Chapter 4 Planning My Ex’s Wedding

Leah's POV

By the next morning, everyone knows.

Conversations lower when I walk past. Cassie gives me a look that’s trying very hard to be neutral. It’s not neutral.

Amy catches me by the coffee station, and she’s the only one who doesn’t look at me like I’ve committed a corporate crime. She offers me a small, sympathetic smile and pats me in the back, telling me that they've all had their fair share of bad first days.

I sigh. I’m willing to bet none of theirs involved spilling coffee on the CEO’s son.

I barely survive the rest of the morning when, midafternoon, the intercom buzzes.

“Leah. My office, now.”

Here we go.

When I step into Nathan's office, he’s standing by the window, hands in his pockets, staring out at the city.

He doesn’t turn immediately.

“I need you to handle something,” he says. There’s a brief pause before he adds, “And given what transpired yesterday with Dominic, I trust you’ll still approach this with complete professionalism.”

I nod sharply. “Of course, sir.”

I might not like Dominic, but between yesterday and today, I’ve already accepted it. He’s here, and he’s not going anywhere. If I have to tolerate seeing him every day, then so be it.

Nothing is getting in the way of this job. I have bills to pay.

“Dominic is getting married. Three weeks from now.” Nathan delivers the news.

My stomach drops instantly.

Dominic?

Married?

Who’s the unlucky victim now…

“His fiancée is Brianna Laurent.” Nathan continues, “The Laurents are one of our biggest investment partners and we'll be working together with them soon on a major project. Which makes this wedding,” he turns now, eyes directly on mine, “a corporate event.”

I sit straighter, nodding faintly as I try to understand where he’s going with this.

“I need someone to act as a liaison between the company and the wedding planner. Coordination. Logistics. Oversight.”

He pauses.

“I saw in your file you have event planning experience.”

“A little,” I say carefully.

“Good.”

He slides a folder across the desk.

“The first meeting is tomorrow afternoon. You’ll be going over the wedding details with Jane, the wedding planner, Vivienne, my ex-wife and the company’s COO, and of course Brianna and Dominic will be there as well.”

I gulp and pick up the folder.

“I’ll handle it.”

Because what else can I say?

That night, I sit at my kitchen table with the folder open in front of me and a glass of wine.

Running into my ex-boyfriend unexpectedly at work and finding out his father owns the company is one thing. But being asked to help plan his wedding just a day after I spill coffee on him?

That’s something else entirely.

I refill my glass and get to work immediately. This is the only way I can redeem myself after my first-day slip-up.

If I’m doing this, I’m doing it properly.

After going over the wedding folder more times than I can count, I arrive at the restaurant the next day fully prepared.

I soon spot all four of them already seated at a table.

Jane, the wedding planner who is a young brunette woman in silver glasses, stands as I approach and offers me her hand.

“Ms. Elliot,” she says politely.

I shake it. “Good morning. You must be Jane.”

The woman at the head of the table looks up. “We’ve been waiting.”

It didn't take rocket science to figure out she was Vivienne Caldwell.

She looks exactly how I pictured her — mid-forties, incredible bone structure, blonde hair pulled back neatly, dressed in designer wear with pearls resting at her throat.

She looks at me with a displeased expression.

"My apologies," I say evenly. "Mr. Harrington asked me to handle something before I left."

"I don't particularly care what my ex-husband asked." She gestures vaguely at the chair. "Sit."

I sat.

Across the table, Brianna Laurent looks effortlessly beautiful. Her ginger hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders, she wears an elegant two piece and her hand rests through Dominic’s arm like she's claiming her property.

She gives me a small smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

"So, you're the one Nathan sent," she says. "I heard about the coffee."

Vivienne's eyes sharpen. "The coffee?"

"Yes. She spilled an iced coffee all over Dominic yesterday." Brianna tilts her head. "On his first day at work."

Shit.

Vivienne turns to Dominic in shock. "And she wasn’t let go?"

Dominic, who had been staring at me with something between irritation and dissatisfaction, straightens slightly. "Yes, mother. She wasn’t let go." He pauses, his eyes sliding to Brianna before settling back on Vivienne. "She’s also my ex-girlfriend. From college."

Brianna’s eyes widen instantly, her head whipping toward Dominic. "Honey… ex-girlfriend? You didn’t mention you dated her.”

"It was years ago," Dominic says with a shrug. "Nothing serious."

I almost scoff at the statement. Two years of my life, wasted on him and he has the nerve to call it ‘nothing serious.’

I shake my head slightly, clearing the thought. It doesn't matter anymore anyways. I’m here to simply complete the task Mr. Harrington assigned to me, and then get on with my day.

I clear my throat. “Er, if I may, I think it would be best if we focus on the purpose of this meeting today,” I say evenly. “Rather than revisiting pointless information from the past.”

For a second, everyone seems to settle into quiet agreement but then suddenly, Dominic lets out a chuckle.

I look straight at him, and it slips into a snicker… before breaking into a full-on laugh, like I’ve said something genuinely amusing.

The whole table looks at him like he’s lost his mind.

Vivienne sets down her glass. "Dom. Why the laugh? Everything okay?"

"Yes, mother." He exhales, still amused, leaning back in his chair. "I just find it interesting that she says we shouldn’t relive pointless information from the past." His eyes land on me. "Because, I don’t remember her keying my car being pointless."

Vivienne stares at him. "She keyed your car?"

Dominic nods once. "Yes. She’s that ex, you must remember the story, mother. She keyed my car, right after we broke up."

The table goes uncomfortably quiet and I swear at myself internally.

Vivienne stares at him. Then she stares back at me.

"She—" She presses two fingers to her temple. "The Maserati?"

"The Maserati," Dominic confirms.

"I bought that car." Vivienne's voice drops to something almost reverential in its outrage. "I bought that for you for your twenty-second birthday, Dominic, baby, and she—" she turns on me fully.

“Well? Don’t just sit there. What exactly do you have to say for yourself?”

My eyes instantly close in regret and the three weeks that stretch out ahead of wedding planning suddenly feels like a very long road.