“Ella?”I whispered, reaching out and placing my hand on her arm, trying to get her to look at me.
“No,” she said, her eyes still trained on her father.
“Ella, for once, be wise.Go talk with him,” Larson said, pulling his chair out and sitting down, placing his attention on his computer screen.
Ella stomped her foot, let out a huff, and then marched out of his office.I took off after her without another word, pulling her father’s door closed behind me.
“What do you want, Lucas?”she asked, her back to me, her arms crossed in front of her as she stared out the fourth-floor window.“I am trying to resign.”
“Don’t be stupid, Ella.Don’t throw away an amazing career.You are great at what you do.”
“That might be, but I am just here because my father got me the job, remember?At least that is what you’ve always said, and it appears you are right.”
“I never meant it.I only said that to get under your skin.”
“Well, mission accomplished.”She sniffled.
“Look, I’m sorry.I never thought you’d take those words to heart.I used to bust your ass all the time when we dated.”
“Well, I was a different person then.”
“What changed?”I asked.
“What didn’t?”she said, rubbing her upper arms as if she were cold.“Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk to me about that couldn’t wait?”she asked, finally turning to me.
I’d said that just to pull her out of the situation.What I needed and wanted to say really should be said when we were out of earshot of her father.
“It can wait,” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
She gave me an irritated look and made her way over to me.I moved in front of the door to her father’s office, blocking her.She stopped and, with her jaw clenched, she met my eyes.
“Lucas, get out of my way.”
“Ella, I will not stand here and allow you to make the biggest mistake of your life.This job is you.We need you here.”
“Lucas, please, the Dominators will be fine without me.Now please…” she said, pushing past me.
She was just about to push open her father’s door when panic flooded me.
“Dominators may be fine without you, but I won’t be,” I said.
“Lucas, now isn’t the time for this.”
“I’m serious, Ella.”
“Lucas, please, next thing you’re going to tell me is that you didn’t get someone to annul this stupid marriage,” she said loud enough I was certain her father would hear.
Had I found someone?I had, I’d kept my word.Had I booked an appointment for us?I’d done that too.
“When?”she asked, turning toward me, her back to her father’s office door.
“When what?”I questioned, just as her father’s office door opened and he stood there staring at me.
Instead of making eye contact with him, I continued to stare at Ella.
“Lucas, when is the annulment?”she demanded.
It was wrong of me not to stop her, but she needed to know I was serious about my feelings, and if this was the only way I was going to prove to her I was serious, fuck it.I’d take my life in my hands.
