Chapter 2

"Chloe Vance, you’ve gone too far!"

The guys who worshiped Harper immediately exploded, yelling at me in outrage.

Looking at them, you’d think they wanted to tear me apart with their bare teeth.

I completely ignored them and kept my eyes on Carter.

The moment our eyes met, he stood up and walked toward me.

In an instant, the room went dead silent.

Carter seemed thoroughly satisfied with their reaction. He turned to me with an amused smile. "Happy now?"

I shrugged. "If your little precious gets upset, it's totally my bad."

Seeing this, Carter immediately started apologizing to me, every word putting his devotion and obsession on full display.

I was already used to it, but everyone else in the room looked like their jaws were about to drop through the floor.

They had always assumed I was just Harper’s cheap knockoff. Yet here Carter was, acting like I was his entire world.

"Carter, did you forget Chloe is just a business arrangement?" someone couldn't help blurt out. "You and Harper are the match made in heaven!"

Carter laughed dismissively. "Stop messing around. Harper and I are just good friends. Right, Harper?"

He looked straight at Harper as he spoke.

His eyes held zero romantic interest. Pure, platonic indifference.

I could practically hear Harper’s heart shattering into tiny pieces.

I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud, while Harper forced an agonizing smile onto her face.

"Of course... we're best friends. But your little fiancée seems to hate my guts."

"Carter, don't forget—bros before hoes."

As Harper spoke, she had already closed the distance between herself and Carter.

She leaned in, deliberately pressing her chest against him.

Unfortunately for her, Carter had seen it all. Seeing her act so cheap didn't turn him on; it only grossed him out.

"Harper, put your clothes back on. Chloe was just messing around, but why are you acting like trash?"

Hearing that, Harper forced a bitter laugh. "Hey, what’s your problem? Your fiancée wanted to check out my chest, so I gave her a show. What's wrong with that?"

Seeing Harper try to turn my words back on me, I pushed it even further without an ounce of shame.

"Can I see what's between your legs too, then? Up top you definitely look like a bro, but I’d really love to double-check down below."

In that split second, I swear Harper looked ready to murder me.

Come on, I thought. Lose your temper. Throw a fit and kick me out.

But Harper had terrifying patience. She actually sucked it in and smiled sweetly at Carter.

"He's seen it before. Why don't you ask him?"

"Harper, cut the bullshit. When have I ever seen you naked?"

Carter snapped at her coldly, then turned to me, his voice laced with panic. "Chloe, I swear to God, we’ve never done anything like that."

The room was stunned once again.

To them, I was just a corporate pawn.

A stand-in. But now, Carter was treating me like fragile glass.

And honestly, that was my biggest headache. I was a man—how was I supposed to break that to him?

After debating it back and forth, I looked at Carter with utter seriousness.

"Carter, I'm a man."

"Enough! Chloe, how much longer are you going to torture me with this nonsense?!"