Page 81 of Miss Manage

Considering my sources had indicated it was down to the two of us, it was a logical leap to assume I’d gotten the job.

Reggie smiled. “We haven’t made a final decision yet. Gabriel’s reaction… Well, it only confirmed our instincts were on target to take a little more time.”

“I see.”

Ronald nodded, always the echo. “We’ve narrowed the pool, though. Probably one more round of interviews.”

One more round? Every indication had suggested this was the final phase.

Reggie stood, signaling the meeting was over. “We’ll be in touch soon, Charlotte. And hopefully it goes without saying that we appreciate everything you do.”

A rare compliment, especially from him. But it slid right past me, dulled by my swirling emotions over Gabriel’s actions. I managed a polite smile anyway. “Of course. It’s a pleasure.”

My voice sounded steadier than I felt.

By the time the Uber dropped me off in front of my house, exhaustion pressed me flat. I’d expected to feel disappointment about the postponement of my promotion. Instead, all I could think about was Gabriel. How I’d let myself hope he’d be different. That he wouldn’t use my vulnerability as leverage.

He’d texted me while I was in the meeting, followed by a call. I ignored both. I didn’t want to hear it.

I thanked the driver and turned toward the house before stopping cold.

Gabriel sat on my front step, elbows on his knees, head lifting the moment he saw me.

For a beat, I just stood there, the weight of the day pressing down until I could hardly breathe. I straightened my shoulders, forcing a composure I didn’t feel, and started up the walk.

“Charlotte.” Gabriel met me halfway, his expression open and earnest. “I’m so damn glad to see you. We need to talk.”

He stepped forward, reaching for me, hugging me tight.

When I didn’t reciprocate, he pulled away, his head cocking to the side. “What’s going on? Did you get my texts and voicemail? They took my phone, so I had to stop and get a new one. It took over an hour to get everything transferred over, and it delayed me calling you.”

I barely registered what he was saying. “I was busy meeting with the owners.”

He searched my face, his voice careful. “Okay…and what did they say?”

“How about you go first?” My tone came out cold and detached although my pulse was anything but.

His brow furrowed. “They called me in and offered me the CEO job. And when I mentioned I’d thought you were the frontrunner, they said they’d never put a woman in the CEO seat.”

A disbelieving laugh left my throat. “That doesn’t even make sense. They offered you the job and somehow you’re fired?”

His jaw clenched. “Why would I lie?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I snapped, my voice cutting through the space between us. “Maybe the same reason you broke my confidence and told them everything about San Francisco and Julian.”

Color crept up his neck, and his jaw tightened. “It’s not what you think. I was defending you.”

“Bullshit.” The word cracked out before I could stop it. “You were angry when they told you the job wasn’t yours, and you needed someone to blame. So you dragged me down with you.”

His expression was furious. “I don’t know what kind of bullshit they fed you, but why on earth would I do that to anyone? Let alone the woman I’m in love with?”

I froze, refusing to let the words take root. “I think we both know.”

Because the CEO seat mattered more to him than I ever would.

His expression hardened, all the warmth bleeding out. “If you’d rather believe the worst because you have trust issues, then fine. But tell me this, Charlotte. Are you the new CEO? After they fed you these lies about me and about what actually happened during my meeting with them, did they offer you the job?”

My silence was answer enough.

“Yeah,” he bit out. “That’s what I thought. Have fun being their placeholder until they hand it to some man who won’t give a damn how they treat you.”

Before I could respond, he spun on his heel and strode down the walk to his car. Down the street, the slam of his car door echoed in the night.

He was gone.