Chapter 4

• I woke up to the sound of loud knocking on my door. My head pounded, my cheeks sticky with dried tears from the night before.
• The knocking came again, sharper this time.
• “Who’s there?” I called out, my voice hoarse from crying.
• There was no response, but the persistent knocking continued. Fear gripped me as I swung my legs off the bed.
• It’s her, isn’t it?
• My stomach churned at the thought of Vanessa standing there, ready to tear me apart again.
• I dragged myself to the door, hesitating as my hand hovered over the knob. The banging grew louder.
• “For God’s sake, Claire, open the damn door!” Nathan’s voice boomed from the other side, making me jump.
• Quickly, I unlocked the door and cracked it open. His tall, intimidating frame loomed over me, and his cold glare made me shrink back.
• “What took you so long?” he barked, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.
• “I… I wasn’t sure who it was,” I stammered, keeping my eyes down. “I’m sorry.”
• “Sorry doesn’t cut it,” he snapped. “Get dressed. We’re going out.”
• I blinked up at him, confused. “Out? Where—”
• “Stop asking questions and just get ready,” he cut in, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I’ll be waiting.”
• Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the doorway.
• I sighed, closing the door and leaning against it for a moment before dragging myself to the bathroom.
• I washed my face, tied my hair into a neat ponytail, and slipped into a simple white dress. I wasn’t much for makeup, so I just added a bit of lip gloss to brighten my appearance.
• When I finally stepped out, I found Nathan pacing in the living room, his arms crossed and his jaw tight.
• “Finally,” he snapped as soon as he saw me. “What the hell took you so long?”
• I bit back the urge to roll my eyes. This man has zero patience.
• “I’m sorry,” I muttered instead, keeping my tone polite.
• He didn’t respond, just turned on his heel and walked out the door. I followed him, struggling to keep up with his long strides as we made our way to the car.
• The ride was silent, tense. I kept my hands folded in my lap, staring out the window. The city blurred past us, but my mind was too preoccupied to take in the sights.
• When we finally pulled up to a towering glass building, I felt my stomach drop. The name “CDI Tech” was boldly displayed across the front.
• “This is your company,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
• Nathan didn’t acknowledge my statement. He simply stepped out of the car and began walking toward the entrance. I hesitated for a moment before hurrying to catch up.
• As we entered the sleek, modern lobby, I felt small and out of place.
• Everyone we passed was impeccably dressed, their confident strides and sharp looks making me feel even more insignificant in my simple white dress.
• We were almost to the elevators when someone called out to Nathan.
• “Mr. Shaw!”
• Nathan stopped and turned, his expression annoyed. A man in a tailored suit hurried over, holding a folder.
• Nathan glanced at me briefly. “Take the elevator to the top floor,” he instructed, his voice as cold as ever. “I’ll meet you there.”
• I nodded, even though my nerves were starting to get the better of me. “Okay.”
• He turned back to the man, already deep in conversation as I walked toward the elevator.
• Just as the doors slid open, I was expecting an empty space, but someone stepped out.
• Vanessa!
• She was dressed in a figure-hugging red dress, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Her hair was styled to perfection, and her makeup was flawless.
• The moment her eyes landed on me, a smirk curled at her lips.
• “Well, well,” she said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “If it isn’t the little charity case.”
• I stiffened, gripping my hands together tightly. “Vanessa,” I said cautiously, trying to keep my voice neutral.
• Her eyes swept over me, lingering on my simple dress and lack of makeup. She let out a soft laugh. “White, huh? Bold choice, considering you look like a mess.”
• I said nothing, refusing to rise to her bait.
• Her smirk widened. She held a cup of coffee in her hand, and my eyes flicked to it nervously.
• “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
• “Funny,” she said, tilting her head. “I was about to ask you the same thing. You don’t belong here, Claire. Not in this building, not in Nathan’s life.”
• I swallowed hard, willing myself to stay calm. “I’m here because he brought me here.”
• She let out a sharp laugh, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, sweetheart. You really think that means something? You’re nothing more than a nuisance to him. He’s just too polite to say it outright.”
• I clenched my fists, but before I could respond, she took a step closer.
• “You know,” she said, holding up her coffee cup, “you really shouldn’t wear white if you can’t keep it clean.”
• Before I could process her words, she tilted the cup forward, the dark liquid spilling out and splashing onto my dress.
• I gasped, stepping back as the hot coffee soaked into the fabric. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I shouted, my voice trembling with anger.
• She feigned innocence, covering her mouth with a hand. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, her tone anything but apologetic. “It was an accident.”
• The people in the lobby had started to notice, their curious gazes burning into me. I felt humiliation rise in my chest like a tidal wave.
• Vanessa leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I warned you to stay away from him. Consider this your first lesson.”
• I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came. I was too stunned, too angry, too humiliated to think straight.
• Vanessa straightened, flashing me a triumphant smile before walking away, her heels clicking against the floor.
• I stood there, frozen, as whispers and murmurs filled the air around me.
• My hands clenched at my sides, my heart pounding in my chest.