The next morning, Jade woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing incessantly on the nightstand. Groaning, she reached over to check the notifications—dozens of missed calls and texts from Clair, Milan, and even Enzo. She ignored them all, tossing her phone aside and pulling the covers over her head.
“Not today,” she muttered, determined to hold her ground.
But just as she started to drift back to sleep, a loud knock echoed through the house. Startled, she sat up, her heart racing.
“Jade!” her grandmother called from the front door. “Someone’s here with a delivery!”
Jade frowned, throwing on a robe as she made her way down the hall. When she reached the door, her grandmother was holding a clipboard, signing for what appeared to be a massive flower arrangement.
“What is this?” Jade asked, her eyes widening as the delivery man wheeled in an extravagant display of fresh flowers—roses, lilies, orchids, and more, all arranged in a stunning glass vase.
“It’s for you,” her grandmother said, giving her a curious look. “Who’s sending you something like this?”
Jade’s stomach dropped. She didn’t need to read the small card nestled among the flowers to know who was behind this.
“I’ll take it,” Jade said quickly, maneuvering the arrangement toward the kitchen.
Her grandmother raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to tell me who sent it?”
“Just… someone from work,” Jade mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
Mia arrived about an hour later, barging into the kitchen like she owned the place. She stopped short the moment she saw the floral arrangement taking up nearly half the counter space.
“What the hell is that?” Mia asked, her voice loud enough to make Jade wince.
Jade sighed, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “It’s from them.”
Mia’s eyes bulged as she rushed over to inspect the arrangement. “Them? You mean your bosses?”
Jade nodded, sipping her coffee.
Mia let out a low whistle. “Girl, this isn’t just a flower arrangement. This is a statement.”
“It’s a nuisance,” Jade replied, setting her mug down with a little more force than necessary.
Mia turned to her, crossing her arms. “Jade, are you serious right now? These men are clearly not giving up on you. I mean, look at this thing! They probably spent more on these flowers than I make in a month.”
“I don’t care how much they spent,” Jade said firmly. “They need to stop. I told them I quit, and they’re not listening.”
Mia smirked. “Oh, they’re listening. They just don’t care. Face it, Jade—they’re obsessed with you.”
Jade rolled her eyes, grabbing her phone. “Well, I’m about to put an end to this.”
She typed out a quick text to Milan, her fingers flying across the screen:
Jade: “Stop sending me gifts. I mean it. Leave me alone.”
Her heart pounded as she hit send, but she didn’t have to wait long for a reply.
Milan: “Come back to work.”
Jade let out an exasperated groan, holding up the phone for Mia to see.
“Look at this! That’s all he says. No apology, no explanation—just ‘come back to work.’”
Mia laughed, shaking her head. “What did you expect? A heartfelt letter? These are powerful men, Jade. They’re not used to hearing the word ‘no.’”
“Well, they’re going to have to get used to it,” Jade said firmly, setting her phone down on the counter.
Mia leaned against the counter, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “You know, if I were you, I’d just go back.”
Jade frowned. “What? Why?”
Mia shrugged. “Think about it. You’ve got three ridiculously hot, insanely rich guys practically begging you to stick around. Plus, let’s be real—you like the attention.”
“I do not like the attention,” Jade said defensively, though her cheeks betrayed her by turning pink.
Mia smirked. “Sure, you don’t.”
Jade threw a dish towel at her, and Mia ducked, laughing. “I’m serious, Mia. This whole thing is driving me crazy. They don’t respect my boundaries.”
“That’s because you’re the first boundary they’ve ever had to deal with,” Mia said, her tone softening. “They’re not going to give up easily, Jade. You might want to think about what you’re really trying to run from.”
Jade’s stomach twisted at Mia’s words, but she refused to let herself dwell on them.
Later that evening, Jade found herself sitting on the couch, staring at the floral arrangement. As much as she hated to admit it, there was something thoughtful about the gesture. She picked up the card tucked between the flowers and read the simple note written in Milan’s bold handwriting:
“A reminder of where you belong.”
Her jaw clenched, and she tossed the card onto the coffee table. Where I belong? she thought bitterly. They had no right to make that decision for her.
Her phone buzzed again, another message from Milan:
Milan: “You can ignore us all you want, but this isn’t over. Come back to work, Jade. You know where you’re meant to be.”