Rapid footsteps echoed in the lobby, and she turned to see Lawson chasing after them. His tie was loose at his neck, and a vein in his temple throbbed. He stopped just behind them, panting for breath. Moments later, Alec rounded the corner, wearing a greasy smile.

"Mr. Blair," Lawson panted. "I was hoping to catch you. When we spoke before, I didn't get the chance to introduce you to my son, Alec."

​​

Alec held out his hand, and a jeweled class ring glittered on his finger. Sean nodded cooly at Alec, refusing to take his hand.

"I didn't realize there were so many Stewarts working here," he said.

Lawson flinched, and Alec's smile faltered.

"Well, after Cathy's layoffs, it's just the two of us," Lawson said, tugging absently at his tie. "Anyway, I wanted to invite you and Cathy to dinner tonight. I've been thinking about our earlier conversation, and I want you to know that I'm fully invested in helping Feather Textile grow and succeed."

"I hope so," Sean said. "Come on, Catherine, let's go."

"Please," Lawson said. "I know things have been a bit rocky, but I think a nice family dinner can solve it all. Melanie specifically asks that you both come."

"We're busy," Sean said, his voice flat and final.

The elevator pinged, and he tugged her into the elevator. Both Alec and Lawson stared at them as the doors slid shut—Lawson's expression was shocked, Alec's furious.

"I'm getting a bit tired of them," Sean said.

She sighed, "Me too. But Lawson still holds shares in the company—we can't get rid of him entirely."

"Not yet," Sean agreed. "But soon."

He helped her into the car and drove halfway across the city, pulling the car into the valet at a tall glass and steel building. Without a word, he led her inside up to the top floor and into a restaurant. Their steps echoed on the polished concrete floor, and she took a slow look around—the design was simple, almost bare. Pale wood decorated the walls, and simple, sleek tables and chairs sat clustered around the floor.

A maitre'd appeared and ushered them wordlessly to a table at the back, pulling out her chair for her. She sat and glanced down at the menu. The restaurant's name was written in simple calligraphy on the front—she vaguely recognized it as the most exclusive sushi restaurant in the city. She scanned the menu, barely paying attention to what she ordered, and when the food came, she ate it without tasting it.

"What's wrong?" Sean finally asked.

"Nothing," she replied.

"You're very quiet," he said.

"Just thinking," she answered.

"About what?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, forcing a smile.

He gave her a long, searching look and finally nodded and looked away. She let out a quiet sigh of relief and went back to thinking about work. She thought about her ransacked office and the post-it note left on her computer. She wanted to know who'd done it, but it was impossible to figure it out. It was just her second day, and almost everyone at the company hated her. It could have been one of the managers, a random employee, or even Alec himself. She sighed again.

"Tell me," Sean said.

"I'm just tired," she lied. "Do you mind if we go home?"

His forehead creased with concern, but he nodded.

On the car ride home, she closed her eyes and rested her cheek against the cool glass of the window. A sense of hopelessness flooded her. What if Sean was right? What if her plans for the company were too ambitious? What if it was impossible to save it in time? How could she possibly undo four years of damage in just a few months?

Her phone buzzed in her purse, and she opened her eyes. She picked it up and found a new message from Sophia. She tapped open and scanned the message: Just heard that Susan, Lily, and Ivy got expelled from King's—before the year even started. Weird right?

Catherine stared at the message in shock and slowly typed a response: Yes, super weird. Do you know why?

Sophia replied immediately: No, but I can guess.

She bit her lip and typed a response: Do you think H is behind it?

She stared down at the phone, waiting for a response. Three dots appeared as Sophia typed her answer: Do you?

She bit her lip and read the question again before typing a reply: He wouldn't.

Her phone buzzed again, and she read another message from Sophia: But that's not all. Apparently, their parents were transferred to offices abroad—the families are moving away from London.

She dropped her phone back into her purse and stared at Sean. In profile, he looked like a Greek sculpture—his strong jawline, aristocratic nose, long eyelashes, and determined forehead. The sun illuminated his hair, casting it in a golden glow. He was distractingly handsome.

"Sean," she finally said.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"I just got some news," she said. "Some of my old classmates were suddenly expelled from King's."

"Oh?" he asked.

"Not only that," she said. "They're all leaving London."

"Were these good friends of yours?" he asked, his voice completely neutral.

"Not exactly," she said. "In fact, we had some conflicts."

"Well then, I guess you won't be sorry to see them go," he said.

"No," she replied. "But it's quite a coincidence, don't you think?"

"I suppose it is," he said.

"Did you have something to do with it?" she asked.

Sean kept his eyes on the road, "Do you want me to say yes?"

"I don't know," she said quietly. "It's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"Well, if I was involved, it was because they hired those men to attack you in that alley," he said.

"So you did it," she said.

"I did," he finally said. "I didn't want them to be around you."

"They're just mean teenage girls," Catherine said.

Sean turned to look at her, his eyes dark and stormy. He clenched his jaw and turned back to the road. His knuckles were white on the wheel.

"They're not," he said, sounding choked. "I don't know what kind of normal teenage girl hires men to attack her enemy."

"They were just supposed to scare me," she replied.

His jaw clenched, "Are you defending them?"

"No," she sighed. "I'm happy to see them gone. They were always nasty with me—Susan especially."

"Why?" Sean asked.

"Oh, typical things," she said vaguely.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Susan really liked Marco," she finally said. "He never gave her the time of day, and she got jealous. She and the girls were always looking for ways to break us up. They promised to make my life miserable as long as I stayed with him."

Sean's jaw clenched, and his knuckles went even whiter, "I see."