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"Everything okay?" Roman asks from the doorway, his relaxed expression shifting to concern as he reads my face.
"It's fine," I say automatically, then catch myself. Honesty, I remind myself.
"Actually, no. It's Camden."
Roman stiffens visibly, his posture transforming from relaxed boyfriend to alert CEO in an instant. "What about him?"
"Apparently he's planning to come to Elysian tomorrow. To 'make things right,' whatever that means." I set my phone down carefully, like it might explode.
"Olivia ran into him at Bloom."
“He plans to come to the office tomorrow after your presentation?" Roman's voice is carefully neutral, but I can see the tension in his jaw. "That seems... calculated."
"Or coincidental," I offer, though I don't quite believe it myself. "He works for Sullivan & Marsh. They're sometimes connected to Elysian projects."
"It's not coincidental." Roman's certainty leaves no room for argument. "Not after all this time."
"It doesn't matter," I say, trying to convince myself as much as him. "Whatever he wants, I'm not interested."
"Of course not," Roman agrees too quickly, his expression still tight. "But it's an unnecessary distraction on an important day."
"I can handle Camden," I assure him, though the thought of facing my ex makes my stomach twist uncomfortably. "He's just... a footnote now."
"A footnote who once occupied a significant chapter," Roman says, his gaze assessing. "It's natural to feel unsettled."
"I'm not unsettled," I insist, even as I recognize the defensiveness in my tone. "I just don't want him intruding on my professional moments."
Roman studies me for a long moment, something vulnerable flickering across his face before he masters it. "Would it help if I ensured he wasn't able to enter the building?"
The offer is tempting—the easy solution of simply removing the problem. But it also feels like exactly the kind of manipulation I've been trying to avoid.
"No," I say firmly. "I appreciate the thought, but no. That would be an abuse of your position, and you know it."
A hint of a smile touches his lips. "I thought you might say that."
"Then why offer?"
"Because I wanted to help," he admits. "And because part of me is..." He hesitates, something almost sheepish crossing his expression. "Jealous. Which is irrational and beneath me, but there it is."
The admission catches me off guard—Roman Kade, admitting to something as human and messy as jealousy. It's so unexpected that I laugh before I can stop myself.
"You're jealous of Camden?" I ask, incredulous. "The man who treated me like an accessory and cheated on me?"
"I said it was irrational," Roman reminds me, a hint of defensiveness in his tone. "But he had years with you. He knew you before Elysian, before me. There's a history there I can't erase, regardless of how it ended."
The vulnerability in his admission makes my heart twist. I cross the room to him, placing my hands on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my palm.
"History isn't the same as attachment," I say softly. "Camden may have had years, but they were years of me diminishing myself to fit his expectations. You've had months of me becoming more authentically myself. There's no comparison."
Roman's hands come up to cover mine, his expression softening. "When you put it that way."
"Besides," I continue, "you have nothing to be jealous of. Camden is truly my past. Whatever he wants tomorrow, it doesn't change anything between us."
"I know." He pulls me closer, his forehead resting against mine. "I said it was irrational."
"It's also kind of endearing," I admit, rising on tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. "The great Roman Kade, jealous of my cheating ex."
"Don't get used to it," he warns, though his eyes have lost their earlier tension. "I have a reputation for ruthless rationality to maintain."