Forbidden Grumpy Boss (Damaged Daddies #2)

13. Leah

Chapter thirteen

Leah

One would think a kiss that good would come with a warning label. Something like: May cause overthinking, heart palpitations, and reckless daydreaming while working as a glorified assistant. But here I am, three days later, still replaying every second of that kiss in Silas's car.

It’s 10:00 p.m., and I’m in bed after having soggy leftover pasta for dinner.

Work was hell. Every time I stepped into Silas’s office, I could only think of kissing him, which was crazy because I honestly didn’t want him to.

I don’t.

I haven’t seen Caleb in three days, so I’m due anytime now. For the past few days, all I’ve done is be an assistant. Fix Silas’s calendar and keep him ahead of schedule. Nothing regarding the engagement, and no mention of the kiss from that night.

My core throbs at the thought of the kiss. His soft lips, the woody smell of his cologne, I can remember how hard he was when I stroked his cock through his—

"Leah, there's someone at the door for you. And before you ask, it’s not a pizza guy. I didn’t order pizza!” Penny yells from the living room.

I freeze. Who the hell is it? It’s past ten.

I make my way to the door, my pulse already picking up speed, and there he is. Standing on the doormat like he's about to announce he's found the cure for being a controlling asshole. My dad.

What the hell is Harvey Grayson doing at my doorstep at this time of night? It's not like we have Father-Daughter Chat Hour on the schedule.

He's wearing a black turtleneck and black jeans, and he’s got this look on his face. This disapproving once-over that makes my skin crawl.

"Leah," he says, his voice clipped, "We need to talk."

"No," I say, folding my arms over my chest, "we really don’t."

Penny appears behind me, laptop in hand and headphones around her neck, her brows raised as she takes in the scene. I can feel her curiosity bouncing around like a pinball, but she knows better than to interrupt this circus act.

Penny starts, “It’s nice to meet—"

Harvey steps inside without waiting for an invitation, as he cuts Penny off. His gaze sweeps the apartment like he’s expecting rats to scurry out from under the furniture. The air feels tight, suffocating, like all the oxygen just got sucked out of the room.

“This is how you live?” he says, eyebrows drawn in disdain. “ Here ?”

“I’m sorry, were you expecting Buckingham Palace? I’ll upgrade next week.”

“Leah,” Penny warns as soon as she sees my dad’s face tighten.

I take a deep breath. But it's hard to inhale around the swelling anger in my chest. I should’ve known this was coming. He never misses an opportunity to look down on me, my choices, or my life.

“Yes, Dad. This is how I live,” I snap, stepping in front of him like I can shield the apartment from his judgmental gaze. "Not everyone needs to live in a palace to feel secure. Some of us actually like a little character in our homes."

He scoffs, shaking his head. “Character? That’s what you call living like someone with no ambition. Leah, you could have anything, anything , and yet you choose to scrape by like—”

“Like what, Dad?” I cut him off, my voice rising. “Like someone from the bottom of the barrel? Like someone without your precious fortune? You don’t get it. You’ve never gotten it. I’d rather live like this—happily—than be chained to your version of ‘success.’”

“Family comes first, Leah. The company, after I’m gone, I—”

“Family comes first?” I rasp, stepping closer to him. “ Family comes first? After what you did to Mom?!”

“Look. Beth had her issues, and I tried to—”

“Just go, Dad.” I walk over and open the door. “I don’t want you here.”

His eyes narrow, his nostrils flaring. It's the same look he used to give me when I refused to play the obedient daughter role at fancy dinner parties or movie premieres for his studio. The one that says he's both infuriated and deeply confused by the idea of someone rejecting his money and influence.

I can practically see the calculations running through his head, trying to figure out what went so wrong.

“I didn’t raise you to be this ungrateful,” he finally says, his voice like ice.

“And I didn’t ask to be raised by someone who tries to buy love like it’s for sale,” I retort, my throat tight with the words I’ve held back for years. “And raise me? You didn’t raise me. Mom did!”

