Too Late For Regret, Mr. Sterling

The heavy mahogany door slammed back against its stopper with a dull, resonant thud. The sound ripped through the cathedral-like silence of the office, startling its two occupants.

Arden stood in the doorway, her gaze instantly locking onto the scene before her.

On the sprawling leather sofa in front of the fireplace, Sloane Kensington was leaning against Julian, her head nestled intimately near his shoulder. One of her hands rested on his chest, toying with the end of his silk tie.

Sloane let out a theatrical gasp, pulling away from Julian as if she'd been burned. She scrambled to sit up straight, smoothing down the skirt of her dress with frantic, flustered movements.

Julian's face, however, showed no such surprise.

It hardened instantly into a mask of cold fury. His eyes—the color of a stormy sea—narrowed as he stared at Arden. His displeasure radiated across the room like a tangible wave of energy.

Arden ignored him. She reached back and pushed the door shut.

The latch clicked into place, sealing the three of them inside, away from the prying eyes of the entire top floor.

The only sound was the sharp, rhythmic tap of her heels on the hardwood floor as she advanced toward them. Each step was a drumbeat, counting down to an inevitable explosion.

"Arden, darling," Sloane began, her voice a saccharine-sweet melody of feigned innocence. "We were just discussing the jewelry pairings for the exhibition. Julian was giving me his opinion. It's not what it looks like."

Arden's eyes didn't even flicker in Sloane's direction.

She was a ghost. A non-entity. Her entire focus was a laser beam pointed directly at her husband.

She reached his massive oak desk and slapped the guest list down on its polished surface. The folder skidded to a stop right next to his hand.

"What is this?" she demanded, her voice dangerously low. "On what authority do you override my project team and alter a core document without so much as a courtesy call?"

Julian didn't even glance at the folder.

He leaned back in his chair, the picture of arrogant nonchalance. "On the authority that my name is on the front of this building. And when did you learn to barge into my office like a common shrew?"

A bitter laugh escaped Arden's lips.

The hypocrisy was breathtaking.

"A shrew?" Her voice was ice. "You bring your mistress into your office, and I'm the one who lacks decorum?"

The word 'mistress' hung in the air, ugly and sharp.

Sloane's eyes immediately filled with tears. They welled up, shimmering on her lower lashes, threatening to fall but never quite spilling over. A masterful performance.

She bit her lower lip and looked at Julian, her expression a perfect portrait of wounded innocence.

That was all it took.

Julian slammed his palm on the desk. The sound echoed like a gunshot. He surged to his feet, his presence overwhelming.

"Enough!" he roared. "You will watch your tone when you speak to Sloane!"

Arden refused to be cowed.

She lifted her chin, meeting his furious gaze without flinching. Her own eyes were chips of ice.

"I will not. This isn't about her. This is about our marriage, and you will discuss it with me."

Sloane, seeing her opening, rose gracefully. She picked up her designer handbag, her voice trembling. "I should go. I don't want to come between you two."

Julian's jaw tightened. He was silent for a long moment, his eyes locked on Arden's defiant face. Then he gave Sloane a curt nod.

"Go," he said, his voice flat. "We'll continue this later."

Sloane's mask slipped for a fraction of a second—a flash of disbelief, then a quickly concealed flare of fury. She recovered instantly, her expression melting back into wounded grace. Without another word, she walked past Arden, her heels clicking a sharp, staccato retreat. The office door closed behind her with a soft, final click.

The silence she left behind was heavier than her presence had been.

Julian turned his full attention to Arden. He stalked around the desk, his movements predatory, backing her up until her hips hit the sharp edge of the credenza behind her. The dull pain barely registered. He loomed over her, his presence suffocating.

He leaned in close, his voice a venomous hiss in her ear.

"Don't forget how you got this position, Arden. Don't forget how you got any of this. Don't push your luck."

The words were a poisoned dart, aimed with perfect precision at her deepest insecurity.

The carefully constructed walls around her heart crumbled. The color drained from her face, leaving it a sickly, chalky white. Her body began to tremble.

She sucked in a ragged breath, fighting back the wave of nausea and despair. She placed her hands on Julian's chest and shoved. Hard.

The unexpected move caught him off guard, and he stumbled back a step, creating a sliver of space between them.

When she finally found her voice, it was shaking but laced with steel.

"Three years, Julian. Three years of being punished for something I didn't do. And you—you've never once asked me for the truth."

He stared at her. His expression was unreadable, the storm in his eyes flickering into something she couldn't name.

She didn't wait for an answer.

She turned and walked toward the door. Her movements were stiff, mechanical, but her spine was straight.

At the door, she stopped without looking back.

"You think you married a woman who needs to be controlled," she said, her voice so low it was almost a whisper. "But you're wrong. You married a woman who—just remembered who she is."

She pulled open the door and walked out.

The door clicked shut behind her.

In the hallway, Caleb was still there. The assistants were still there. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting.

Arden walked past them. Her heels were steady, powerful—like a drumbeat, like a countdown.

But not a countdown to an explosion.

A countdown to rebirth.