CHAPTER THREE
Sara
"Do you know where Elsa is?" I asked my assistant, Dona.
She shook her head. "I've been looking for her all morning."
I glanced at Elsa's desk. "But she was here, right?"
"Yes," Dona said. "I saw her come in, but then she took the elevator. Probably heading to the lobby to grab something to eat."
"Yeah, that sounds like her. The baby probably demanded to be fed," I chuckled. "Let me know as soon as you see her, okay?"
"Sure thing, boss." Dona gave me a playful salute.
I glanced at my watch—9:40 a.m. Our office started at 9. What had Elsa been doing in the lobby for that long?
Frowning, I turned and headed back to my office.
Seated behind my desk, I opened my email. Thirty unread messages stared back at me, and for a moment, a wave of overwhelm washed over me. This was exactly why I needed Elsa, at least a third of these fell under her responsibilities. As my finance manager, she handled expenses and invoicing. She was supposed to help me sort through this mess.
I had no idea how I was going to manage when Elsa took her twelve-week maternity leave. My interior design firm was small—a subsidiary of Cole's real estate development company—with only a handful of employees. Losing my finance manager for that long felt like a looming crisis.
Sighing, I started reading the first email.
Everything had been going smoothly until I reached the eleventh email. That's when I hit a problem I couldn't solve on my own. Glancing at the clock on my laptop, I saw it was already 10:15 a.m.
And Elsa still hadn't come back.
Or had she returned to her desk, and Dona just forgot to tell me?
I got up from my seat and stepped out of my office, my eyes immediately landing on Elsa's empty desk. Still not here.
I noticed Dona, who was deeply engrossed in her typing, wearing her pink headset and unaware of my presence. I tapped her shoulder gently. She looked up at me, lowering the headset.
"Is Elsa back yet?" I asked.
Dona shook her head. "I haven't seen her. If she did, I surely would have noticed."
Yeah. Of course. Elsa needed to pass by Dona's desk to get to hers.
"Try to call her, please."
"I did," Dona said. "She didn't pick up."
"Try calling security downstairs. I'm worried something happened to her. She's about to have the baby soon."
"I saw Elsa heading to the second elevator row," Angie, another team member, suddenly said as she arrived at her desk across from Dona. She must have just returned from a meeting. "Probably going to your husband for some budget approval."
I frowned. I hadn't asked Elsa to do anything like that. Why would she go there?
Angie glanced at me, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips, which made me suspicious. "You didn't send her?"
"No," I said, shaking my head. A strange feeling crept into my chest. Why would she go to Cole?
Dona, who had been silent until now, looked up from her laptop. "Maybe she took the initiative? Or maybe she needed some advice?"
"Still, she should've run it by me first," I muttered, reaching for my phone. My fingers hovered over the screen, debating whether to text Elsa. I turned to Dona. "I'll be in my office. Let me know if she comes back."
Dona nodded.
As soon as the door to my office closed, I called Cole. He didn't pick up. I tried again. After the third ring, he finally answered.
"Hi, babe," his voice came through the speaker, warm but distracted.
"Honey, I'm looking for Elsa. Is she there?"
A brief pause. "She was here this morning, but she already left."
I frowned. "Why did she come to see you?" I couldn't quite hide the suspicion in my tone.
Elsa was technically an employee of the parent company, not mine, which meant she reported to Cole. But Cole assigned her to assist me in monitoring finances. If she had something to report, the professional courtesy would have been to consult me first.
Cole sighed heavily through the speaker. "She wanted to go over some numbers before submitting them. She said it was urgent."
I clenched my jaw. "And you didn't ask if I had already gone through them?"
Another pause. Then, a sigh. "I told her I'd review them first. We can review them together if you want."
That didn't make me feel any better. "But she said nothing to me," I said. "Which numbers did she talk about?"
Cole didn't answer me. "Cole?"
"The Jamison project," he finally answered. "Babe, sorry, I'm a bit distracted. I have an urgent email I need to send. I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"
"Okay," I replied slowly. "Love you."
"Love you too."
He ended the call.
I returned to my emails, forcing myself to focus on the reports and requests piling up in my inbox. But the nagging feeling in my chest refused to fade, a persistent distraction that made concentration impossible. My eyes skimmed over the words on the screen, but my mind kept circling back to Elsa.
Why would she go to Cole for something without discussing it with me first? It felt like she didn't trust me. This was my husband's company, for God's sake. I could just ask him in bed tonight.
I needed answers. I dialed Cole's number again.
No answer.
Frustrated, I pushed back from my desk and walked out of my office. "I'm stepping out for a bit," I called to Dona as I headed for the elevator. "Be back after lunch."
*** *** ***
COLE
I breezed past Elsa into my office, stealing a quick glance at my assistant, Lawrence, who narrowed his eyes at me in quiet disapproval. She followed me inside and shut the door behind her.
I dropped my messenger bag on my desk before turning to face her. "Why are you here? Did Sara send you?"
She smiled, shaking her head slowly. "No."
I frowned. "How many times have I told you not to come to my office unless Sara sends you? If you want to see me, I will come to your house. What more do you want?"
"I just missed you," she said softly.
I stared at her like she'd lost her mind. Maybe she really had.
"Elsa," I sighed. "You know we can't do this in the office. Besides, it's 9 fucking a.m. in the morning!"
She stepped closer, and my eyes instinctively drifted to her belly, like they always did. "It's not like we haven't done it here before," she said.
