Page 6 of Ardent Desires

“Leave Ellie.”

I can barely breathe. I nod, unsure what else to do. He stares at me for a moment longer, then storms off, leaving me standing there, shaking, trying not to cry.

I don’t move for a few seconds. Then, slowly, I turn and walk back to the party, my head down. I find Reed, who’s glaring at me like I’ve just destroyed his entire life.

“You’re done for the night,” he says, his voice flat.

I don’t even argue. I grab my things and leave.

The second I’m outside, I pull out my phone and call Jenna. My hands are trembling as I press the phone to my ear.

“Ellie? What’s wrong?” Jenna’s voice comes through, warm and familiar.

“I screwed up,” I whisper, choking on the words. “I spilled champagne on the CEO.”

There’s a long pause. “Oh, shit.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you fired?”

“I don’t know,” I say, biting my lip. “He didn’t say anything, but... I think I’m done, Jen. I think he is going to fire me.”

Jenna’s quiet for a moment, then she sighs. “Ellie, listen. If it comes to that, you can always come back here. Philly’s not going anywhere. You’ll figure it out.”

“I can’t just... leave,” I say, my voice breaking. “I worked so hard to get here.”

Jenna’s silent for a second. “Do you really think he’s gonna fire you?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper, the panic rising in my chest. “Maybe. I mean, he didn’t say anything about it, but he waspissed. And everyone saw, Jen. Everyone. I looked like a complete idiot.”

“Ellie, listen to me,” Jenna says, her voice firm but soft. “You’re not an idiot, okay? You’re human. Shit happens.”

“Fuck. I really fucked up!”

“And you’re not giving up. You’re just... taking a break. Look, get some sleep, and we’ll figure it out tomorrow. Okay?”

I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Okay.”

“Love you, girl.”

“Love you too,” I whisper, ending the call.

I stand there for a minute, staring at the dark city skyline. Then I take a deep breath and head for the subway. Maybe Jenna’s right. Maybe this isn’t the end.

But it sure as hell feels like it.

Chapter two

Stormy Confessions

Xander

It’s early. Almost 6 a.m., and the office is dead quiet, just the way I like it. Of course, Lena’s here, like always. She’s never late. I barely step through the door before I hear her heels clicking toward me.

“Morning, sir,” Lena says, handing me my usual coffee without missing a beat.

“Morning,” I reply, taking the cup and nodding as she hands me the stack of documents I asked for. Staff reviews, proposals—everything I need to dive into today’s workload.

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