“Sorry.” I frown, reopening my planner to check for a glitch. “Are you still down for that meeting with Austen this afternoon?”
“I was, but they scaled it down to senior management only. Didn’t Mark tell you?”
“No. Must’ve slipped his mind,” I say dryly, rolling my eyes. “I’ve been taken off the list and reassigned to training.”
Seb squints at my screen, confirming I’m not imagining things. “But they literally have a whole training department for that. Maybe you should check with Mark.” He lowers his voice. “If you ask me, you should be there. You developed most of the goddamn thing.”
I huff a quiet laugh. “You’re overselling me, Seb. I built the core, sure—but Austen’s the one who took it to the next level.”
Mark stands and slips on his suit jacket, catching my eye like he’s expecting my question, which in itself is odd.
“Ah, yes, Violet,” he says smoothly. “Everyone was so impressed with your work; you’ve been assigned some training exercises to pass on your wisdom, so to speak. Until we receive the scope of our next project, of which you’ll be a major contributor, I’m sure.”
Seb mutters under his breath, “What a fucking crock of shit.”
I don’t argue. This wouldn’t have been Mark’s call. It came from higher up.Chase. Or Austen.And it’s not just me left out—it’s the entire department.
I chew the edge of my thumb as I watch Mark leave. It’s not unusual for senior management to take over in a project’s final stages. I wouldn’t be concerned if not for the other nagging doubt pressing on my mind all week.
Chase.
Since his text bailing on our plans, there’s been nothing—no lunch dates. No messages. Nothing. I told myself he was busy, but my instincts whisper it’s more than that.
“Well,” I sigh, disconnecting my laptop. “I’m heading to the training suite. See you later.”
“Sure thing, Vi. If you’re not back by five-thirty, I’ll come rescue you. Make sure you haven’t died of boredom.”
“Yeah, maybe stage a fake emergency. Tell them my guinea pig is on life support.”
Seb frowns. “You have a guinea pig?”
I shake my head, laughter bubbling up despite everything. “How you got a job here, I’ll never know.”
The training suite is already filled with five fresh-faced college grads, all eager and early. I introduce myself quickly, setting up my laptop to display the company’s PowerPoint. At least training threw something together for me to present. Not ideal, but it’ll do. Time drags as I guide them through each stage, helping them complete tasks on their screens.
We’re nearly done when voices from the hallway catch my attention.
My pulse kicks up before I even process why. And then I hear him.
Just under a week since I heard his voice, and yet it seems like a lifetime.
Footsteps get closer. The door pushes open—Austen steps in first, with Chase and Richard Morgan behind.
Chase doesn’t see me at first, but when he does, he balks. It’s only a second, a quick flicker of hesitation before he recovers.
But I catch it.
And as much as I’ve spent the last few days telling myself this distance was in my head, the way he won’t even look at me confirms what I already knew.
I hate how, even now, he still looks heartbreakingly handsome. His navy suit clings to him in a way that makes it impossible to look away. But it’s the cold set of his jaw, the way his eyes sweep past me without a flicker of recognition, that drains every drop of air from my body.
“Excuse me,” Austen says, his tone surprisingly terse. “I was showing Richard where we could conduct training for the Monarch staff in implementing the new system.”
Richard steps into view, nodding politely, and I force a small smile.
“We’re finishing up now anyway,” I say, my tone even, although inside, I feel like something sharp is lodged in my chest.
Chase doesn’t react. Not even the slightest twinge of acknowledgment.
