Forbidden Grumpy Boss (Damaged Daddies #2)

32. Silas

Chapter thirty-two

Silas

Harvey’s offer left a bad aftertaste I can’t wash. Cut Leah out of my life and go back to business as usual, or keep her and let Harvey turn my reputation into mulch. Two equally lousy options, all hinging on one absurd ultimatum.

I hate that I can’t stop thinking about it.

Because right now, I’m supposed to be enjoying this moment with Caleb. It’s not every day he’s willing to spend his Saturday evening playing Scrabble with his dad instead of doing whatever it is thirteen-year-olds do these days. I’m seated across from him in the living room of my penthouse, trying to focus, even if my mind keeps dragging me back to that call with Harvey.

“Hmmm.” I sigh.

The polished walnut coffee table between us gleams under the recessed lighting; each Scrabble tile spread out with military precision. Caleb looks deep in thought, eyeing the board, brown curls tumbling over his forehead as he chews his lip in concentration.

“Dad,” he says, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “are you going to play or just stare at the board all night? You know I already know the next word I will form, right?”

I blink, trying to shake off my thoughts. “I’ll have you know I’m strategically planning my next move.”

Caleb smirks, clearly unconvinced. “It’s just a game, Dad. And for the record, you’re totally gonna lose.” He reaches over, holding up his hand in a “you know it” gesture, one eyebrow cocked.

I arch a brow, determined to put up at least a decent fight. I glance at my letters and settle on “dilemma.”

How fitting.

I lay the tiles out, trying to ignore the irony staring back at me from the board. Caleb snorts, clearly enjoying the word choice a little too much. “Yeah, sounds about right. But I’m still gonna win,” he says, laughing as he starts plotting his next move.

I chuckle and shake my head, watching him with an odd mix of pride and a touch of guilt. These small moments are what I’ve wanted with Caleb all along. Since Leah came back into my life, Caleb’s been different.

He smiles more, relates with me better, and doesn’t look angry at the world anymore.

But I can’t fully enjoy it. Not with Harvey’s ultimatum hanging over me like a thundercloud. How can I choose between the woman I love and my peace of mind? It feels like a losing game, no matter how I play it.

Caleb glances up, noticing my distraction. “Dad, you okay?”

“Just . . . thinking.” I offer a tight smile.

“About what?”

“Grown-up stuff.”

“I’m thirteen.”

“Thank you for proving my point.” I ruffle his hair.

He makes a face and whips his curls back to get them in place. “When’s Leah coming around?”

That’s the same thing I’ve been thinking. Where is she? She hasn’t called or texted, which is weird. “I mean, I should be asking you that. You were the last person to hang out with her.”

“She had to rush off earlier at the comic book store.” He picks up some tiles, rearranging them on his tray.

I frown. “Really? To where?”

Caleb shrugs as he arranges the tiles on the board and pumps the air as he’s used all seven tiles. He beams at me, proud of himself. I stare at the score. The kid’s kicking my ass.

“You ready for your final exams?”

“Doing my best,” he says, shrugging, as if exams aren’t a big deal. For Caleb, they might not be; the kid’s smart as a whip when he has nothing to worry about. And that’s the last thing I want for him right now: worries.

“Great.”

“Dad, can I ask you something?”

“You can ask me anything.”

He wets his lip and purses his lips. “You and Leah are engaged, right?”

“Right.”

“So, when exactly are you guys gonna get married?” Shit. I focus on my tiles even though no words are coming to mind. “I mean, that’s what happens when you’re engaged, right, Dad? You get married and become a real family.”

The kid’s right. But how do I tell him it’s complicated? That Harvey’s probably going to poison me and end up in jail if I marry his daughter?

I’m still wondering what the hell to say when my phone rings, the screen lighting up with Harvey’s name. Thank God. I grab it.

Caleb catches sight of it, but I stand and ruffle his hair. “Just a quick call. Keep thinking of how you’re going to beat me, kid.”

“Already done,” he says, grinning as he grabs another tile.

“Don’t peek at my tiles.”

I exit to the balcony, sliding the glass door shut behind me. The air is cool against my skin; the city skyline sprawls in glass and stone beneath me. I hit answer , my voice sharp as I greet him.

“Harvey.”

“Silas.”

“You okay?”

Harvey laughs mirthlessly. “This isn’t a social call, Silas.”

“I was under no illusion that it was. I was just wondering why the hell you were calling me. And if it’s about the offer, I don’t—"

“Change of plans, Silas,” Harvey drawls, cutting me off. “I don’t need you to take my offer anymore. Frankly, it’s no longer on the table.”

I clench my jaw. “Good. I wasn’t planning on taking it.”

“I’m also going to end the protests and constant slander in the media.”

Okay, that makes no sense. What is he playing at? “What are you talking about? I’m not taking your offer.”

“Yeah, I know. I just told you it’s off the table.”

“So why the hell are you doing me favors?”

“Well, I’m not. It’s your lucky day, Silas.”

“It is?” I frown, the sun getting into my eyes. “Enlighten me.”

“Leah’s on her way to end things as we speak,” he says, a smirk practically dripping through the phone.

My heart skips a beat. “What?”

“You didn’t really think she’d put you above her family, did you? I told you she was only with you because she wanted to hurt me. As soon as we sorted things out, you became irrelevant.”

