Chapter 3: Secret Exposed

03

In the spacious office, the city skyline stretched out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Mr. Carter, is there something you need?”

Ethan looked up from his computer and studied me.

“Ryan?”

“I’m here, Mr. Carter.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Kyle Ryan?”

I pretended not to get it.

“Mr. Carter, who’s Kyle Ryan?”

He suddenly laughed, completely at ease as he looked at me. “Drop the act.”

“There aren’t two people in the world who not only look exactly alike, but even have the same mole.”

I blurted out, “What mole?”

Ethan playfully pinched his earlobe.

Crap, I have a mole on my earlobe.

Just yesterday, this man in a suit and tie was kissing it.

My face went hot, ears burning as I realized the jig was up.

Ethan said with a half-smile, “Ethan Carter is my real name.”

…Is this payback for me giving him a fake name?

Seeing I couldn’t hide it anymore,

I gave up and laughed awkwardly. “Mr. Carter, what a coincidence, huh.”

He grinned playfully. “So I’m the new boss you mentioned.”

“If I’d known, we could’ve kept going yesterday…”

I put my hands together in a plea. “Mr. Carter, let’s just pretend we don’t know each other at work. All business, no personal stuff.”

He nodded, looking a little disappointed.

I practically ran out of his office.

My face was so red, I was sure I was radiating heat like a busted radiator. As I left, I caught my reflection in the glass door—wide-eyed, mussed hair, and more than a little panicked. Welcome to corporate America, where HR’s nightmares come true.

My heart pounded all the way back to my cubicle, each step echoing louder than the last.