THE REPLACEMENT

THE REPLACEMENT
"Get your freaking hands off my hair! And if you lay your hands on me again, I won’t take it lightly with you."

"And who gave you the right to talk to me, bitch?"

"What did you just call me?"

"You’re nothing but a bitch and a whore."

I couldn’t hold back anymore. Without hesitation, I slapped her hard across the face, the sound echoing through the room. I then grabbed her by the hair, yanking her toward the door.

I expected Eric to intervene, but instead, he stood there, laughing his ass off while Hannah screamed for help.

I shoved her out of the room, standing firm in the doorway. "Say one more word, and I swear I’ll break your mouth this time."

"Eric! I’m going to make sure you both regret this!" she shrieked before storming off.

That’s better. I was done letting people treat me like trash.

I slammed the door shut and turned around, only to find Eric still laughing like it was the funniest thing ever.

"Does any of this seem funny to you? Tell your girlfriend to stay in her lane, or I won’t be so nice next time!"

"Were you hiding this side of you all this time? I never knew you could fight back like that."

"I’m done letting anyone treat me like I don’t matter. I’ve made up my mind to be more like Brianna. The old Gia is dead."

With that, I stomped upstairs, heading straight for the bathroom. I needed a long, hot bath to wash away the frustration. But as I stepped in, reality hit me—I wasn’t in my own house.

Panic settled in. I had no clothes here, and the oversized T-shirt I’d been wearing was already drenched from the shower steam.

"Gia?"

"Don’t come in!" I yelled, clutching the curtain tightly around me.

"I just want to give you this bathrobe. You’ll need it."

"I said don’t come in!"

How the hell did I forget to lock the bathroom door?

"You don’t have to be so dramatic. I saw everything last night," he teased, chuckling.

My entire body tensed with embarrassment. "I don’t care! Just don’t come in!"

"I’m coming in."

Panic surged through me. Desperate, I grabbed the detachable showerhead, aiming it at the door. The moment he stepped in, I turned it on full blast, soaking him instantly.

"Gia, turn it off!"

"Stay away from me!"

"Why should I, when we’re getting married soon?"

His words froze me in place. That moment of distraction gave him the chance to grab the showerhead from me. I backed away, still clutching the curtain tightly around me.

"What do you mean we’re getting married?"

"We need to get married—to save the company. Let’s do it," he said, his voice steady as he pulled me closer, the curtain still wrapped around me.

Disappointment settled deep in my chest. I wanted him to say he wanted to marry me because he felt something for me, not because of business.

"I’ll find a way to save my company. I’m not marrying anyone just for that," I said, forcing my voice to stay even, though my heart ached at his response.

"Put this on," Eric said, handing me the bathrobe. His voice was firm but not unkind.

I hesitated for a moment before taking it from him. It felt warm, like he had just been holding it for a while.

"Turn around," I muttered.

"Fine." He sighed and turned his back to me, his broad shoulders shifting slightly.

The moment he did, I hurriedly slipped into the robe and tied it tightly around my waist.

"Can I turn around now?" His voice carried amusement, as if he already knew what was coming.

"Yes," I answered, rolling my eyes.

As soon as he faced me, a burst of laughter escaped his lips.

I frowned. "What’s so funny?"

Eric’s laughter only grew louder as he pointed at me. "You—just look at you!"

I glanced down at myself and groaned. The robe was huge on me, practically drowning my frame. The sleeves extended past my hands, and the bottom nearly touched the floor.

For the first time, I truly understood what Brianna meant when she said Eric was the most annoying person on the planet. This was his robe—how on earth did he expect it to fit me properly?

Annoyed, I grabbed the showerhead and aimed it right at his face, releasing a stream of cold water.

He froze.

Oh no.

The playful smirk vanished from his face as water dripped from his soaked hair, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.

I barely had a second to react before my survival instincts kicked in.

Without thinking, I dropped the showerhead and bolted out of the bathroom.

"Gia!" His voice was dangerously low, but I didn’t dare stop running.

Unfortunately, he was much faster. Within seconds, his arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me effortlessly over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

I screamed, kicking my legs wildly. "Put me down!"

"Marry me," he demanded, his voice smooth yet firm.

"What?!" I shrieked. "I don’t want to! Now put me down!"

"Then say yes to my proposal."

"Hell no! I’m not marrying you just because you’re trying to help me! What about Hannah?"

"I broke up with her," he said nonchalantly, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

My body stiffened.

I pushed against him, forcing him to set me down. My eyes searched his face, looking for any trace of a lie.

"You… broke up with Hannah?" My voice came out softer than I intended. That explained her bitter attitude this morning.

"Yeah. I never wanted to date her, but I had no choice at the time."

I stared at him, my heart pounding. "What do you mean?"

Eric sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. "Her dad wanted me to date her before he would consider signing a contract with the company. She’s his favorite, and he would do anything for her. She insisted, and I played along to get what I needed."

"But that sounds like you were just… using her," I said, a deep frown forming on my face.

"I didn’t want to," he admitted. "But her father gave me no other option."

A pang of guilt settled in my chest.

"I feel kind of bad for her," I murmured.

Eric’s expression remained indifferent. "I didn’t break up with her because of you," he added. "Her father told me to. He said she’s getting married soon. Apparently, I was just a temporary distraction."

My fists clenched.

I wasn’t mad at Hannah anymore. I was furious at her father. He wasn’t just toying with her emotions—he was controlling her entire life.

"Aren’t you angry?" I asked, expecting him to show at least some frustration.

Eric only smirked. "Not at all. I was planning to end things anyway. He just made it easier for me."

I exhaled, shaking my head. "I still feel bad for her."

"I don’t," he said simply, his tone unwavering. "Now, back to our conversation. Let’s get married. We can have the marriage registered today."

I swallowed hard.

"I can’t," I said, stepping back slightly. "I want to marry someone who actually loves me, not just for business reasons. I need to get dressed. I have to go."

Eric’s gaze darkened. His jaw clenched. "And what if I say I love you? Will you marry me then?"

My breath hitched.

"I hate seeing you around that guy from the company," he added, his voice laced with frustration.

"Do you mean Adams?"

"I don’t care what his name is," Eric muttered, his brows furrowing.

I blinked in realization. "Wait… are you jealous of Adams?"

His lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes," he admitted without hesitation. "I don’t like him being around you."

For a moment, I just stared at him, shocked.

Then, all at once, laughter bubbled out of me.

Eric, jealous? I had never seen him like this before.

The possessiveness, the frustration—it was almost cute.

Brianna’s POV

"Find me something to do. Anything! I’m losing my mind here!" I groaned, throwing my head back dramatically.

"I’m sorry, Brianna, but there’s literally nothing I can do," Dax said with a shrug.

I scowled. "I only injured my leg! It’s not like I’m paralyzed!"

"I’ll talk to the boss and see if he can find something for you."

"Good," I muttered. "In the meantime, tell me about our latest case."

His expression darkened. "A sixteen-year-old girl was killed."

I straightened immediately. "What?"

He nodded grimly. "Whoever did it raped her before killing her. We have her friend in custody, but she won’t talk. I’m convinced she knows who did it."

A chill ran down my spine. "Let me question her."

"You don’t have to," he said, almost too quickly.

A strange feeling settled in my gut. "Why not?"

He hesitated before finally sighing. "I was assigned a new partner."

My entire body tensed. "What?"

"Detective Nancy?" he called out.

The door opened, and a woman stepped in.

I stared at her, my mouth going dry.

She was about my age. Tall. Stunningly beautiful.

I was speechless.

They replaced me in less than a week.

And the worst part? She was absolutely gorgeous.