“Fuck you.”

Harvey chuckles. “Family’s everything, Silas. And you’ve been a fool for believing otherwise.”

His words twist in my gut. This can’t be true. Leah would never . . .

“Harvey—"

The call ends before I can say another word, and a sense of dread settles over me. My eyes blur as I rush to my contact list and dial Leah. I press the phone against my ear, my head churning with thoughts.

This has to be bullshit. Harvey’s just playing mind games. A phone starts ringing, and I'm shocked when I hear the ringtone from my living room.

“What the—"

I turn, and through the glass, I see Caleb waving at me excitedly.

“Dad! Leah’s here!” he shouts.

I freeze. Leah’s here. Harvey wasn’t lying. Is she really here to end things?

She steps out onto the balcony, her sunglasses catching the remaining sunlight, her sundress fluttering lightly around her knees. Her face is set in a pained expression, lips pressed tight, eyes obviously hidden to hide her emotions.

She’s glowing, somehow looking different. But my anger is already simmering from Harvey’s words, and I can barely appreciate it.

“You got what you wanted, didn’t you?” she starts, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

“I got what I wanted? Are you fucking serious?”

“Dad already called off the people he paid to protest, hasn’t he?”

“He will, yeah.” I stare at her, my fists clenched beside me, barely keeping a lid on my anger. “And you? A place at your father’s company.”

She rubs her arm, shaking her head. “You think I care about that, Silas?”

“I thought you didn’t.” I take a step closer. “Hell, you talked so much about how much you didn’t care when, in truth, that was probably all you fucking cared about from the very beginning!”

She scoffs and then runs a hand through her hair. “You know, I just realized something. You used me. That’s all this has been since Rome. You,” she points at me, “using me. You never really cared about me, did you? You set this whole engagement thing up because you—”

“You went along with it!”

“Because you saved my life, and I felt like I owed you!”

“And because you wanted to hurt your father.” I tapped my chest. “I used you? That’s bullshit. You used me. And now, you’re walking away.”

“Because you walked away first!”

I stare at her, taken aback by her words, the pain in her voice stinging more than I want to admit. “What the hell are you talking about?” I step closer, hands spread wide in frustration. “Harvey has been on a relentless campaign to rip apart everything I’ve worked for—everything I’ve built. I’ve had no peace since he—”

“Oh, I’m so sorry for stealing your peace, Silas.”

“You know that’s not what I’m saying!”

She squares her shoulders, chin jutting up in that defiant way she gets when she’s determined. It’s usually one of the things I love about her. But right now, it only makes the anger churn faster in my chest.

“No, I know exactly what you’re saying, Silas, and exactly what you don’t say. You never once made it clear what you feel for me. I told you I loved you, and you didn’t say a damn thing back! How the hell do you think that made me feel?”

“What does it matter?” I look away. “We were doomed since the beginning.”

“Why?! Because you want me to pick a side? I already picked a side and—"

“I know you’ve picked a side, Leah,” I say, my voice rising, frustration spilling like water over a dam. “I’ve been fighting your father because he’s been gunning for me—because he’s been feeding the world lies about me. I’m the one caught in this mess of his making. And somehow, I’m the one who’s been using you?”

“You think I haven’t been through hell, too?”

“I’m glad you’ve picked a side, Leah. Because I’ve picked a side, too.”

She removes her sunglasses and twists the engagement ring on her finger, her gaze flicking down to it for just a moment before meeting my eyes again. She’s wearing makeup around her eyes, making them look even darker, a storm brewing in their depths.

She’s been crying.

She lifts her hand, slowly, deliberately, and slides the engagement ring off her finger. The small, delicate band glints in the light as she holds it out to me, her hand trembling slightly.

“What are you doing?”

“If this is how it’s going to be,” she says, her voice breaking just a little, “then I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me. Who’s ready to believe the worst of me at the first opportunity. I don’t think you should, either.”

I stare at the ring, my chest tight, my heart pounding. But I force myself to take it from her, to hold it in my palm and feel the weight of it, the weight of everything we’re losing.

“Fine,” I say, my voice cold, yet my heart bursting with pain.

She looks at me for a long moment, her eyes filled with a mixture of hurt and anger, and I can see the tears she’s holding back, the pain she’s trying so hard to hide. But she says nothing. She just turns and walks away.

I stand there, watching her go, my heart heavy and aching, but I keep my face blank, my expression hard. I won’t let her see how much this is breaking me.

A few moments later, Caleb appears at the door, his face filled contorted with concern. “Dad . . . what happened? Leah was crying when she left.”

I look down at him, forcing a small, strained smile. “I’m sorry, Caleb.” It’s all I can manage. Just two simple words that don’t even begin to cover the mess I’m caught in.

“What’s wrong, Dad? Is everything okay?”

As Caleb watches me, his face twisted in confusion. I turn back to the city, letting the hot air wash over me. And I think of Leah, of everything we shared, and the way it all came crashing down because I trusted the wrong person.

Because I let Harvey Grayson tear us apart.

I’m sorry, Caleb , I think to myself, my heart heavy with regret. I’m sorry for trusting the one person who could break both our hearts. Because that’s what she’s done:

Broken our hearts.