* * *
Camila finished work well after seven, her mood sour. She stepped out of her town car onto the sidewalk outside her apartment and glanced up. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight as the sun began its descent on the horizon. Soon the stars would twinkle brightly.
It was the perfect night for stargazing, one of Jaime’s favorite activities. Camila decided to take him out onto the balcony before putting him to bed. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face whenever he looked up at the sky, wide-eyed and amazed, like he was seeing it for the very first time. It was the kind of childish innocence that made Camila fall in love with him all over again. Jaime made her want to be something more, something better than the cynical and jaded person she had become.
She tapped her foot impatiently as she rode the elevator up to the penthouse, ready to be home so she could wrap Jaime in her arms once more. The elevator doors opened, and she walked the few steps down the hall to her front door.
Before she slipped her key into the lock, though, Camila paused and took a deep breath.
It was a routine for her, a way to let go of the cool, calm—and some would say cold-hearted—woman who had built up a television empire and allow herself to become the mother that Jaime needed.
This time she was also preparing herself for the sight of the man she’d once agreed to spend a lifetime with, the man she could now only look at with contempt. They had been happy once, but Camila’s devotion to her work had pushed him way. Chris was unable to deal with competing for her time—an issue that was exacerbated once Jaime had been born, dividing her attention even more—and she knew he blamed her for driving him into the arms of another woman.
Sometimes Camila even agreed with him.
As she unlocked the door and pushed it open, Camila reminded herself that she didn’t need Chris or any other spouse. She had her network, she had her son, and that was enough for her.
She had barely slipped out of her coat before her beautiful boy ambushed her, bounding toward her with a grin on his face and his favorite action figure clutched in one hand.
“Mama!”
“Hi, sweetheart,” she said as she bent down to sweep him into a hug and kiss the top of his head. “Were you a good boy for your father?”
“He was perfect,” Chris called from the living room. Camila kicked off her shoes and stepped inside to find him on the couch, watching a football game on TV. He stood up and stepped toward her to ruffle Jaime’s hair. “Weren’t you, big guy?”
He looked at their son with affection. He might not have wanted Jaime but he did try with him, one of the things about him that Camila was grateful for. It was moments like this when Camila saw the man she had fallen in love with seven years ago. But then he locked eyes with her and his expression changed, hardening to become the man that Camila now knew.
The one who couldn’t stand her.
“Thank you for today,” she told him, hoping he could see that she meant it.
“No problem,” he replied, already reaching for his coat. “But—”
“—this is the last time,” Camila finished. “I know.” She vowed that it would be, that she would find a solution sooner rather than later—one that worked for them both. “You can stay for dinner, if you want.” It was a half-hearted offer because she knew he wouldn’t accept, but she asked anyway for the sake of her son, a little worried what effect their fractured relationship might have on him.
“I already ate,” he said, and Camila was relieved. “And I should really get going.”
She didn’t ask why. She didn’t want to know if he was running off to meet a woman—she might not love him anymore but she still didn’t want to think about him with anyone else.
He kissed Jaime before he left, leaving her in an apartment that felt too quiet, too empty.
Camila played with her son until it was dark enough to take him outside to look at the stars, completely in love with the pure joy on his face. Afterwards, she put him to bed, and then she sat at the breakfast bar, picking at her warmed-up food, the TV on too loud, trying to feel less alone.
Chapter 2
Emily paused on the sidewalk to glance up at the impressively tall CEBC building, the logo visible on the side of one of the upper floors. Her stomach fluttered. She swallowed hard, wracked with nerves, wondering whether she was cut out for this job after all.
How could she possibly impress a woman like Camila Evans? A woman who worked in a building like this probably lived in a penthouse where a single day’s rent was more than Emily paid in an entire year for her apartment.
She already felt like a fish out of water, and she hadn’t even set foot inside.
“Wow.” Cassie, who had agreed to walk with her so she wouldn’t get lost, stopped beside her and let out a low whistle. “I know you can see this building from nearly anywhere in the city, but it’s even more impressive up close. Are you sure you wanna work for someone in there?”
“Pretty sure.” Emily nodded, trying to convince herself. “I can do this, right?”
“Yeah, you can.” Cassie bumped her shoulder into Emily’s. “You’ve got this.”
“You think?”
“For sure. Just, you know, don’t think about how hot she is.”
“So not helping my nerves.” Emily groaned.
“Right. Sorry.” Cassie wrapped an arm around Emily’s shoulders and hugged her. “But seriously, you’ll be fine. She’d be crazy not to hire you; you’re great with kids.”
That was true. She had earned the money for a car from babysitting jobs in high school, and it had been her main
