Forbidden Grumpy Boss (Damaged Daddies #2)

22. Silas

Chapter twenty-two

Silas

This wasn’t supposed to fucking happen.

That’s the first thought that comes to mind as the plane touches down in New York. And as soon as the jet touches down, my phone blows up with notifications. All of them are from Harvey.

That’s not a great sign.

The last thing I wanted was for Harvey to find out this way. But here we are, thanks to Emma’s lack of discretion. I always knew this day would come. But damn, I thought I’d have more time to prepare for the fallout.

Now, Leah and I are about to walk into the lion’s den—Harvey’s mansion, Leah’s childhood home—and somehow try to make sense of this disaster before it explodes further.

Two cars are waiting for us on the tarmac. One to take Caleb home with the housekeeper, and the other to deliver me and Leah straight to Harvey. Caleb bounces out of the plane, sleepiness still etched on his face. I ruffle his hair, forcing a smile onto my face as we approach the cars.

“You’re going home with the housekeeper,” I tell him. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

He frowns slightly but nods. “Where are you guys going?”

“I’ve gotta go see my dad,” Leah explains, “and I want your dad to come with me.”

“Want me to come along too?”

He hops into the backseat of the first car, the housekeeper beside him, his eyes already darting to the screen of his tablet.

“Not this time, buddy.”

He waves me off, far more interested in whatever game he’s playing.

Once we’re settled in the back of the second car, I exhale, rubbing a hand down my face. “Harvey’s been blowing up my phone all morning,” I say, pulling it out and flashing the screen at Leah. “Texts, calls—he’s been relentless. But I haven’t touched any of them.”

Leah leans back against the plush leather seat and pulls out her own phone. “Same here. He’s been texting me nonstop, but I haven’t read any of them yet, either. What’s the point? If I talk to him over the phone, he’s just gonna try to guilt-trip me about my relationship with you.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Harvey.”

“We really should’ve told him about this whole thing from the start, consequences be damned.”

I wonder if she’s right. Maybe the best thing would’ve been telling Harvey about it so he wouldn’t have to find out about it from the news or whatever. I glance at Leah, who’s silently watching me.

“What?”

“You look worried.”

“I do?”

She nods. “I know you don’t like being at odds with Dad, but he’s not worth the—”

“He’s my friend, Leah.” I press my lips together. “I know he wronged you and your mom repeatedly. But Harvey’s my friend, and the last thing I want is to wrong him or make him feel like I did.”

“Then why did you ask me, of all the women in New York, to be your fake fiancée?”

“I ask myself that same question every damn day.”

We stay silent for a few minutes as the car hurls us towards our confrontation. I can feel Leah’s tension emanating from her like a radioactive bomb. I wonder if she can feel mine.

“Leah, I don’t know how charged things may get, but do not, under any circumstances, mention Caleb.” I cut a glance at her. “If Harvey finds out that Caleb’s one of the reasons that we’re doing this, he’ll tell him everything. I can’t risk that—Caleb can’t know the engagement’s fake.”

Leah nods, but she doesn’t look at me. Instead, she shows me a headline on her phone from Entertainment Weekly. “ Billionaire Silas Waverly Engaged to His Best Friend’s Daughter—Who’s Half His Age.”

My jaw clenches as I skim the article. “For fuck’s sake,” I mutter, tossing my phone onto the seat beside me. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like this.”

“Can I ask you something, Silas?”

My eyes flick to her. “Of course. What is it?”

“Are you angry just because my dad’s found out about us, or is there another reason?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Are you ashamed of me?” Her question is quiet, almost lost in the hum of the car engine.

“What?” I blink, taken aback. “No, of course not. This isn’t about us. This is about Harvey.” I run a hand through my hair. “It’s a mess, and he won’t take it well.”

“So, if my father weren’t in the picture, you wouldn’t care that the world knew we were together?”

I hold her gaze. Why is she asking me this? “Can we, please, just focus on Harvey’s situation, Leah?”

“I thought as much.”

“Don’t do that, Leah.”

“What?”

“Don’t assume things on my behalf.” I shake my head. “Whatever it is you’re thinking, I promise you it isn’t like that.”

“If you say so.”

We fall into silence as the cityscape whizzes past the tinted windows. The car glides smoothly through traffic. But inside, the tension is anything but smooth. My mind’s racing, mapping out how the conversation with Harvey will go.

Spoiler: not well.

When we pull up to Harvey’s mansion, a towering, stone-clad monstrosity that looks more like a castle than a home, I brace myself. The wrought-iron gates swing open, and the car rolls up the driveway, stopping just shy of the grand entrance—Leah’s childhood home.

I glance at her, but she’s staring straight ahead, her fingers nervously twisting a loose thread on her jacket. She looks mildly annoyed to be here. I wonder if she’s thinking about her mom.

“Ready?” I ask, though I’m not sure either of us is.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She shrugs, pushing the door open.

We step out into the cool afternoon air, the wind tugging at Leah’s dark hair as we approach the front door. Before I can even knock, the door swings open, and Lizzie stands there—Harvey’s much-too-young, much-too-tacky girlfriend. She’s wearing some kind of tight, glittering cocktail dress, even though it’s barely noon, and her blonde hair is teased to high heaven.

She looks shocked to see us, but quickly recovers, a sly smile creeping across her lips. She glances behind her shoulders as if to see if Harvey will get mad at her for smiling. The tension in her shoulders disappears when she doesn’t see him.

“Oh!” Her voice is high-pitched, faux-sweet. “I didn’t know you two would be here.”

