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Chapter 3

  • Chloe POV
  • I awake to the smell of food and coffee. Cane is cooking me breakfast. I bounce out of bed and make my way into the kitchen. To my surprise, there is a young woman placing food on the table.
  • "You must be Chloe," she says. She continues putting food on the table as I take a seat. She hands me a cup of coffee with a sweet smile.
  • "Where is my brother?" I ask.
  • "He will be down in a minute. I am Joelene, and I am your brother's housekeeper, cook, maid, and whatever else he needs," Joelene says.
  • "It is lovely to meet you," I say. Cane did not say anything about a housekeeper or anyone else being here, but another woman around might be nice.
  • Cane comes down the stairs and joins me at the table. Joelene hands him a cup of coffee. I fix my plate and begin to eat. Cane looks like he is still half asleep.
  • "Sorry, sis. I usually working the later shift in the office, so early morning is not my thing, but we have a lot to do today," Cane says.
  • "I am a morning person, Cane. I will try not to be too perky," I say. Cane glares at me over his coffee.
  • "You do that, sis," Cane says.
  • Joelene sits with us. "How was your drive into our little town last night?" Joelene asks.
  • "It was long but exciting. I am excited about a new start," I say. I can see her looking at my face. I hope I can cover the bruises with makeup. I do not want the office or people in town feeling sorry for me. It is nothing. It is over, and I do not want to talk about any of it.
  • I finish my meal and place my plate in the sink. I leave Cane to drink coffee while I get ready. He is right. We do have a lot to do today. He has to show me around and show me where I will be working. I do not want to be dependent on him.
  • I get a pair of jeans, a top, a bra, panties, and my makeup bag out of my backpack. I take everything into the bathroom to get ready. I have plenty of time. It will take Cane a little while to get awake. I still have to get my things out of my car, but that can wait until we get back from town.
  • I turn the water on in the shower to let it get hot while I take off my shirt and panties. I grab a big fluffy towel from the closet and place my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash inside the shower. I lay my makeup out on the sink. I stop and look at myself in the mirror. I will be okay. I can do this.
  • I step inside the shower and let the water run over me. This would be a good time to cry, but I refuse to surrender to those emotions. I do not want to feel any of it. I only want to let it all go and start over. There is no need to feel. Roger was wrong about one thing; I do not want another man in my life. I have given up on ever being in love again.
  • I take my time washing my hair and body. I try not to think about Jackson. I do not want to think about him or what he did to me, but it is hard. I can hear his voice calling me a stupid bitch and hitting me. I touch my face. I feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Stop it! I am not doing this. I am moving on without him, and that is all I need to think about right now.
  • I step out of the shower and grab the big white towel and wrap it around my body. I take another towel from the closet and wrap it around my hair. I stand looking in the mirror for a moment. Pull yourself together; you can do this. I shake off my emotions and towel dry my hair.
  • I hear Cane come into my bedroom. I open the door and look out from the bathroom. "I am getting ready. I will be out in a few minutes," I say.
  • "My boss, Mr. Arden wants us to come to the office so he can meet you before I take you to HR to get you set up in the system," Cane says.
  • "Okay, I will hurry," I say.
  • Now I have to hurry. I slip into my jeans and top. I cannot dress up because everything is in the car. I have so much to do tonight to get ready to start a new job. At least if I am busy, I will not be thinking about Jackson.
  • I apply my makeup and dry my hair. I pull my hair up in a simple ponytail. My long blonde hair is ridiculously long. Maybe I will cut it— new town, new job, and possibly new hair.
  • I come out of the bedroom, ready to go. Cane is not in the kitchen or living room. "He is outside waiting for you. Don't fret; the Arden's are great people," Joelene says when she sees I am stressing out.
  • "Thanks," I say. I go out the door onto the massive porch. Cane is waiting for me in his car. As I step down, I can see the land surrounding the log cabin. I could not see all of this when I got here last night. In the daylight, I can see how gorgeous it is here.
  • I get into the car with Cane. "Ready, sister," Cane says.
  • "Yes, I think so," I answer. I am nervous not only am I started a new job, but it is with a huge company that the Alpha's son runs. Cane should know I am freaking out.
  • "Calm down, and you will be fine. Mr. Arden is a great guy besides you will hardly ever see him. You will be in my office," Cane says.
  • Cane drives us to the Arden Building in the middle of town. The town is small and looks even smaller with this massive building in the middle of it. "Why did he put this huge building here?" I ask.
  • "He wanted to be close to home. Besides, when he becomes Alpha, he will still want to keep an eye on his business," Cane says.
  • Cane swipes his key so the parking gate will open. We go into the parking deck and park the car. I get out of the car. I am so nervous I feel like I am going to be sick.
  • "Calm down; you will be fine," Cane says.
  • "I am fine; stop worrying about me," I say. I look up to see a picture of a man on the wall as we are going into the elevator.
  • "Who is that?" I ask.
  • "That is Mr. Arden," Cane says.
  • "Wow," I respond as the elevator closes and we go up to the top floor.