Her Boss Kissed Her at an Ex-Boyfriend's Wedding—Then She Discovered the Real Reason He Invited Her Was to Expose a Multi-Million Dollar Corporate Conspiracy!

Two months later, Vale House Creative was stronger than it had ever been.

The loss of Zoe’s betrayal had acted like a brutal but necessary purge, clearing out the rot and allowing us to rebuild with a team built entirely on mutual trust and transparency. We had secured two massive new national accounts—including a luxury hotel chain out of Boston that had originally considered Preston’s firm before his collapse.

On a Friday evening in December, the agency hosted a holiday party to celebrate our recovery and expansion.

The office was decked out with warm fairy lights, a massive pine tree by the reception desk, and a dessert table featuring an elaborate spread of artisan pastries from a local bakery we had recently signed as a client.

I was standing near the window, holding a glass of sparkling cider, when Meredith walked up beside me. She wore a stunning emerald silk dress that caught the amber light of the fairy lights, her hair styled in soft waves over her shoulder.

""You look entirely too pleased with yourself,"" she observed, following my gaze toward the crowded room where our team was laughing and celebrating.

""I am pleased,"" I said, turning to look at her. ""We survived the corporate coup, we expanded our client roster by forty percent, and I managed to secure the best office romance in downtown Providence.""

""Technically, company policy discourages fraternization between senior copywriters and agency founders,"" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

""Good thing I drafted a revised employee handbook last week,"" I replied smoothly. ""Rule number one: agency founders are required to buy their senior copywriters coffee every morning without exception.""

Meredith laughed, a bright, genuine sound that made heads turn across the room. She stepped closer, sliding her hand into mine.

""And what is rule number two?"" she asked softly.