Forbidden Grumpy Boss (Damaged Daddies #2)

9. Leah

Chapter nine

Leah

I shouldn't be surprised that Penny's at it again. But seriously, she’s got to start hanging a sock on the doorknob or something.

I stand outside her bedroom door for a second, debating whether I should even go in or just wait till she’s done. But the whole point of coming home was to clear my head after Silas’s absurd “fake engagement” proposal.

I need to talk to Penny. Now.

I also can’t clear my head since it sounds like she’s dying in there. She’s sounded like that since I came home twenty minutes ago and searched for something to wear to the dinner tonight. I took my time dressing up, even though it was just a simple black dress and flats, Penny’s still not done.

“Penny?” I knock twice.

The sounds stop, and I hear shuffling. “Leah?” Penny sounds out of breath. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Yeah, because you had a man all in your guts.

“Poke your head in.” Penny chuckles at something her love-making strangers say.

“Are you decent?” I shuffle on my feet, pressing my ear against the door.

“Decent enough,” she rasps. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, Leah. Stop being a prude.”

Taking a deep breath, I push the door open just wide enough to poke my head in. Sure enough, there's Penny. And her latest conquest. Both are half-naked. Both very slick with sweat.

"Uh, Penny?" I call out, eyes shut tight. "Sorry to interrupt, but I really need to talk to you."

The guy, some tattooed gym bro by the sound of it, chuckles, clearly unbothered. “Wanna join?”

"Gross," I mutter under my breath, while Penny, bless her heart, yells, "Ew!" simultaneously. There’s a flurry of movement, a few groans of protest from the dude, and I hear the distinct sound of clothes being hastily put back on.

“You heard the lady. Time to hit the road, champ,” Penny says, giving him a playful slap on the butt.

“You’ll call me?” Mr. Tattooed-arms asks as we all gather in the living room.

Penny and I share a quick look. “Uh, sure. I’ll call you, champ.”

“You don’t even have my number,” he says, looking at her like she just broke his heart.

“I’ll find it.” Penny almost rolls her eyes. “Now, scram! My best friend needs me.” She shoos him away.

Once he's gone, I click my tongue, catching Penny's wide grin. “I can’t believe you just sent him packing like that,” I say, shaking my head.

She throws herself onto the couch, completely unbothered. “Please, there’s more where that came from.” She pats the cushion beside her, and I plop down with a heavy sigh.

But Penny, ever the perceptive one, eyes me closely. “Okay, out with it. Something’s off. You never interrupt me unless it’s serious.”

I groan, leaning back and covering my face with my hands. “You have no idea.”

“Spill.” She scatters her blond locks with her fingers.

“Silas offered me a fake engagement.”

Penny looks at me like I just sprung another eye on my forehead. “He what ?”

“He asked me to pretend to be his fiancée for a while.” I shrug. “Like get fake engaged to him, you know?”

Her reaction is immediate. “Wait, what?!” She sits up straight, her voice higher than usual. “Silas, as in Silas freaking Waverly? Fake engagement, like engaged, engaged? Why?”

“Yeah,” I say, dragging out the word. “Like, his son is having some problems in school, and he has this big exam coming up, so the principal proposed that the kid needs a stable two-parent household, you know? No big deal.” I wave my hand like I’m shooing a fly, but my stomach churns at the thought.

Penny’s eyes widen, then narrow. “Oh, Leah, no. No, no, no. This is a terrible idea. You’re not the kid’s mother!”

I nod, agreeing with every word, but still unsure why a part of me is tempted. “I know.”

“A terrible, terrible idea!” Penny repeats, her eyes wide. “What the fuck? A fake engagement? I only see that in movies or—”

“Shitty, cliché romance novels?”

“Right!” Penny exclaims.

“It’s just,” I start, “Caleb. I can’t stop thinking about him. He needs help.”

“Why’s the name so familiar?” She scowls.

“Caleb’s his son.” I tap her arm, and her skin’s warm against my fingers. “You googled him the other day, remember?”

Penny’s face lights up with recognition. “Oh, yeah. I remember.”

“Yeah.” I nod.

“Look, Leah, I get it. That kid could use a break, but pretending to marry Silas? Are you out of your damn mind?”

“I must be.” I bite my lip, absentmindedly twisting a strand of hair around my finger. “Anyway, I’m not agreeing to it. I just . . . needed to vent.”

“Girl, vent away. Just remember who you're dealing with. Silas is, like, a walking red flag, okay? One that flashes neon.”

Before I can respond, Penny glances at the clock on the wall. “Wait, where are you off to? You’re all dressed up.”

I grimace. “Ugh. My dad’s hosting a dinner.”

