made everyone flinch. On the corner of his desk sat a coffee mug Chloe had given him, a cheerful ceramic thing with a simple s

p of black coffee, just the way Cole liked it. Nathan had worked under Chloe f

resso," Cole snap

wn what he needed before he even realized it himself. The whole office felt off-balance without her. He wante

espresso. "Just to update you, Ms. Beaumont has

laugh. "She's quitting, isn't she?" He glare

It was standa

his voice dangerously low. "Think about that the next t

he person who'd tried to help her. It wa

e was still pale, but her back was straight, her eyes clear and set. She was

om her former colleagues. One of them, a young woman from marketing, pulled her a

. "What Mr. Rutledge did to Nathan w

d him to stoop that low. She turned and walked straight tow

for her to wait. He was making a point, flexing his power by making her stand there like she was beggin

untless nights she'd spent in this very office, working beside him, the

Rutledge, this is my official letter of resignation. Furthermore, my request for sick leave was filed

his own rule

sibility had clawed into his mind days ago and wouldn't leave. But admitting it would mean fa

is a place you can just

s, and slowly, deliberately, tore it in half, then i

mile tugging at his lips. "As long as