Leah rolls her eyes so hard that I’m surprised they don’t get stuck. I manage a tight smile. “Yeah, we didn’t plan on being here either. We’re here to talk to Harvey.”

“Mhmm.”

“Can you get him for us?”

Lizzie giggles. Why does she always giggle? Then, she flashes a conspiratorial grin. “I’m rooting for you two, you know. It’s romantic.”

I offer her nothing but a flat “thanks” before she totters off, her heels clicking too loudly on the marble floor. Who wears heels in their own home?

Leah glares after her. “Rooting for us? She doesn’t even know us.”

I shrug. “She’s probably rooting for herself to stay on Harvey’s good side.”

The grand foyer, vaulted ceilings, marble floors, and expensive art pieces, are familiar. I used to be comfortable here whenever I visited. But now it feels suffocating.

“Is that—” Leah’s words trail off as she points towards a corner.

The white wall in that corner is blotched brown like bourbon, and broken glass litter the floor. Harvey probably threw that in anger. Hell, scratch the probably. That’s definitely his doing.

“That’s not good.”

“Not at all.” Leah nods.

The tension thickens as Harvey storms into the room, his face red with veins bulging in his neck. I approach him as he bounds towards us. The second he reaches me, he goes off.

“How fucking dare you, Silas?” he shouts, his voice booming off the walls. He’s wearing a sharp suit, but it looks like he threw it on in a hurry. “You’re trying to steal my daughter from me?”

I glance at Leah, who looks more furious than scared. But Lizzie, standing behind Harvey, looks like she’s witnessing some soap opera. “Harvey,” I try again, keeping my voice steady, “Look, I’m not trying to steal anyone.”

Lizzie pipes up, “Harvey, maybe—”

“Shut the fuck up, Lizzie!” he snaps, not even looking at her. She recoils but stays where she is, nervously twisting the ends of her hair.

I expected this, but damn, Harvey is more pissed than I thought.

I stay calm, letting him vent. He needs to get it out of his system. “Harvey, listen—”

“No!” Harvey shouts, cutting me off. “I don’t want to hear it! You’re using my daughter as your fake fiancée, and you didn’t think to tell me? I mean, you lied to my fucking face! What kind of man are you?”

I can’t lie. I’m not exactly proud of myself here.

I glance at Leah, who’s standing stiffly by my side, her arms crossed. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d react like this,” I say, keeping my voice level. “And, let me remind you. Leah’s an adult. This is her decision as much as mine.”

Harvey’s eyes narrow. “Bullshit. I want this engagement dissolved immediately.”

Leah chuckles, and Harvey turns his gaze on her. “Beth would be ashamed of you.”

Uh-oh.

Leah steps forward, squaring her shoulders. “You keep Mom out of this!” She wags a finger, her hand shaking. “You keep her name out of your fucking mouth, Dad!”

“How could you do this to me, Leah?” Harvey’s eyes darken, his lips trembling. “He’s my age! You’re with someone your father’s age, and it’s even worse because it’s fake! Where is your dignity?”

Leah directs the finger at Lizzie, who looks behind herself to see who’s being referred to. “Are you seriously lecturing me about dignity?” She laughs mirthlessly. “You, Dad? If I had a mirror, I’d hold it up for you to see.”

“I want this called off!”

“Dad, I owe you nothing,” she says firmly. “Also, what I have with Silas isn’t entirely fake.” She steps back to stand by my side.

“This is r-real? Bullshit!” Harvey repeats, his voice dripping with disdain. “I refuse to believe that.”

Leah crosses her arms. “I really don’t care, Dad. Believe whatever you want. Silas kept it from you out of respect for your feelings. But I actually never cared what you thought.”

Her words hang in the air like a challenge, and I can see Harvey’s face turning a deeper shade of red. He looks between us, his jaw clenched so tight I think his teeth might crack.

“Look, let's all calm down, alright?” I take a step toward my old friend. “This is something we can sit down and discuss.”

But Harvey isn’t having any of it. “I don’t give a shit about sitting down, Silas. That option elapsed when you started fucking my daughter behind my back!”

“Jesus, Harvey.”

“You think I’m just gonna sit back and let you walk all over me? You’re going to regret this, Silas. I promise you.”

Leah’s standing tall beside me, her gaze unwavering. But I can see the slight tremble in her hands. I don’t know if it’s from anger or nerves.

I step closer, lowering my voice. “You’re my best friend, Harvey. I respect you. I love you like a brother, but don’t make the mistake of threatening me.”

Harvey takes a step forward, his chest puffed out like he’s ready to fight. “Is that so?”

I don’t flinch. “That’s so.”

For a moment, we just stare at each other, the room practically buzzing with tension.

“I’ll never get around this, Silas! I swear, if you don’t call it off, I’ll destroy you.”

I hold his gaze. “I’m going to give you some time to think about this. We can talk when you’ve cooled down.”

Then Harvey lets out a growl of frustration, his fists clenched at his sides. “You better get out of my house before I do something we both regret.”

I don’t need to be told twice. I take Leah’s hand and turn toward the door. Harvey’s curses follow us all the way out, but I don’t look back. I can hear Lizzie trying to pacify him as we leave.

As we step into the cool air outside, I take a deep breath, letting the tension drain from my shoulders. Leah’s hand is still in mine, her grip tight. She’s silent, lost in her own thoughts. I exhale, long and hard. The one thing I’ve been avoiding has finally happened.

Now, I have to prepare for whatever comes next.