Page 20 of Only Ever Mine

And in an industry as ruthless as ours, even a hint of doubt could be damaging.

Scarlett had worked her ass off to build Amélie into one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. She earned this opportunity.

And I’d be damned if I let someone try to take that away from her.

“Do we know where this is coming from?” I asked, keeping my voice calm.

Eric shook his head. “Not yet. But I can keep an ear out.”

I nodded. “Do that. And if you hear anything else, I want to know immediately.”

He hesitated again. “Do you want me to put out a statement?”

I exhaled sharply, considering it.

If we addressed it publicly, it could draw even more attention to the rumors, giving them more weight than they deserved.

But if we ignored them entirely, it might look like we had something to hide.

For now, I wanted more information.

“No statement,” I decided. “Not yet. Just keep your eyes and ears open.”

Eric nodded. “Understood.”

As he left, I leaned back in my chair, running a hand over my jaw.

Who the hell was trying to undermine Scarlett?

And more importantly?—

How far were they willing to go?

One thing was clear:

This deal might have been signed, and I wasn’t about to let anyone tear Scarlett down.

I sat in the back of my car, my fingers drumming against my thigh as the city lights blurred past the tinted windows.

The bottle of vintage Champagne I’d brought rested in the seat beside me, and I had to stop myself from checking my watch again.

Scarlett had agreed to our partnership, and tonight, I wanted to celebrate. Properly.

I’d arranged another private dinner—not just because I wanted her all to myself.

Okay, maybe that was part of it.

But more than that, I wanted this to mean something. I wasn’t interested in just another business dinner.

I wanted her undivided attention. I wanted her to see that this—we—were worth exploring.

Which was why I’d called in a favor.

One of Scarlett’s favorite chefs, a notoriously hard-to-book talent, had agreed to cook for us tonight.

A personal meal, something crafted just for her.

I had momentarily debated whether inviting her out again this quickly was too soon.

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