Page 60 of Ardent Desires

“I can handle her,” I shoot back, irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

“Alexander, listen,” he says, his tone firm. “If you confront her, she’ll only use it against you. You don’t want that. Trust me.”

“Fine,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. “But I’m not backing down.”

“Good,” Marcus replies, his expression softening a bit. “Now, I think it’s best if you two talk in the office. Clear the air with the team. You’re still her boss, and she’s your assistant. This needs to be addressed.”

Ellie nods, but I can see the nerves still flickering in her eyes. “Right,” she says softly. “I can do that.”

“Great,” Marcus says, standing to leave. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”

Once he’s gone, the silence settles in, heavy and uncomfortable. I can sense Ellie’s uncertainty, and it pisses me off that she has to feel this way. I lean against my desk, crossing my arms, and give her my best encouraging smile. “You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she replies, a hint of determination creeping into her voice.

“Let’s get through this,” I say, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

I reach for my phone as I sit down, intending to check for updates. Just as I swipe my finger, it buzzes violently. Jean Luc’s name lights up the screen, and I answer immediately.

“Jean Luc,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. “What’s going on?”

“Alexander,” he starts, his voice grave. “I’ve got some bad news about the Riviera project.”

“What do you mean bad news?” I say, my heart dropping. “We’ve put too much work into this to let it slip away.”

He sighs heavily. “It’s been cancelled. The board doesn’t feel comfortable working with someone who’s... well, who’s associated with this scandal.”

I grit my teeth, my stomach twisting into knots. “What? You can’t be serious. This is about business, not personal crap.”

“Look, I’m sorry,” he continues. “But the reputation of the firm is on the line. And with this whole Vanessa situation, they see you as a liability.”

“Are you shitting me?” I can feel my temper rising. “I can fix this. Just give me a chance to talk to Vanessa. I can clear it up.”

“Alexander, I really think it’s best if you don’t. You need to protect yourself. This whole thing is getting worse by the minute.”

“Jean Luc,” I say, my voice sharper than intended. “I need to know more. What details did they hear?”

“According to the projection of your profit margins, I think we can get a better offer than you had…”

“Wait, I haven’t even shared my projections yet.”

“Monsieur. Let’s keep this short, Details about your relationship with Ellie are plastered everywhere. We are all rightfully concerned you won’t be able to keep your personal life separate from business. This isn’t just about the project. It’s about you being a family man and who you associate with. They can’t work with someone who might tarnish their reputation.”

“Family man?” I scoff, disbelief flooding through me. “Are you serious right now? This is bullshit.”

He pauses, letting my frustration hang in the air. “I can’t do anything. The decision’s been made.”

With that, he hangs up, and I’m left staring at my phone in shock. “What the hell just happened?” I mutter to myself, my mind racing.

I glance up at Ellie, who’s watching me intently. “That was Jean Luc. He said the Riviera project is off because of this mess.”

“What?” she gasps, her expression shifting to concern. “How? Why?”

“They think I’m a liability, Ellie. They see you as part of the problem.” I push back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. “It’s ridiculous.”

“What did he say?” she asks, her voice low.

“Just that they’re worried about our... situation. That it’s going to affect my work,” I reply, feeling the anger boiling inside me. “Like I can’t separate my personal life from business. They are discussing my profits before I even made the numbers public. This is all going down the drain.”

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