Yeah. We'd fucked in my office so many times I'd lost count. But that was in the beginning. We didn't do that anymore.
Not that it lessened the betrayal.
I had still fucked up. And I would carry the weight of regret and shame for the rest of my life.
This was exactly why I reassigned her to Sara's team three months ago. I just couldn't handle her anymore. I already saw her twice a week at her house; if I had to deal with her in the office, too, I might just go fucking insane.
I figured that with Sara as a barrier, it would be harder for Elsa to reach me since she'd have to go through her first.
And I knew one thing for certain, Elsa would say nothing to Sara. Because if she did, I'd be forced to choose. And she knew I wouldn't choose her.
But I worried that might not be the case anymore.
Her being here raised too many red flags to ignore.
"We also have a lot to talk about," she said, taking my hand and pulling me toward the sitting area. And I let her.
She sank into the seat and leaned back; her belly was too big for her to sit forward comfortably. I settled beside her, bracing myself for whatever game she was about to play.
"I'm due soon," she began.
I held my breath.
"You'll be there, right? You'll be right next to me? And you'll sign the acknowledgment of paternity at the hospital."
I nodded without hesitation. Of course, I would. I wanted my name on that birth certificate. That child was mine—my first. But as the realization settled in, so did the regret.
Because it should have been with Sara.
Her eyes dropped, feigning sadness. I knew her too well to fall for it. She was faking it just like always.
"I'm getting nervous," she murmured, her voice trembling just enough to sound convincing.
I stayed silent. There was nothing I could do.
She was the one carrying my child. She held all the power.
"It's nerve-wracking, Cole. What if something happens to her? To me?"
I clenched my fists. "Why are you talking about this now, Elsa?" My patience was razor-thin. "I was at your house last night, and you didn't say a word."
She sighed. "I wanted to, but you looked so tired."
I let out a bitter laugh. "I'm still tired now, and you're still talking."
"You're rude toward me now, Cole." Her face scrunched into a frown. "You're cold and detached. It's not good for me. I'm already on edge, about to give birth. I need you. I need you more than ever."
I scrutinized her face. I didn't believe a word she said.
"Just tell me what you need," I said flatly.
Elsa cleared her throat—an annoying, squeaking sound.
"I need you to stay with me," she said calmly. "I live alone. If I go into labor, there'll be no one to help me."
I froze.
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Sara's name on the screen.
I lifted a hand in front of Elsa's face, signaling her to stay quiet.
For a moment, I hesitated. Should I answer while Elsa was here? The phone buzzed relentlessly in my grip. I just stared at it until the ringing stopped, only for it to start again.
This time, I picked up.
"Hi, babe." I swallowed, hearing the nervous edge in my voice.
"Honey, I'm looking for Elsa. Is she there?"
My eyes flicked to Elsa, who sat there with a fake, innocent expression. I turned away. "She was here this morning, but she already left."
"Why did she come to see you?" Sara's tone sharpened with suspicion.
I sighed, my mind scrambling for an excuse. "She wanted to go over some numbers before submitting them. She said it was urgent."
A pause. Then, "And you didn't ask if I had already gone through them?"
I sighed again, feeling the strain of this conversation bearing down on me. "I told her I'd review them first. We can go over them together if you want."
"But she said nothing to me," Sara said.
Fuck.
"What numbers was she talking about?"
My gaze darted to Elsa. She mouthed Jamison Project.
"Cole?"
"The Jamison Project," I blurted. "Babe, sorry, I'm a bit distracted. I have an urgent email to send. I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"
A beat of silence. Then, slowly, "Okay... Love you."
"Love you too."
As soon as the call ended, I dropped my face into my hands.
Seriously. I couldn't do this anymore.
"Cole."
Fuck, she was still talking.
I drew in a sharp breath and lowered my hands. "Yes, Elsa?"
"I need you to stay with me," she repeated, her voice firmer this time. "It's due any day now. I can't be alone."
She was right. She couldn't stay alone. But how?
What would I tell Sara?
It was impossible.
"You know I can't, Elsa. I don't know what to tell Sara."
"It's your child, Cole. Your child." Her voice sharpened with frustration. "Don't you want to be with her?"
Of course, I wanted that.
But how ?
She moved closer, resting her head on my shoulder, her hand splayed over my chest.
"I've been very understanding, Cole," she murmured. "But I need you right now. I'm so afraid, and I'm all alone."
Her fingers curled slightly against my shirt as she whispered, "Please, Cole. Stay with me."
My brain went into overdrive, scrambling for a solution. Finally, I said, "I'll hire someone to stay with you. A maternity nurse or something."
She pushed away from me, hurt flashing across her face. "Don't you have a heart, Cole?"
Everything was so messed up. I grunted, running my hand down my face.
"You knew what you were signing up for, Elsa. I told you I'd never leave Sara. I've given you everything you need. But this, I can't give you."
She moved closer again, and I fought the urge to push her away.
Then, her lips brushed against my neck.
I stiffened.
"I never ask for anything," she murmured.
Bullshit. The house, the monthly allowance—every little demand she made—were all proof of the opposite.
"But this time," she whispered, her breath warm against my skin, "I'm asking. Please, stay with me."
My phone buzzed again. I ignored it. If it was Sara, I didn't think I could speak properly.
But then Lawrence burst into the room, his face pale.
"Cole," he panted, bracing a hand against the doorframe. "Sara is coming. I saw her through the glass door. She just got out of the elevator!"