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she would tender her resignation.
    It wasn’t something she wanted to do.
    It was something she had to do.
    She had tried to maintain a professional working rel a tionship with Connor. But after the last few weeks, she’d begun to realize that it was impossible. She had to do this before she made an even bigger fool of herself. Last night, she had poured over her finances to find a way out.
    And she had.
    With the little bit of money she had in her savings a c count, she could safely be out of work for the next two months without being in trouble. It didn’t make her happy to leave the firm she had so carefully crafted, but in the end, staying would be a bigger risk than leaving.
    She slipped on her heels before checking her reflection in the mirror. After trying on ten dresses in the store, she had opted for a simple black cocktail dress. Giving her hair a quick fluff, she nodded. The dress had definitely been the right choice. The skirt was form fitting but flared out at the bottom.
    She took a deep breath. No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew she wasn’t ready for this. But she had no choice.
    Things had gone too far. Now, there was no way out.
    Biting her lip, she made her way to the car.
    There was no turning back now.
    It was time to face things.
    Things were already in full swing when she arrived. She walked through the office, making a final sweep before the guests began to arrive. Everything was perfect. She had set things up with the caterer so the servers would be alte r nating hors d'oeuvres. Drinks would be served throughout the night. The fresh flowers that had been set out throug h out the office gave the room a fragrant scent.
    Everything was ready.
    Guests would be arriving any minute. Deciding to check Connor’s office, she walked into the room. His pr i vate bar was well stocked with a crystal decanter and glasses set on top. Strolling over to his desk, her fingers lightly trailed the surface. Her heart sunk as she thought of what she had to do tonight.
    How would he react?
    Would he argue with her?
    Or worse, would he let her go without a fight?
    She wished that his reaction didn’t matter.
    But it did.
    “Melanie,” she heard him say behind her.
    His deep voice sent shivers up her spine, and she turned to face him. He crossed the distance to stand in front of her. She tried to calm her racing pulse, but his nearness made it impossible.
    A slow grin slid across his mouth. “Things look great out there,” he observed.
    Her silence made him tilt his head, a curious look on his face.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked.
    Her mouth went dry, and she wet her lips. “It’s just…” She trailed off, not knowing how to begin.
    Not knowing how to end.
    His eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What?” he repeated, his voice dropping to a husky timbre.
    “I…”
    Before she could say anything, Jill appeared around the corner.
    “Mr. Mason?”
    He turned to face her.
    A blush crept into Jill’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
    He glanced back at Melanie before turning to face her again. “What is it, Jill?”
    Jill’s gaze flickered back and forth between them. “I just wanted to let you know that the guests are beginning to arrive,” she said.
    With that, she disappeared around the corner.
    When he turned back to face her, he shook his head. “Sorry about that. What were you going to say?”
    She shook her head. “It can wait,” she said softly.
    His eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?” he prodded.
    When he didn’t move, she motioned to the door. “Well, come on, our guests are waiting,” she replied.
    He smiled as he held out an arm for her. As her arm linked with his, she knew that tonight was going to be one of the hardest nights of her life.
    She also knew that it might be the last time she had with him.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 9
     
    Connor glanced around the room. Everything was going according to plan. He had already