Chapter 66
I glanced at him. "You should. My car's still at the shop."
Adam's lips curved into a slight smile. "Then don't pick it up. I'll drive you and Amy from now on."
I shot him a look. "No. Where's my car? Take me to get it."
"Someone's delivering it to your place later. The shop was waiting on a part they had to ship in from out of state. They just finished the repairs today."
"How much do I owe you for the repairs?"
"You don't need to worry about it."
"I need to worry about it." My voice came out firmer than I'd intended. "I don't like owing people."
"Not even me?" He turned his head slightly, eyes finding mine.
I looked away. "Especially not you."
The car filled with silence for a few seconds.
Then Adam said quietly, "But I want you to owe me."
I sat there for a moment, knowing he wouldn't tell me the amount even if I kept asking. I dug into my bag, pulled out five hundred-dollar bills, and tossed them onto the backseat. "Make sure you pick that up when you get back."
Adam didn't respond.
After a while, he said, "I'm not staying for dinner. I have to catch a flight out of town for business."
I didn't answer.
---
The next day at work, I grabbed lunch at a restaurant near the office. Coming out, stomach pleasantly full, I nearly walked straight into Mrs. Sterling.
"Mrs. Sterling! What are you doing here?"
She beamed at me. "I missed my future granddaughter-in-law."
Heat flooded my face. "Mrs. Sterling, I already told you—Adam and I aren't like that."
"I know you're still mad at that stubborn boy. I support you making him work for it. Don't give in too easily."
"It's not that..." I struggled to find the words. "It's complicated between us. The point is, we can't be together."
"Sweetheart, Adam told me everything. He said you two were together five years ago."
He told her about Cleveland? The shock must have shown on my face.
Mrs. Sterling couldn't help defending her grandson. "The men in our family are loyal, Maya. Adam hasn't been with anyone else all these years. He's been carrying you in his heart. Whatever happened before, whatever made you two split up—give him a chance. Don't close the door completely."
My eyes stung. Knowing Adam hadn't been with anyone else—shit, that shouldn't make me feel like this. That little spark of—what? Relief? Hope? I shoved it down.
Mrs. Sterling didn't push for an answer right then. She took my hand, patting it gently. "Did you try those Cannolis I got for you last time? Did you like them?"
I smiled despite myself. "They were delicious. I loved them."
"Wonderful! Next time I'll get you some different flavors to try."
We chatted for a while longer. She didn't leave until I was almost late getting back to work, her driver pulling up in a sleek black sedan with tinted windows.
---
I watched her car disappear around the corner, then turned toward the office building.
Something wet and heavy slammed into my chest.
I screamed.
A dead kitten—matted fur sticky with blood—slid down my blouse and hit the sidewalk with a sickening thud.
Laughter rang out. High-pitched, almost hysterical.
I spun around.
Claire Ashford stood twenty feet away, doubled over, cackling like she'd just witnessed the funniest thing in her life.
I turned to walk away. Her hand shot out, nails digging into my arm.
"Don't you dare walk away from me!"
I yanked my arm free. "Miss Ashford, if you have issues, take them up with Adam."
She grabbed me again, eyes wild. "Bitch! This is all because of you! Why don't you just die?"
I shoved her back—harder than I meant to. She stumbled. I tried to run.
She came after me, blocking my path. "You think you can marry into the Sterling family? Dream on! Adam's just playing with you. He'll never marry you. Never!"
I stopped, forcing myself to meet her eyes calmly. "Miss Ashford, whether or not I marry Adam Sterling is none of your business. Fantasizing won't help you. If you keep harassing me, I'm calling the police."
Two security guards jogged over from the building entrance.
Claire bit her lip, shot me one last venomous glare, and bolted.
---
By the end of the day, everyone in Boston seemed to know that Maya Bennett was Adam Sterling's unrequited love.
The news spread like wildfire through social media, whispered in coffee shops, discussed in boardrooms.
At Garrison Industries, the shift was immediate and nauseating.
People who'd ignored me in the elevator last week now greeted me with bright smiles. Two of them—the same men who'd gossiped about me outside Sterling Global and gotten caught by Adam—were especially sickeningly sweet.
"Good afternoon, Miss Bennett!"
"Miss Bennett, do you need help with those files?"
I nodded politely, keeping my expression neutral.
Mid-afternoon, Thomas Garrison's assistant summoned me to his office. He greeted me with a warm handshake and an even warmer smile—a stark contrast to his usual cold efficiency.
"Miss Bennett, I wanted to personally commend you on your excellent work. I'm authorizing a salary increase, effective immediately."
"Thank you, Mr. Garrison." I kept my voice professional.
We chatted for half an hour about nothing important. He asked about my daughter, complimented my organizational skills, mentioned how "valuable" I was to the company.
All because of Adam.
Walking back to my desk, I felt sick.
I wanted to draw clear boundaries between Adam and myself. I wanted these people to understand we weren't together.
But the more I tried to separate our lives, the more tangled they became. And no one listened when I tried to explain.
---
My phone buzzed with Chloe's number.
"Maya, did you get back together with that asshole?"
"No." I sighed, sinking into my office chair. "Let me explain what actually happened."
I walked her through everything—Claire's lies, the confrontation at Sterling Global, Adam's very public declaration that I was his "unrequited love."
"That Claire bitch is insane!" Chloe's voice crackled with fury. "Pretending to be his girlfriend to warn you off? God, the audacity. At least Adam shut her down in front of everyone. I'll give him credit for that—he's got a clear head and doesn't play games. Now everyone knows you're the one he wants."
She paused. "So... what are you thinking?"
My brain felt like it was full of static. "Chloe, I honestly don't know."
Mrs. Sterling's words kept playing in my head. He hasn't been with anyone else. Part of me wanted to believe that mattered.
But another voice kept screaming: Don't be stupid. Don't go back.
"Honestly?" Chloe's tone softened. "I'm starting to see Adam differently. The fact that he publicly acknowledged you in front of all those people—that takes guts. He's not hiding you or playing both sides. And you can't let him go anyway, Maya. You still love him. And there's Amy to think about."
She took a breath. "Maybe you should give him a real chance this time."