Forbidden Grumpy Boss (Damaged Daddies #2)

30. Silas

Chapter thirty

Silas

I never thought I'd see the day Harvey would call me before showing up at my office like we’re strangers. But here we are. I stare at the phone in my hand, his name flashing on the screen like a bad omen, before I finally pick it up.

“Harvey.”

I hear him talking to someone there before he finally answers me. "I’m downstairs," he says, his voice gruff.

“Why—"

"Calling before I come up. I don’t want to walk in on anything . . . awkward."

Awkward.

The man has a way of picking the right words to twist the knife. Not that Leah’s anywhere near here right now, she’s off with Caleb at some comic book store. I still don’t like the implication, but I hold my tongue. No use letting him see that he’s getting to me.

"Come on up," I reply, keeping my voice even. "I’m in my office."

I drop the phone and lean back in my chair, staring at the view from my office. Monarch Tower stands tall above the city, floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the breathtaking skyline. Usually, this view gives me a sense of control, like the world is at my feet. But today, it feels distant, cold.

Like everything is slipping out of my hands.

A knock sounds at the door, and Harvey walks in. He looks different—older. Which is crazy because I only just saw him a few days ago. His gray hair is more salt than pepper now, his face etched with lines that weren’t there the last time we raised our voices at each other. He’s wearing one of his usual expensive suits, but something in his posture is different.

Something hard, something bitter.

He used to be my brother in everything but blood. Now, he stares at me like he’s seeing a stranger. Or worse, an enemy.

I wave toward the chair opposite my desk. "Have a seat, Harvey." Harvey sits, his eyes not leaving mine. “Whiskey?”

“No.” He raises his hand. “I don’t share drinks with traitors.”

“Suit yourself.”

The silence stretches between us, thick with everything we’re not saying. We used to talk about everything. Business, family, life. But now, it’s like we’re standing on opposite sides of a battlefield.

"What are you doing here, Harvey?" I ask, breaking the silence. "Did you see the protesters outside? Not exactly a quiet night."

He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I saw them. Impressive crowd you’ve gathered there."

“I’ve gathered?”

He shrugs and breaks eye contact, looking around my office like he’s searching for an invisible recorder I might’ve planted to set him up. “They’re here for you, aren’t they?”

"You behind that?" I ask, my tone still calm, but there’s an edge now. I already know the answer, but I want to hear him say it.

He smirks, but there’s no humor in it. "I promised I’d ruin you, didn’t I?"

“Did you pay off Principal Morgan too?”

“Who?”

I stare at him, feeling the anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Don’t bullshit me, Harvey. What the hell does Caleb’s school have to do with any of this? Why drag my kid into it?"

“Don’t be a fucking hypocrite, Silas.”

“What?”

“You dragged Leah into it first," Harvey snaps, leaning forward. "You don’t get to act like the victim here. You fucked my daughter."

His words hang in the air between us, heavy and ugly. I run a hand over my face, trying to keep my temper in check.

“Christ, you make it sound so foul.”

“Have you convinced yourself that it isn’t?” Harvey grinds his teeth. “You fucked my daughter. I have every right to be mad at you.”

"It wasn’t like that," I say, my voice low. "I didn’t even know she was your daughter when we met."

Harvey cuts me off, his face hard. "Bullshit. You knew. And even if you didn’t, you sure as hell figured it out later. But at the anniversary dinner for my wife, you sat across from her, pretended you didn’t know her, and made me look like a fool while I did the goddamn introductions!"

I take a breath, trying to explain. "I didn’t want to hurt you. Harvey, I came ‘round for the dinner, and I saw that the lady I met all those years ago and just hired to be my assistant was your goddamn daughter! How exactly would that conversation have gone?"

He laughs, but it’s cold and bitter. "Hurt me? If you didn’t want to hurt me, Silas, you wouldn’t have screwed my daughter in the first place."

“I didn’t fucking know!”

“Fuck you!”

The room feels smaller now, the air thick with tension. I meet his eyes, trying to find a trace of the man I once called my best friend. But all I see is anger and betrayal.

“Why are you here, Harvey?” I repeat my question, keeping my voice steady, even though I can feel the heat rising in my chest. "You didn’t come here just to throw insults."

“I have a proposition for you.”

“Well then, out with it.”

