, Elara, understands the pressures of my position. These rumors are baseless."

Then he looked at me, a smirk playing on his lips.

"She even wore something from a consignment store to show her support for our humble beginnings," he said, a chuckle in his voice for the reporters.

He held up my hand, showing the simple, inexpensive band he' d given me when we were struggling students.

"This ring, this bond, it' s unbreakable."

I remembered that proposal. Tears in his eyes, his voice thick with emotion, promising forever.

Chloe was there, standing off to the side, dressed as a "supportive employee."

She made sure the cameras caught the glint of an expensive new watch on her wrist. A gift from Jake, no doubt.

Later, after the reporters left, Jake turned on me.

"What was with that dress? You trying to make me look bad?"

He grabbed my arm. "You're getting bitter, Elara. And you're aging. It's not a good look."

A flashback hit me: years ago, a rival businessman insulting my early architectural designs, calling them "girlish." Jake, furious, stepping in front of me, his voice a low growl. "You don't talk to my wife like that. Ever."

Now, he was the one doing the insulting.

I pulled a small, vineyard-themed souvenir pin from my pocket. Jake had bought a pair on their Napa trip. Chloe had posted a picture of hers.

I calmly handed it to Chloe. "Here. You should have the matching one."

Jake feigned ignorance. "What's that? Just some trinket."

Chloe, however, smiled sweetly. "Oh, Jake also booked a suite at that luxury resort in Big Sur for us next month. To relax after all this stress."

She looked at me, her eyes wide with false innocence.

I turned to Jake. "You know I'm severely sensitive to the cleaning products most luxury hotels use. It triggers debilitating migraines."

He waved a dismissive hand. "You're always so dramatic about things."

He stormed off, Chloe trailing happily after him.

I went to my study and booked a one-way flight to San Francisco. Ethan's main office for Summit Developments was there.