---- Chapter 10 Erin Calhoun POV: Carlton's eyes suddenly narrowed, zeroing in on a spot on my neck. "What is that?" he snarled, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. | casually touched the faint purple mark just below my collarbone, a mirror image of the one I'd seen on Brande. "Mosquito bite. They're vicious up here." "Don't lie to me!" he exploded, his face turning a blotchy red. "| know what that is!" A slow, deliberate smile spread across my face. "Oh? What do you think it is, Carlton? Is it possible that men and women can have purely platonic mosquito bites?" | glanced at Brande. "What do you think?" Brande blanched, utterly speechless. She tugged on Carlton's sleeve, but he shook her off, his glare fixed on me. "| want the truth, Erin. Where were you, and who were you with?" "Why don't you find out for yourself?" | shot back, my patience gone. "Now if you'll excuse me, | need to go lie down. I'm exhausted." My calm indifference seemed to enrage him more than any ---- argument could have. "You'll regret this," he seethed. "I'll find out who he is, and | swear..." "Whatever," | said, cutting him off with a wave of my hand. "Whoever regrets it first is a son of a bitch." | walked away, leaving him fuming by the lake. Back in my room, | took another shower, scrubbing away the last traces of Carlton's world. | changed into jeans and a comfortable sweater, packed the rest of my things, and checked out of the resort without another word to anyone. On the drive back to the city, my father called. | ignored it. Then my brother texted. Brother: Call Carlton and apologize. Right now. Brother: Don't you dare screw up this deal for the family. He's about to sign the partnership agreement. A heavy weight settled in my chest. Me: | was dating him, not selling myself to him. We broke up. It's over. Brother: If you can't hold onto a man like Carlton Galvan, then Mom and Dad said you can get the hell out of the family. | thought about the life I' d lived since graduating college. My parents had given all the family properties to my two older brothers, leaving me with only a small apartment. | had worked tirelessly, saving every penny, pouring my own money ---- into supporting Carlton's startup, all in the hopes of proving my worth to a family that saw me as little more than a bargaining chip. What did their business have to do with me? A bitter laugh escaped me. "That's exactly what | want," | murmured to myself. | spent the next three days holed up in my apartment, a ghost in my own life. The grief | felt wasn't for Carlton, but for the family | never really had. | couldn't sleep. A splitting headache became my constant companion, and | drank cheap wine just to dull the pain. The stress, or maybe the alcohol, triggered a flare-up of my condition. The pain in my chest was sharp and insistent. After the over-the-counter medication only made it worse, | knew | had to go to the hospital. | deliberately made an appointment with a different specialist. | couldn't face Harvey. Not now. My life was a train wreck, and | didn't want to drag him into it. | was waiting in the crowded outpatient hall when a nurse called my name. "Erin Calhoun? Dr. Hurst will see you now." She led me, against my protests, directly to Harvey's office. My first instinct was to turn and run, but his voice stopped me. "Erin." ---- He looked even more exhausted than he had in the car. His eyes were bloodshot, the skin beneath them bruised with fatigue. "Sit down," he said, his voice gentle. "| just need to wash my hands." He took off his white coat and meticulously scrubbed his hands and forearms at the small sink in the corner of his office. | watched his fingers-long, strong, and capable. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!