She leans back slightly. “How is it going?”
“Busy, but productive. I made some progress on the piece I’m working on,” I reply, sinking back into my chair. “I’ll have a few revisions emailed to you by tomorrow so you can review them before we finalize it.”
She nods, her smile approving. “Perfect. I’ll take a look as soon as I can.”
I nod back, curiosity twisting in my chest as I keep my eyes fixed on her. Something tells me she’s not here just for the casual chit-chat. That gleam in her eyes… it’s the same one I’ve seen before, the one that usually signals she’s about to drop something massive.
“I’ve got something big. And you’re the only one I trust with this,” she continues.
There it is.Bingo. I knew she had another assignment lined up, one that would bring in numbers for the company.
“Alright. What is it?” I ask, slipping into work mode instantly.
Sabrina leans forward and slides the brown folder across my desk. Her red-painted nails tap twice on the cover before she lets go.
“We’ve landed an exclusive interview with the most elusive billionaire in the country. He’s practically impossible to pin down, but I pulled a few strings, and it’s ours.”
My eyes drop to the name on the folder, and my stomach twists instantly.
Landon Hayes.
My heart slams against my ribs, and I grip the sides of my chair to steady myself, but it’s of no use. No amount of steel in my spine could’ve prepared me to see his name again.
“Hotelier tycoon, and a cold, cutthroat businessman. While the tabloids have linked him to different women over the years, spinning stories and rumors, nothing has ever been confirmed. The press has repeatedly tried to secure an interview, but no one has succeeded… until now,” she says, so effortlessly, completely unaware of the invisible knife twisting beneath my ribs. “God, I don’t know why I’m even telling you this. You’ve heard of him, obviously.”
The irony is so thick, I could choke on it.
Of course I’ve heard of him. He’s my husband. Correction. My ex-husband.
But Sabrina doesn’t know that. No one here does. When I joined the Gazette, I made a deliberate choice to keep my marriage a secret. I didn’t want anyone questioning whether I could juggle deadlines and domestic life.
Looking back now, I’m almost glad I never told them. Because Landon didn’t even wait until our first anniversary to sign the divorce papers. Hell, he didn’t even have the decency to face me. Just left them on the table like a goddamn Post-it note. As if our vows meant nothing to him. As ifImeant nothing to him.
She leans back in her chair, a smirk playing on her lips. “Anyway, what matters is that, for reasons still unknown, he has finally agreed to a sit-down. And I want you to write this article,” she continues, her voice bright with excitement.
I blink. Once. Twice. A silent pep talk echoes in my head.Don’t react. Don’t let it show. Don’t let her see that the man she’s talking about once held my heart in his hands and then crushed it without a second thought. And that the worst part is,he walked away as if he had been miserable in our marriage, as if I was the reason for his misery.
Not once did he stop to consider that marriage was a change for both of us, and it was not just his precious bachelor life that he had to sacrifice. Yes, we had our share of arguments like any other married couple, but we also had good times. None of that ever seemed to matter to him… only his version of the sacrifice did.
“You want me to do the piece?” I manage at last, my voice flat, my gaze steady.
“Of course. You’re the best we have, Anna,” she replies, her tone leaving no room for argument. “I’m not giving thisto anyone else. Your voice, your depth… it’s exactly what this profile needs.”
I cross my legs and press my thighs together, slipping into the detached composure I’ve perfected since the day he left. It’s how I survive every time his name pops up in the headlines about his success or in every rumor about his affairs, even though it guts me every single time.
“Of course,” I agree, the words tasting like iron on my tongue. Every fiber of me wants to snap, to throw the file back at her and say,‘To hell with this assignment.’But I can’t. I can’t let my emotions interfere with my work, no matter how painfully my chest tightens at the thought of seeing him again.
“Good. I’ll get in touch with his assistant and confirm the timing. I’m pretty sure we’ll lock in something for tomorrow.”
My nails dig into my palm as I force a nod.Great.
She’s just about to stand when she pauses, her hand still on the armrest. “Listen… by any chance, do you know Landon personally?”
My insides churn at the question, but I school my expression into something confused.
“No,” I say smoothly, even forcing a slight frown. “Why would you ask that?”
Sabrina tilts her head slightly, her eyes narrowing with quiet curiosity. “I wasn’t going to bring this up because I figured it was nothing, but…” She pauses, then leans in just a little. “Landon’s assistant specifically mentioned that he requested you for the interview.”