“Wait,” she starts, frowning. “Your dad? You haven’t seen him in—”

“Five years, yeah. But I have to see him tonight.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the anniversary of my mom’s death.” I look around the room, blinking quickly to keep my eyes dry.

Penny’s face falls, and she reaches over to squeeze my hand. “Leah. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was that time again. You okay?”

“Not really. But I have to go. I mean, it’s been five years. He holds this dinner every year, but I never show up because I’m never in New York. But now that I am—"

“You have to go.” Penny scrunches her nose.

“I think he’s actually expecting me to show up and pretend we’re a normal family or something.” I huff. “But I’m doing this for my mom, not him.”

Penny nods like she understands.

“Wish me luck.”

She pulls me into a hug. And for a moment, the weight of everything feels just a bit lighter. “Good luck dealing with everything. You’ll need it.”

I laugh, though it’s more bitter than light. “Trust me, I know.”

***

The moment I pull up to my father’s mansion, a wave of irritation settles in. It’s all so . . . him . The sprawling driveway, the manicured lawns, the ostentatious fountain. All of it screams wealth, power, and the fact that he’s moved on without so much as a glance back.

And let me guess, he has a new girlfriend.

I press the doorbell as if it offended me earlier, and the door flies open almost immediately. A woman is standing there, and she looks like someone who stepped off a reality TV show—fake tan, fake lips, and more silicone than any human should need. She’s wearing a skintight black dress that’s about two sizes too small, and grins at me with bleached teeth that could probably glow in the dark.

“You must be Leah! Oh my God, Harv’s told me so much about you!” She squeals like we’re long-lost besties.

“Has he now,” I say, deadpan, already regretting this decision. “Nice to meet you.” I offer my hand, even though that’s the last thing I want to do.

“Fuck that.” She slaps my hand away and pulls me into a tight hug, her huge breasts pressing into my chest like two bags of sand. “I’m Lizzie.” She pulls back and grins. “Lizzie with an I, and an E. ”

I step inside without another word, examining the familiar sight of maids setting the dinner table. Nothing’s changed. I avoid looking at the family portrait in the living room. I don’t want to see how happy Mom looked.

“I hope you like pie,” Lizzie says, grinning.

I want to yell at her that this is a remembrance dinner, like shut your damn mouth . Instead, I just smile tightly at her. This will be over soon. I pour myself some wine set on the table and down it all in one big gulp.

But as soon as I think that, Dad appears on the staircase, looking surprisingly older. Maybe I haven’t noticed it before, or I just haven’t seen him long enough. But his usual confident swagger is still there, as if this dinner isn’t a reminder of everything he ruined between us.

“Leah,” he says, approaching with a smile that looks a bit sad. “I’m glad you came.”

“I’m sure you are,” I reply, my voice cold, as I let my gaze shift to Lizzie, who’s already back on her phone, scrolling through TikTok while sipping white wine.

He follows my glance, then sighs. “Look, I know things between us haven’t been—”

“Spare me the speech, Dad. I’m only here because it’s Mom’s anniversary. That’s all.”

The hurt in his eyes is barely there before he hides it, replaced by that familiar businesslike demeanor. “I understand. But while you’re here, we could talk about the studio. It’s time you stop running from your responsibilities.”

I raise an eyebrow, then burst into laughter. “Jesus, Dad. We’re not even five minutes into dinner yet, and you’ve already made it about work.”

“Leah, you have responsibilities, and I won’t—"

“Responsibilities? You mean, the ones I’ve spent the last five years avoiding because I didn’t want to become a puppet in your little empire?”

He sighs, but before he can respond, the doorbell rings.

I glance at him, confused. “Were we expecting anyone else?”

Lizzie’s head pops up from her phone. “Oh, is it him?”

My father grins and nods, clearly excited about whoever’s at the door. “I think it’s time you met my best friend.”

Best friend? Who the hell is this?

As my father moves to answer the door, I take another gulp of wine, bracing myself for yet another person I’m sure I won’t like. The door opens, and I hear Dad and his apparent best friend talking.

There’s something about the voice. It sounds so familiar.

I turn to Lizzie. “What’s the name of this best friend Dad’s yapping about?”

Lizzie glances up from her phone at me and flashes a smile. “Oh, you’ll love him. His name is—”

Just then, Dad steps in and interrupts, “Leah, meet my best friend, the one and only Silas Waverly.”

My heart drops into my stomach.

Silas. Of all the people in New York, it has to be Silas Waverly walking into my father’s house. The man who just offered me a fake engagement. I stare, my fingers tightening around the stem of my glass, and I do my best to mask the shock.

But inside? I’m screaming.