Ruthless Rival by L.J. Shen

Author:L.J. Shen [Shen, L.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Montlake
Published: 2022-05-02T16:00:00+00:00

Later that evening, Arsène and I were in a trendy SoHo bar when we met Jason Hatter, a nice enough chap who’d gone to Harvard Law School with me. He spotted us from across the bar, kissed his date’s cheek, and made his way to us. He told us he’d recently made it to partner at his own firm, but he looked about as jolly as a man who had to lick armpits for a living.

“You’re still not partner?” Jason asked, more surprised than cocky about it. He was a nice guy, but he sure was as tactless as a used napkin.

“Christian is still working his charms on Daddy and Daddy.” Arsène patted the small of my back, like I was his date or some shit. I swatted his hand away with a glare.

“I’ll be made partner this year,” I told Jason.

“Well, I don’t doubt it. You have made yourself quite a name. My girlfriend’s asking if you’re seeing anyone.”

I thought about Arya, not Claire, before shaking my head. “But no offense, pal, I’m not into the whole threesome thing.”

Jason laughed. “I meant she wants to set you up with a friend.”

“Oh.” I frowned. “Not into that either.”

After Jason left, Arsène turned to look at me, a smirk full of triumph playing on his lips. “Back to your story. Just so we’re on the same wavelength here, you’re saying you chased her down the street?”

I cradled my brandy, rubbing my knuckles over my jaw. “Correct.”

“And then,” Arsène continued, speaking extra slowly, staring at me like I should be wearing a helmet, because I was a danger to myself and everyone around me, “you bet her you could make her sleep with you, even though you don’t even have her phone number?”

“I do have her phone number,” I pointed out. “She just didn’t technically volunteer it to me.”

“Define technically.”

“I asked my secretary to find it.”

Arsène nodded silently, letting me digest just how crazy it sounded to an outsider.

“Then you almost kissed her.”

“But I didn’t.”

“Because . . . ?”

“That would complicate things.”

This one was a lie. Truth was, I’d known she’d push me away, and I was biding my time.

“Sorry to break it to you, bud, but the train of complicated has departed. You’re in dumpster-fire territory. Bottom line is, you’re toast,” Arsène said matter-of-factly. “You never cross the line of professionalism. With Arya, you ran over that bitch with a Formula One car, then did doughnuts on it.”

“Don’t make me the saint I’m not.” I swirled my drink in its tumbler. And then, because apparently I now wanted to prove my lack of professionalism, “I had sex with Claire.”

“Some sex it was. The woman was more vanilla than a fudge-cake ice cream. You kept her around out of sheer convenience and did everything in your power to keep your affair under wraps. Plus, it didn’t even last three months.”

“Claire was bad press, even after I informed HR about us.” I waved him off. “She works under me.”

“Not in the way she’d like.

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