He leans back again, his eyes narrowing. "I’m going to ruin your deal with the Caldwells. It’s already in motion. I know things about Elizabeth Caldwell she doesn’t want out, so yeah, I can make sure the Caldwells do not sell you the company.”

“What things?”

“Yeah, right, like I’d tell you that.” He frowns. “Also, I’ll make sure your Darkest Hour tanks. The protests outside? Just the beginning. I can make your life hell, Silas. And I will."

“And you think I’m not going to fight back?” My forehead furrows. “You think I’m just going to keep playing defense and let you drag my name through the mud?”

“No, I don’t think so.” He cracks his knuckles. “That’s why I’m here with a proposition before this goes too far.”

“Why are you suddenly willing to make a deal?”

“Because Leah told me you saved her life.” He shrugs. “She said you saved her life back in Rome all those years ago. So I will give you this one chance before I go nuclear.”

My hands clench into fists under the desk, but I force myself to stay calm. "I’m still not hearing a proposition, Harvey. Get to the fucking point."

Harvey leans forward, his eyes cold. "It’s simple. You choose, Silas. Leah, or everything you’ve worked for. The Caldwell deal, the movie commemorating your brother—everything you’ve ever wanted. Walk away from Leah, and I’ll stop. Stay with her, and I’ll burn it all down. You mark my words."

I stare at him, trying to process his words. Leah or everything I’ve ever wanted. Leah, who I’m starting to build something real with, or the dream I’ve chased for years.

"Did it ever occur to you," I say slowly, "that Leah is what I’ve always wanted?"

Harvey shakes his head, laughing like I’ve lost my mind. "That’s bullshit, and you know it. The engagement? It was fake, Silas. I gave the goddamn idea! Me! So, don’t sit there and try to sell me on an illusion I built. I’m no fool and this whole thing isn’t fucking real!"

"It is real," I snap, my control slipping for the first time. "Yes, it started out that way, but now, it’s real."

Harvey stares at me like I’ve just confessed to a crime, his expression hard. "She’s only with you to hurt me, Silas.”

“That’s not true.”

“That’s all this is. She’s angry now, but at the end of the day, I’m her father. Blood trumps all. What happens when she’s not angry anymore? Have you asked yourself that? What happens when she realizes she doesn’t want to spend her life with an old man like you?"

I want to deny it, to throw his words back in his face. But a part of me—damn it, a small part of me—wonders if he’s right. If Leah really is just trying to get back at him. If she’ll wake up one day and realize that this thing between us isn’t what she wants.

But then I think of her laugh, her smile, and how she looks at me when she thinks I’m not paying attention. And I know Harvey’s wrong. I hope he’s wrong.

“I’ll take my chances on us,” I say, my voice firm, even though doubt tugs at the edges of my thoughts.

Harvey stands up, brushing off his suit. “I don’t need an answer now, Silas. Think about it. Leah’s mad at me, sure, but she’ll come around. And when she does, where will that leave you? Who do you think she’d choose? An old man who’s a relic, or the man who birthed her?”

He walks to the door, pausing momentarily before looking back at me. “Family trumps everything, Silas. Remember that.”

And then he’s gone, leaving me alone in my office with nothing but my thoughts for company. I stand, walking over to the windows and staring at the bustling city. The distant hum of the world continuing outside these walls.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me back to reality. It’s the director.

“Jean.”

Before he speaks, I know he’s calling with bad news. I can’t remember the last time I got good news. Whenever my phone rings, I’m about to be hit by another tragic news.

"We’re way behind schedule, Silas," he says, his voice frantic. "These bloody protests won’t stop, and it’s starting to turn violent.”

“Violent?”

“Olivia got assaulted by one of the protesters while on a cigarette break.”

I rub my temples, feeling a headache coming on. “Who’s Olivia?”

“She’s my cinematographer,” he rasps. “Look, Silas, if we don’t fix this soon, we’re going to miss the festivals. We’re bleeding money here."

"I know," I reply, rubbing the back of my neck. "I’ll handle it. I’ll get the cops on it tonight."

When I hang up, I lean my forehead against the cool glass; Harvey’s words echo in my head. Leah, or everything else. Give her up, and I get my movie, deal, and career. Keep her, and I risk losing everything.

I close my eyes, weighing the options.

What the hell is the right choice?