All Chapters of Cruel Love Back in His Hands : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

llGeorge showed up at Kristine's apartment that evening with Thai food and wine. She opened the door looking exhausted."Hey.""Hey yourself." He kissed her forehead. "Rough day?""Understatement of the century."They sat on the couch and Kristine told him everything. The meeting. The reassignments. The argument with Nathan. Richard's compromise."So I kept most of my projects but lost Henderson. Three months of work just gone."George set down his food. "That's not acceptable.""I know. But what am I supposed to do? Richard already made his decision.""Fight back.""Against Nathan? He's the COO.""Against the decision. Go to Richard. Make your case. Don't just accept this.""George—""I'm serious. You built that project from scratch. You know it better than anyone. Make Richard see that pulling you off now hurts the company.""He already sided with Nathan.""He made a compromise to end the argument. That doesn't mean he won't change his mind if you present a better case."Kristine le

George texted Kristine Thursday afternoon."Dr. Sarah Blake is in town for a medical conference. Remember her? She was my mentor in Boston. We're grabbing dinner tonight. Want to join?"Kristine stared at the message. Sarah Blake. The name from Claire's list."There was a nurse. Emma. And a resident from another hospital he met at a conference. And I think there was someone from the gym. Oh, and Dr. Sarah Blake from cardiology."Wait. Had Claire mentioned Sarah? Kristine couldn't remember exactly. But the name felt familiar. Uncomfortable."Sure. What time?""Seven. Harborview Bistro. You'll like her. She's brilliant."Brilliant. Great.Kristine spent the rest of the afternoon distracted. She tried on three different outfits before settling on a simple black dress. Professional but not trying too hard.She met George at the restaurant. He was already there with a woman who looked exactly like what Kristine had feared.Mid-thirties. Beautiful in an effortless way. Designer suit. Confid

She didn't call George.She thought about it three times the next morning. She picked up her phone, put it down, picked it up again. In the end she went to work without calling.The office was normal. Loud, busy, full of the kind of meetings that ate half the day without producing much. She was grateful for it. Work was something she could hold on to.Lucy found her at the coffee machine at eleven."You look terrible," Lucy said, which from Lucy meant she was worried."Thank you, Lucy.""George?""We had a fight.""About what?""Sarah Blake." She poured her coffee. "I know how it sounds.""It doesn't sound like anything. What happened?"She gave Lucy the short version. The dinner. The comment. Irrational. Lucy listened without interrupting, which was unusual for her."He called your feelings irrational," Lucy said when she finished."He called the conversation irrational.""Same thing." Lucy poured her own cup. "He's an idiot.""He's not an idiot.""He's a temporary idiot then. He'll

Lucy closed the office door behind her.That was the first sign. Lucy almost never closed doors. She was the kind of person who kept things open, who operated in full view of everyone, who said what she thought at normal volume with no regard for who was nearby.She turned around and her face was serious in a way that made Kristine put down her pen."I need to tell you something," Lucy said. "And I need you to not brush it off.""When do I brush things off?""All the time." She sat down. "This is about Nathan."Kristine waited."I've been watching him. For the past two weeks. Not in an obvious way — I was just paying attention." She folded her hands on the desk. "He tracks you, Kristine. I mean that literally. He knows when you arrive, when you step out, who you eat lunch with. Last Thursday he was in the corridor outside the conference room for twenty minutes during your meeting with the Henderson team. Just standing there. I thought he was waiting for someone. But he wasn't.""Lucy—

The call came at eight the next morning.George was already at the hospital. Kristine was at her desk, first coffee still hot, when her phone rang. She answered without checking the screen.It was George. She knew from the first word."There's a complaint," he said. "Filed this morning. Against me."She put the coffee down. "What kind of complaint?""Harassment." A pause. Short and controlled, the kind of pause where someone is working very hard to stay level. "Claire. She's claiming I've been harassing her since she apologized at the party last night. That I approached her. That I've sent threatening messages.""That's not what happened.""No. It's not." His voice was careful and quiet in the way it got when he was managing something large. "But they have evidence. Text messages from my number. Screenshots. Two witnesses who apparently saw me approach her at a previous work event and behave inappropriately."She stood up from her desk. "George—""The hospital has to investigate. Stan