Chapter 83
Claire's POV:
I hadn't slept.
The screen glowed in the dark, casting blue light across my unwashed face. My hair hung in greasy tangles. I'd been refreshing since 5 AM, posting comment after comment.
"Unmarried with a kid and still chasing billionaires? Shameless."
"Single mom trying to land a Sterling. Good luck with that baggage."
Each refresh brought more likes, more shares—
I refreshed again.
Nothing.
I blinked. Scrolled. The thread was gone.
"What the fuck?" I typed Maya's name into the search bar.
Zero results.
I tried Instagram. Twitter. Even LinkedIn.
Nothing.
Every post, every photo, every mention of Maya Bennett and that kid had vanished.
"How is this possible?" My voice pitched higher. "Did the site crash?"
My phone rang.
I hit decline.
It rang again.
"What? I'm busy—I don't need whatever you're selling—"
"Miss Ashford. This is HR from Sterling Global Holdings."
I froze.
"Oh." I forced a smile. "You're calling to tell me I don't have to transfer to Rochester, right?"
A pause.
"Miss Ashford, you're correct that you won't be going to Rochester."
Relief flooded through me. Yes.
Yes. Relief crashed through me like a wave. He saw it. He finally saw what she really is.
Adam had read everything. He must have been furious. Disgusted. And now—now he was keeping me here. At headquarters. Close to him.
This is it. He's finally choosing me.
My heart raced. After everything, he was finally seeing me.
"Thank you," I breathed into the phone. "Thank you so much. I knew—"
"You've been terminated, effective immediately." The voice cut through my fantasy like a knife. "You're also on Sterling Global's permanent blacklist."
The room tilted.
"What?"
"Have a good day, Miss Ashford."
The line went dead.
Someone knocked on my door.
Two men in dark suits stepped inside.
"Get out! I'm calling the police—"
"Mr. Sterling sent us," one said flatly. "We're here for the files."
"What files?"
"All materials pertaining to Maya Bennett and her daughter."
They didn't wait. One unplugged my laptop. The other opened drawers, pulling out folders, USB drives, every note I'd scribbled.
"You can't just take my stuff!"
"These materials were obtained through illegal surveillance. Mr. Sterling is confiscating them as evidence."
Within five minutes, they were done.
"Tell Adam I was trying to help—"
The taller one glanced back. "Mr. Sterling said if you contact him, Miss Bennett, or anyone associated with them again, he'll pursue legal action. Harassment. Stalking. Defamation."
The door shut.
I threw my pillow across the room and screamed.
---
Maya's POV:
I turned back to the stove, cracking eggs with more force than necessary.
My phone buzzed.
I grabbed it—Julian's name.
Adam crossed his arms. "Are you going to answer that?"
I swiped to answer. "Mr. Garrison."
"Maya." His voice was tight. "Are you okay? I saw those posts online—"
"I'm fine. Just taking the day off to be with Amy."
"If you need anything, call me."
"I will. Thank you."
I hung up.
Adam's eyes were cold. "You should quit."
I let out a humorless laugh. "Excuse me?"
"Garrison Industries. You should quit."
"And why would I do that?"
"Because Julian's into you, Maya. He's been circling since Cleveland."
"You're being ridiculous."
"Am I?" He stalked toward me. "He calls you after hours. Gives you gifts. Proposed to you—"
His voice turned rough. "He wants you. And you're still working for him—"
"He's my boss."
"Exactly. Which makes him a creep."
I set the spatula down hard. "I'm not quitting."
He grabbed a tomato, handing it to me. "Here. You're burning the eggs."
I blinked.
Shit.
I snatched the tomato and started slicing.
Adam moved around the kitchen, washing vegetables, reaching for seasonings like he belonged here.
"You're in my way," I muttered.
"I'm helping." He shot me a grin. "Learning. So I can cook for you and Amy every day."
I bit back a smile.
"Your face is too beautiful for cooking fumes," he continued shamelessly. "And your hands—so soft. You shouldn't be washing dishes. That's my job now."
"You're delusional."
"I'm motivated." His arm brushed mine. "Move in with me. My place is huge. You'd save on rent—"
"You're insane."
"I'm practical—" His hand slid to my waist. "Come on, Maya. No more cramped apartment—"
I knocked his hand away. "No."
"Why not?"
"Because rent is a small price to pay. Sleeping with you isn't."
Adam's gaze dropped to my mouth. "Would that be so bad?"
"Yes."
"Liar."
I turned back to the stove. "I'm not moving in with you. End of discussion."
"Fine. Then I'll give you a house."
I choked. "You'll what?"
"A house. Three miles from here. Good school district. I'll put it in your name."
"I don't want it."
He straightened, eyes blazing. "I'm giving you what you wanted five years ago. Money. Security. You wanted to marry someone rich—you dumped me because I wasn't—"
"That was then!" I shouted. "I was twenty-one and stupid and scared—"
"And now I do have money," he cut in, voice harsh. "More than you could ever spend. So why won't you take it?"
"Because it's not about the money anymore!"
Silence crashed down.
Adam stared. "Then what is it about?"
I looked away, throat tight.
He stepped closer. "Tell me, Maya. Tell me how to fix this."
I pulled away. "You can't. It's already broken."
His jaw clenched. "You still have feelings for me. You wouldn't have kept Amy if you didn't—"
"Don't." My voice cracked. "Don't use her against me."
"I'm not—Maya, you're being difficult for no reason—"
"Difficult?" I spun around, eyes burning. "I'm being difficult because I won't just fall into your arms? Because I won't forgive you?"
"Tell me, Adam. In those five years—did you ever think about coming back? About finding me?"
He went still.
"No," I said, the word bitter on my tongue. "You didn't. You were relieved I was gone."
"Maya—"
"I regretted it," I continued, tears spilling over. "I regretted breaking up with you. I regretted saying those awful things. But you? You regretted ever meeting me. You regretted wasting a year of your life on someone like me."
"You vanished, Adam. You erased every trace of yourself from my life. And now you show up, throwing money at me, expecting me to what—be grateful? Fall at your feet because you're some billionaire Boston Brahmin who deigned to notice me again?"
"Stop it," he said roughly. "That's not—"
"Yes, I should be honored," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Adam Sterling wants me back. I should be thanking my lucky stars. I should throw myself into your arms and let you take care of me and Amy, live off your fortune—"
"Maya, please—"
"But I don't want to." My voice dropped to a whisper.
I can't get past it.
"I was wrong," he said hoarsely. "I fucked up, I know that—"
"It doesn't matter." I wrapped my arms around myself. "We can't go back."
"Then what are we?" His voice broke. "What do you want from me?"
I met his eyes, forcing my voice to steady.
"We're Amy's parents," I said quietly. "That's all we are. That's all we'll ever be."