Page 3 of Only Fate

I stand from my chair and head straight to the corner office that should be mine. Angel and my other coworkers follow me.

It’s one thing to earn a promotion, but tobuy one?

That’s the ultimate smack in the face.

When I reach the doorway, I find him sitting behind the desk.

Adrian Castillo.

The certified thorn in my side.

A man who’s made me experience every emotion in the world.

Happiness, then love, and then heartbreak.

Our lives once secretly revolved around each other’s.

But now, we act like two people who hate each other. No one knows our history, nor will they ever.

Starting today, he’ll also be my boss.

A pang forms in my chest.

Don’t do it, Essie.

Don’t freaking do it.

Unfortunately, I do it.

Adrian stares at me from across the room when I burst inside his office without knocking. A smirk spreads along his gorgeous tan face in slow motion.

He looks so much the same yet different than he did years ago in college.

Manlier.

Instead of baggy, wrinkled sweatshirts, he’s wearing a black suit with a black tie. His cuff links are new and expensive. Thegreen hue in his eyes is more pronounced now that he’s swapped his black-rimmed glasses for contacts. His dark hair is shorter and not as wild as it once was. I hate how tamed it is now. He used to run his fingers through the thick strands while concentrating on a problem he couldn’t figure out.

I like that he’s not the same man I fell in love with.

But I hate that there are still traces of him there.

Since he joined the firm, I’ve done everything to avoid him: take the stairs—my glutes will thank him for that—come into work early, and leave later.

“You bribed them?” I cross my arms and stand in front of his desk.

His smirk stays as he scratches his cheek. “What are you talking about?”

“You gave the partners baseball tickets in exchange formy promotion.”

He shrugs. “Gifting tickets to your bosses isn’t illegal. You’re an attorney. You should know that.”

“Yes, but some might consider it unethical.”

“Who’s some?” He points at me. “You?”

“Meand …” I peer at the doorway, where my coworkers stand, and wait for backup.

They give me nothing.

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