I watch as some color creep into his face, but I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop. I want to hurt him, make him feel the frustration and anger I’ve been carrying around like an old suitcase. And then, because I know it’ll get under his skin, I drop the bomb.

“I have a new job, by the way,” I say, my voice sweet with the satisfaction of watching him squirm. “I’m working for Silas.”

It takes a second for the name to land, but when it does, the reaction is as explosive as I’d hoped. His eyes darken, and his lips tighten into a thin line.

“Silas?” His voice is dangerously low now. “You’re working for my best friend? When the fuck did that happen?”

“Yep.” I smile, but it’s the kind of smile that comes with sharp edges. “Your best friend.”

“When did you start working for him?”

“That’s really none of your business, Dad.”

“Oh, so you don’t want to work for me because you don’t want entitlement, but you’d work for my best friend, who probably only hired you because he knows me?” he laughs sardonically. “Your logic makes no sense. You’re acting like a child!”

“He hired me because I earned the job, Dad.” I fold my arms. “I know that’s difficult for you to wrap your head around, but yeah. I earned it.”

The room goes quiet, thick with tension. Penny looks between us, her eyes wide. She opens her mouth to say something, probably to play peacemaker. But we’re both too far gone for that.

“You won’t work for me,” Harvey spits, “but you’ll work for him? Do you know how this makes me look?”

“God forbid your reputation takes a hit,” I say, rolling my eyes. “This isn’t about you, Dad. Not everything is about you.”

He looks like he wants to say more, but then, like a storm suddenly passing, he turns on his heel and heads for the door. Penny, bless her, is trying to smooth things over with a nervous laugh, but it’s like trying to put out a forest fire with a water bottle.

“I don’t want to see you ruin your life,” he says over his shoulder, his voice carrying all the weight of a final warning.

“Well, I just don’t want to see you at all,” I mutter under my breath as the door slams shut behind him.

The following silence feels oppressive, like the air is thick with leftover rage. I exhale, my body still vibrating with the adrenaline of the fight. Penny steps forward cautiously.

“Leah, you okay?” she asks. “It’s like watching an episode of Succession , Jesus Christ.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “I just told my father I’m working for his best friend, who I’m also . . . complicated with. So, no, not exactly.”

Penny sighs, sitting down on the couch and patting the spot next to her. “Look, I get it. He pushes your buttons like nobody else. But throwing Silas into the mix? That’s a whole other level of messy.”

I flop down next to her, my head falling into my hands. "I know, I know. But did you see his face, Pen? I wanted to punch something—preferably him."

She’s silent for a moment, then nudges me with her shoulder. “You really care about this, don’t you? About working for Silas? About the engagement thing?”

I look at her, feeling a tug at my chest. “Yeah. I really do. I owe him.”

Penny watches me for a beat, her expression softening. “Then be careful. If things with your dad and Silas blow up, you don’t want to be caught in the middle of that.”

I nod, my fingers twisting in my lap. She’s right, of course. This whole situation is a delicate web of lies, half-truths, and too many emotions I haven’t untangled yet. And now, I’ve just thrown Silas directly into the line of fire.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glance at the screen and feel my stomach drop.

It’s Silas.

"Caleb’s had an emergency. A car's waiting outside for you."

I jump to my feet, my heart slamming against my ribs. Caleb? Oh, God. My hands shake as I text, my mind racing a million miles an hour.

What happened? Is he okay?

I shoot the texts and rush to my bedroom to throw something on.

“Leah?” Penny follows me, looking at me with concern.

“I—I’ve got to go,” I stammer, throwing on a dress. “It’s Caleb. Something’s wrong.”

Penny is still standing in the living room when I come out, her face full of worry. “You want me to come with you?”

I shake my head. “No. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

The car’s already idling outside when I step out of the building, my pulse racing as I slip into the backseat. The driver takes off, speeding toward Silas’s house like every second counts.

And maybe, it does.