Page 260 of Savage Bosses

“I prefer pyromaniacs that melt dolls,” he quipped.

“Not today.” I covered my face. “How is this my life?”

This was the hot mess of reality television.

“Breathe.”

I took a deep breath. “Why the hell was she herenaked?”

“I think we know why,” he said calmly, as though this crap happened to him daily.

Did it?

There was always some type of drama on gossip channels when she dated him. They ended it just before I started at Dragon Moon. Their drama was the reason I thought he was a playboy, but then he calmed down. Or, he seemed to anyway.

My life wasn't like this. “This isn't funny.”

He rubbed his face. “No, it is not. I didn't invite her, that's for sure.”

“She's a nut job.”

“Fair. It comes with the territory.”

“Comes with the territory?” I balled my fingers into fists. “Do you know there are pictures of us making out on the street and at my house? It was suggested that you made me project manager because you were sleeping with me. Then a naked woman just jiggled out of the office calling youbaby,and you never said anything otherwise. It's Defcon five to me, and your only comment is ‘it comes with the territory’? I can't do this.”

Ryu's eyes widened. He rubbed my arms. “I need you to calm down. Trust me I—“

I shook him off me. “You lied to me for months, and a six-year-old dimed you out, but you want me to trust you? It's too much. The lies and the scandals. I can't. Amber will have to go on without me.” I turned to leave.

“No, Judy-Lynn, wait.”

For some dumb reason, I stopped.

“I love you.”

My heart shattered. He could be saying that to buy time. The confession sounded sincere, but then I was biased. I trusted him before. I fell for him twice.

Twice.

And he left me down both times.

“This is not a romance novel, Ryu. Dani isn't going to write us a happy ending. You deceived me. Nothing about us can be trusted. Consider this my resignation.”

I left his office with as much Victoria badassery as I could muster. He didn't stop me. I would have folded if he did.

I loved him, too, both versions of him. But a couple had to be a team. Lying to a team member was a no-go. Besides, I planned to leave by the end of the year to start my company. I doubted Ryu would be interested in me long-term. It wasn’t his style. Our relationship would fall apart as soon as I stopped working at Dragon Moon.

I love you.

He probably said that to all the girls.

“Judy, you didn't see that email, did you?” Daisy asked as I arrived at my cubicle.

The moment was too much. I couldn’t answer her. My face must have told her what she needed to know because she cursed under her breath.

She put her hand on my shoulder. “I know it was that jealous bitch.”

I grabbed my empty storage tote from under my desk. “Doesn’t matter because I'm leaving.”

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