He Chose Her On Our Wedding Night So I Took Everything Chapter 11
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Maybe we should move to the conference room. If you stand here, everyone’s going to think they’re about to be served with a notice of breach.”
Wyatt wasn’t offended. He followed me inside.
“Perhaps I was a bit too aggressive in my collection efforts in the past.”
I poured him a cup of coffee.
As I handed it to him, my fingertips brushed the back of his hand. We both paused.
He looked away first, lowering his head to take a sip.
Everyone said he was a ruthless negotiator who never gave an inch on a bad-faith breach. But sitting across from me now, he seemed almost awkward, like a junior associate on his first client visit.
After a few sips, he finally spoke.
“Ms. Carrington…”
“Call me Elodie.”
He met my eyes.
“Elodie.”
“Vivian said the Hawthorne matter should be handled strictly according to the contract. It’s not worth any more of your time.”
“She also said…”
He stopped abruptly, the tips of his ears turning red.
“She said what?”
“She said I should come by more often, when I have time, to make sure you’re not getting overwhelmed.”
I smiled.
“Mr. Winslow, why are you so nervous just relaying a message?”
He touched his ear and answered seriously, “I just came in from outside. It’s a little warm in here.”
It was late October, and the air-conditioning was on full blast.
I didn’t call him on it. I just turned and opened my laptop.
Without the mess of Hawthorne Apparel to clean up, my own work was suddenly much clearer.
Eric had never cared about operational details. He’d always said we were going to be family, so I could just handle it.
Now it seemed all he’d ever done was leave his problems at my door.
I was reviewing a new order when Wyatt came over. He glanced at the contract and said, “This down payment is thirty percent below our standard risk threshold. Did someone approve an exception?”
“Not yet. The client is claiming cash-flow issues.”
“Then don’t sign. Have finance and legal verify their ability to perform first, then consider a staged delivery schedule.”
I looked up at him.
“A Baker Reed partner camps out here every day—don’t your other clients mind?”
“My work is taken care of.”
He paused.
“And if I stop by for coffee after hours, it’s on my own time.”
My hand stilled on the mouse.
He shifted his gaze back to the contract.
“I’ll have my team send over a revised opinion tomorrow.”
On his way out of the conference room, he nearly tripped over the edge of the rug.
I hadn’t even had time to laugh before the front desk called.
Eric was here.
He stood at the entrance to the showroom, his suit rumpled, his voice hoarse.
“Elodie, just listen to me.”
I walked past him to the reception desk.
“Eric, if this is about business, send an email. You don’t have an appointment, so I can’t see you today.”
He reached out to stop me, but a security guard stepped between us.
“I know I was wrong. I wasn’t thinking straight that night.”
“I made Maddie move out. I sent her back to her apartment, and I told her not to come around anymore.”
I flipped open the file on the reception desk.
“That’s between you and her.”
He froze, a flicker of panic crossing his face.
“How is that just between us? The wedding happened. You’re my wife.”
“We were never legally married. You’ve already received the notice terminating our relationship, as well as the notice regarding all pending cooperation.”
He slammed his hand on the desk.
“Elodie, do you really have to burn every single bridge?”
The other clients turned to stare.
Only then did Eric lower his voice.
“Maddie was the one clinging to me. I just didn’t handle it right.”
“It’s always been you I loved.”