And this time, I wasn’t letting it go.
Chapter Seven
Gia
“What if she doesn’t agree?”
Colton raised his brows, nodding at the pile of papers in my hand. “You have everything you need. You don’t owe her anything.”
I nodded, my nerves tangling in my belly in an elaborate knot. “I can do this.”
“You can, sweetheart. You’ve got this.” Colton’s usually serious demeanor broke for a moment, his eyes crinkling as he looked down at me. “I’ll be right here.”
Straightening my spine, I turned and knocked on the door to the apartment. My ring flashed from my left hand as I did. I was still surprised to see it sometimes, the engagement ring that Colton had given me only six weeks into our relationship, shortly after we’d come clean to Sera that we were way more than friends. And now, only a few weeks later, my new LLC in hand, I was going to do the right thing so that I could walk away, knowing that I had been true to myself.
And then, oh God… Then I had to tell Colton even more life-changing news.
But first?
The company.
My former partner, Brittany, opened the door wide and stared at me in shock. “Gia?”
“Hi, Brittany. I just wanted you to know that I’ve dissolved our company at your request, and I’ve gone through our former contacts and denoted which were from your lead and which were mine.” I held out a file with an envelope attached to it. “Everything should be there, but if you have any questions, youcan address them to my new assistant. Her information is inside, right ahead of the documentation that if you attempt to slander me or my new company, then a restraining order will be filed against you, based on the ongoing investigation at my former address.”
Her jaw was hanging, completely slack.
I swallowed. “Silence is considered acknowledgement.” I waited another moment, letting it sink in, before I shook the folder I was holding out to her a little. “It doesn’t matter if you take this from me or not. It is considered official regardless. And as for the leads and network contacts, I was just doing that to be nice.”
Still, she didn’t take it. Sighing, I leaned down and dropped the entire folder at her feet. “Alrighty, then. Thanks, Brittany.”
Her gaze briefly scanned me again, and I knew she was tracking the heavy diamond as I moved to turn away from her. I only got a few steps before she cleared her throat.
“Wait, Gia?”
I turned, blinking at her and silently letting her know I didn’t intend to re-approach her. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
I cocked my head. “Me too.”
And then, my heart light and my mind clear, I slipped my fingers into Colton’s. A moment later, he brought them to his mouth.
“One second, sweetheart.”
I watched as he strode back up the walkway to the still-open door. Brittany had picked up the file folder and was staring down at the papers in her hand when he got close.
Her eyes were huge as she took in his size, even as she closed the folder. “Um, hello.”
“My fiancée is too nice to say this, but I’m not. If you hurt her again, we will make sure you never work again. You will loseeverything. And we will do it without remorse or regret. Do not fuck with us again. Am I clear?”
Brittany’s mouth was open again, hanging slack as she stared up at him. Then, carefully, she nodded. “Crystal.”
Colton nodded once and then was striding down the sidewalk to me, all traces of the intimidating security man gone as he pressed a hand to my lower back.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did,” Colton said. “No one does what she does and gets away with it.”
