Chloe POV:
The emergency contraceptive left me feeling miserable. A pounding headache and waves of nausea made it hard for me to stay on my feet.
Going home was only a brief escape. After buying the emergency contraceptive, I still forced myself to go to Stallions headquarters. I couldn't let what happened in my personal life affect my work. This internship was too important for me to lose.
Somewhere far below, I could hear the faint scrape of skate blades and the crack of a puck against the boards—morning practice. The sound that usually calmed me only made my stomach churn today.
I sat at my intern desk in the executive suite, sorting files, trying to look normal. The turtleneck felt like it was choking me, a constant reminder of what it was hiding.
Beckett's office was at the end of the hall, its heavy oak door shut.
We hadn't spoken since I left the hotel. He was a time bomb, and I had no idea when he would go off.
I snuck a look at my banking app. The hundred thousand dollars was still there. I had to find a way to give it back.
Just as my headache reached its breaking point, the sharp click of high heels echoed down the hallway. The sound was confident and deliberate, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
I looked up and saw the last person I wanted to see. Babette was dressed in a brand-new Chanel suit, wearing oversized sunglasses like she was on a runway.
She walked straight toward Beckett's office, ignoring me completely.
"Ma'am, do you have an appointment?" I stood up, my voice shaking slightly, trying to follow protocol.
Babette took off her sunglasses. Her perfectly made-up face twisted in surprise, then disgust, when she saw it was me.
"Chloe? What are you doing here? Working as a receptionist?" She laughed, a high, sharp sound. "Oh, right. I forgot your family went broke. I guess you have to earn a living somehow."
The words were a direct hit, but I kept my face blank. "This is the executive floor. You can't go in without an appointment."
"An appointment?" Babette laughed again, as if it were the funniest joke she'd ever heard. "I'm here to see Beckett. Who the hell do you think you are to stop me?"
She tried to push past me.
Other employees were starting to notice, whispering to each other.
I couldn't let her in. Not just because of the rules, but because I couldn't let her see Beckett. I didn't know what kind of relationship they had, but every instinct told me that letting her through that door would only lead to trouble.
I took a deep breath and blocked her path again, my voice firm. "I'm sorry, it's my job."
My persistence infuriated her. Her pretty face contorted with rage.
"You're just a pathetic intern, don't act like you're somebody!" She raised her hand, her palm flying toward my face.
I flinched, closing my eyes, bracing for the impact. The pain in my stomach and head peaked in that single moment.
But the slap never came.
There was a dead silence, then a sharp crack of bone and a pained cry from Babette.
I opened my eyes. Beckett was standing in front of me, his tall frame a solid wall, completely shielding me.
He had one hand clamped around Babette's wrist, his grip so tight her skin was already turning red and purple.
His face was a mask of cold fury, but his ice-blue eyes were a raging storm.
"Who gave you the right," he said, his voice low and deadly, "to touch anyone in here?"
Babette's face went white with fear. "Beckett... I... she wouldn't let me see you..."
