Manon “You were… pregnant?” Harry’s voice cracked, disbelief etched across his face as he stepped closer.

I recoiled, shaking my head. “Don’t. Don’t you dare come near me,” I whispered, fighting the burn of fresh tears.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice broke, rough with something that almost sounded like regret.

I laughed bitterly, though it hurt. “Why didn’t you call? Why did you disappear? I was waiting, Harry. I was going to tell you. I wanted us to fix everything. But you—” my voice cracked as I clutched my chest. “you betrayed me first.”

“Manon, I didn’t mean—”

“No.” I cut him off, raising my palm in between us. “Don’t even try. It’s too late for that. Do you know how many nights I blamed myself? How many years I thought I destroyed you? That maybe I cursed you, killed you, when in reality, you just didn’t love me enough to stay? You’re right. I should forget. I’m just… glad you’re alive. Now I can finally let go of the guilt. All those years, I thought I was the reason something bad happened to you. I wasn’t. If you didn’t love me, you could’ve just said so. Why did you have to ruin me like that, Harry?”

His eyes glistened, his lips trembling. “Manon… I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t know—”

“You didn’t care.” My voice was ice. “I won’t tell Elysia. I won’t ruin your shiny little life. Just… stay away from mine.”

I turned, forcing my legs to move even though every step felt heavy.

“Manon!” His voice broke behind me. “Please, I’m sorry!”

I didn’t look back. “Sorry doesn’t make it right.”

I took a deep breath, lifted my chin, and plastered on my brightest smile as I stepped into the meeting room. First day, first meeting. Whatever happened with Harry, it wasn’t going to drag me down. Not here.

Six of us sat in neat little rows like chess pieces, and in front stood a man who couldn’t have been older than his mid-twenties. Tan skin, silky black hair, a warm smile that seemed to instantly soften the room.

“Welcome to 404 Group of Companies,” he said, his voice smooth but grounded. “Congratulations! You’re the top six out of more than two hundred applicants. Take a moment to let that sink in.”

A ripple of cheers and polite clapping went around. Two hundred? My stomach flipped. I hadn’t realized just how much of a long shot this was.

“I’m Yadav Khan,” he continued. “Assistant Manager here in the Creation Department. We handle most of the product development for the company. Now, let’s hear from each of you. Starting with you.” He pointed to the girl on his right.

She stood, confidence radiating off her. “Hi everyone, I’m Jasmine Bhasin. Twenty-four, from India. Nice to meet you.”

Polite applause.

Next, a tall guy with skin like polished mahogany and a sharp fade stood. “Tobi Makinde. Twenty-four. Nigerian. Looking forward to working with you all.” He had the kind of presence that screamed biker gang, but his smile softened it.

Then came a boyish face with pale skin and a striking beauty mark under his eye. “Robert Xiao. Twenty-five. I am from China. It’s a pleasure.”

Next: a girl with dark, curling hair not unlike my own, and eyes that reminded me of storybook illustrations. “Giulia Montessori. I am from Italy. Excited to be here.”

So far, so good. Then it was Mr. Cocky Heir’s turn.

Kyren stood lazily, one hand in his pocket, the other drumming against the table. “The name’s Kyren.” And just like that, he sat down.

Silence stretched. Everyone blinked at him like he’d just short-circuited the room.

Was I surprised? Not in the least. Daddy Dracula probably thought syllables were beneath him.

Finally, my turn. I smoothed down my shirt, pushed to my feet, and smiled. “Hi, everyone. I’m Manon Dezerai. From America. Twenty-five. And I’m honestly honored to be here.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Kyren making an exaggerated yawning sound.

I shot him a look sharp enough to slice steel.

“Alright, now that we’re all acquainted, let’s move on,” Yadav announced. “404 has prepared a tour around the company. I’ll be guiding you through and giving you a bit of our history. If you’ll rise, we’ll begin.”

We pushed back our chairs, a ripple of excitement breaking across the group. The tour was finally starting.

404 was massive. Otherworldly, even. Hard to imagine the place had begun as a freak accident before morphing into a billion-dollar empire.

Yadav led us through towering halls and into departments I never expected. Not just tech—though their devices practically pulsed with innovation—but furniture, clothing, cosmetics. Apparently, the concealer I’d dabbed on in the bathroom this morning? Yep, one of theirs. Each branch bore a different name, hidden under the umbrella of the 404 Group. Classic corporate sleight of hand.

We wound through labs, offices, and studios before circling back toward our base. Kyren hardly looked up from his phone the entire time. Typical. When you’re a nepo baby destined to inherit everything, introductions to “what’s already yours” probably felt like a waste of oxygen.

The last stop was the Creation Department. Fifteen staff members, plus us, twenty-one in all. So, Harry is the Manager of the Creation Department. Apparently, my boss. Lucky me! And, Elysia is a product analyst—the one who decides if an idea is worth the risk of release. And then there was Az. Only twenty-one, but Yadav’s tone when he called him “young and talented” made it clear he was already something of a prodigy here. There were others, but those were the ones who grabbed my attention.

“Now that you’re all acquainted with the company, let’s get into the first order of business—your first assignment.” Yadav’s voice cut through the low hum of chatter. We were back in the meeting room, still buzzing with half-tired, half-eager energy.

“You’ll be grouped in threes to create a product.” He scanned the room, pen tapping against his clipboard. “Jasmine and Tobi—furniture. Robert and Giulia—makeup. Kyren and Manon—tech.”

Laughter, a few whispered cheers. Chairs squeaked as people leaned into their partners, already brimming with ideas.

And me? I sat there sinking. Of course. Of course it had to be him. Me and the overlord—what a dream team.

“Now, let’s get you to your stations,” Yadav continued.

We shuffled out, and my mood sank deeper with every step. Great. Not only was I paired with Mr. Cocky Heir, but his seat was right beside mine, close enough that his smug cologne practically invaded my lungs.

Fine, I told myself, at least there’s an empty side where I can vent silently without an audience.

But the universe wasn’t done laughing at me. Because the moment I turned, I realized exactly who sat across that “empty” side. My dear dipshit ex, staring at me with all the subtlety of a car crash.

Perfect. Just perfect.

I swiveled toward Kyren. “Okay. Do you have any ideas for a tech product?”

He blinked at me like I’d just asked him to recite poetry in French. Then he actually snorted. “Me?” A finger jabbed at his chest.

“Yes, you,” I deadpanned. “We’re supposed to come up with something.”

Kyren leaned back, lazy grin curling. “We? No, no. You mean you.”

My jaw tightened. “We’re a team. Teamwork makes the dream work, ever heard of it?”

“Cute slogan.” He stretched, all arrogance. “But weren’t you the one who said you were ‘honored’ to be here? Sounds like you’ve got it handled. Go get ’em, tiger.” And just like that, he pushed his chair back and strolled off.

I sat frozen for a beat, heat simmering under my skin. Not only was he cocky and self-entitled, he was also a full-on freeloader. Gouge my eyes out and pour vinegar in the holes!

Around me, the room had already come alive. Tobi and Jasmine were already deep in conversation. Robert and Giulia were scribbling furiously.

And me? I made the mistake of glancing across the table.

Harry. His gaze cut right through the noise, steady and unflinching, as if I were the only person in the room. Even when I locked eyes with him, he didn’t flinch. He just… softened. My heart betrayed me, stuttering before I tore my eyes away and buried myself in pen and paper, pretending to be busy.

That’s when a whisper brushed the shell of my ear, low enough to raise goosebumps.

“Can we talk somewhere private?”

I turned, and found Harry standing behind me.