My Ex Regrets Dumping Me For His Ex

Diego's expression went tight. "Lila wouldn't do that."

He'd always known the woman across the desk was beautiful—the kind of beautiful that didn't announce itself and didn't need to. But something about her today was different, and he felt an unexpected, unwelcome urge to reach across and pull her out of that chair.

"Friendly reminder, Mr. Ramos—three minutes left. Sure you want to spend them on small talk?" Her voice cut through it, brisk and anything but polite.

"What's your angle here?" The words came out tight, slow and measured, like he was holding something down. Under her steady gaze, the irritation went out of him. "We want your firm on Ramos Enterprises' security. Can we discuss it?"

Audrey straightened her collar, pushing down the wave of sadness rising in her chest. "As a goodwill gesture, we'll cover your immediate needs today. Anything long-term goes through our deputy director, Reid Medina. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another meeting."

She rose and walked out, leaving Diego with nowhere to put his anger. She'd taken those systems down on purpose. She had to have.

Almost without deciding to, he caught her arm in the corridor and backed her against the wall. "Audrey—"

The door swung open. Jason came in fast and stopped dead. "Mr. Ramos. We have a situation."

"What?" Diego turned, ice-cold.

Jason stammered, staring at Audrey like he couldn't unsee it. "It's Lila. She tried to hurt herself. She's at the hospital."

"What?" Diego's whole bearing sharpened. He shot an accusing look at Audrey, then turned back to Jason. "Stay here. Finish the security negotiation." He was already moving toward the elevator.

Lila had been struggling with depression for years, and today had pushed her under. Had she found out he'd gone to see Audrey?

He needed to get to her.

"Yes, Mr. Ramos." Jason nodded, the weight of it settling on his shoulders.

Audrey watched him go, and the wall she'd spent two days building came down all at once. She slid to the floor, tears spilling over before she could stop them.

Whatever she did, somehow it was always her fault. She was starting to understand how that worked: when a man has already decided he doesn't want you, everything you do is the wrong thing.

A soft knock. "Ms. Griffin? May I come in?" Reid's voice, careful and kind.

She wiped her face, pulled herself together, and got back behind her desk. "Come in."

Love was a bad investment. Work, at least, paid out.

"Ms. Griffin, do we want the Ramos Enterprises job?" Reid asked carefully.

Their calendar was full. Taking it meant overtime for half the floor. And Ramos Enterprises' architecture was top-tier—beating the current build would take Audrey herself, and Reid couldn't tell whether she had the stomach for it.

"Like I said. Standard procedure. Do I need to repeat myself?"

"Understood." Reid hurried out with the files.

He was still annoyed when he got back to his own office, and he didn't bother rolling out the welcome mat for Jason. "Ms. Griffin has approved emergency support, out of consideration for her history with Mr. Ramos. Beyond that, we're booked. If Ramos Enterprises wants a full rebuild, you go on the list, and I can't tell you when we'll reach you. Emergency call-out is two hundred thousand. Sign here if that works for you."

He slid the form across the desk and didn't move.

They thought they could push Ms. Griffin around. Not anymore.

Jason felt a headache starting behind his eyes. They were being difficult on purpose, and everybody in the room knew it. This was Diego's mess. Why was he the one mopping it up?

He signed anyway, and decided on the spot that any further dealings with SecureTech belonged to Diego personally.

Once the payment cleared, Jason looked up. "Who are you sending with me?"

Their firewall could go down any minute.

"Ms. Griffin is handling this one herself. Go ahead. We'll be right behind you." Reid gestured for a secretary to walk him out, then went to tell Audrey.

She was the only person alive who knew that system end to end. It had to be her.

SecureTech had become the biggest firm in the world because every build was bespoke, every client had a named specialist, and nobody ever got handed off to a call center.

On his way to the elevator, Jason's phone buzzed. He read the message and called Diego. "Mr. Ramos, the birthday gift you ordered has arrived."

---

Across town, Lila Stone was a wreck.

"Why did you save me?" she whispered. "I heard about the company. It's Audrey, isn't it? If I hadn't come back, she wouldn't be doing this to you. I don't want you hurt because of me." She covered her face and sobbed.

Diego's brow furrowed. He thought of how cold Audrey's eyes had been that afternoon, and the irritation flared again. He stroked Lila's hair. "It's not your fault. I'll handle Audrey. You focus on getting better."

"Really?" Lila looked up, eyes swimming, and burrowed into his chest. "As long as you're all right, that's all I care about. Don't be hard on her. She can do whatever she wants to me, as long as it doesn't touch you."

He patted her back. "You've always been too kind. Get some sleep. I'll go once you're out—there's still work waiting."

Lila curled obediently under the blanket, a small smile tugging at her mouth. As long as Diego still cared, that was enough.

Audrey could meet with him all she liked. In the end, she'd be the one stepping aside.

---

Audrey arrived at Ramos Enterprises with her laptop under her arm.

Three years of marriage, and this was the first time she'd set foot in the building. She almost laughed. She'd never once come here as Mrs. Ramos.

Jason walked her up to IT himself.

The company was usually buttoned-up to the point of dullness. Today it was chaos.

Inside IT, everyone was hunched over a screen, typing fast, patching holes. The tension was thick enough to chew.

The department head—a man in his forties with a buzz cut—was sweating through his shirt as he circled the room, glancing at the door every few seconds, waiting for Jason to come back with the expert.

Then he saw a woman who looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine, carrying nothing but a laptop, and his hopes crashed.

Doug Keller walked over, skepticism all over his face. "Jason. This is who you brought?"

One look and anyone could tell she was decoration. Could she really handle an architecture like theirs?

"Jason, this isn't a joke."

His voice carried. Heads came up around the room. Whispers started.

"She doesn't look as competent as our interns."

"This is a joke. We might not close the breach, but at least we're holding. She'll finish the job the attackers started."

"I have my doubts."

"Jason, you know what security means to this company. If the firewall goes, the losses are more than we can absorb." Keller's voice took on an edge. "This is IT. Are you sure you haven't brought her to the wrong floor?"