Page 19 of Only Ever Mine

As soon as Scarlett left the office, I pulled out my phone and dialed.

It rang once before my older brother’s voice came through the line. “Christian.”

I didn’t even try to hide my excitement. “She agreed.”

Cole let out a low hum, the kind that immediately told me he wasn’t going to feed into my moment of victory.

“She agreed to a trial partnership,” he corrected. “Don’t start celebrating just yet.”

I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair. “Jesus, Cole. Can’t you let me haveonemoment to enjoy this?”

“I’ll let you have a moment when you’ve actually secured the long-term deal,” he said dryly. “Right now, this is the easy part.”

I frowned. “Easy? You realize how much work it took to get her to agree to this in the first place?”

“I do.” There was a pause, then Cole sighed. “Look, I’m happy for you. I am. But don’t let your excitement make you sloppy. You and I both know things don’t always go as planned.”

I didn’t miss the warning in his tone.

And unfortunately, he wasn’t wrong.

This wasn’t my first business deal, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be my last. I knew that success wasn’t guaranteed.

I knew that despite how much I wanted this to work, there were still a hundred different ways it could go sideways.

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to give it everything I had.

Cole chuckled, sensing my silence. “And don’t pretend this is just about business. You’re in deep, little brother.”

I scowled. “Screw you.”

He laughed, then hung up, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

The celebration was short-lived.

The next morning, I was reviewing financial projections when my assistant, Eric, knocked and stepped into my office.

“There’s something you should know,” he said, setting his tablet down on my desk.

I glanced up. “What is it?”

He hesitated for a beat before speaking. “I’ve started hearing a few... whispers. About Scarlett.”

That got my attention.

I sat up straighter. “What kind of whispers?”

Eric shifted, clearly uncomfortable.

“People are questioning whether she’s ready for this kind of expansion. Some are saying she’s too inexperienced to take Amélie international.” He paused.

I impatiently gestured for Eric to continue.

“And there’s some speculation about whether she really deserves this opportunity—or if she’s only getting it because of you,” Eric said.

My jaw clenched.

I’d been in business long enough to know how quickly rumors could spread, how easily they could poison a reputation.

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