Chapter 12 Keep This Relationship a Secret #2
Blaire shook her head. “Never mind. My friend is already here to pick me up. She’s waiting outside, so I’m going to head out first.”
She gave everyone a quick wave before turning toward the exit.
“Blaire, wait!”
Zoe hurried after her.
The moment she caught up, she wrapped her arms around Blaire, hugging her tightly. Blaire hugged her back without hesitation, squeezing her just as firmly before Zoe finally pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” Zoe said quietly. “I really am. I shouldn’t have gotten you into trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Blaire immediately scowled and gave Zoe’s arm a reassuring pat. “I’m glad you care that much about your friends. Don’t forget that I’m your friend too.”
Zoe’s smile widened.
Blaire grinned and took a step backward. “All right. I’m really leaving this time.”
Zoe laughed softly. “Go.”
Blaire turned and headed toward the exit, and Zoe remained where she was, watching her disappear through the doors with a small smile on her face.
***
Rose stepped inside the Oracle Fragrances office, her nerves immediately getting the better of her.
The building was far more impressive than she had expected.
Sleek glass walls, polished floors, and expensive modern furnishings gave the entire place an air of quiet luxury.
This was the first time her father had trusted her with an entire project of this scale, and that alone was enough to make her nervous.
In the past, Rose had worked primarily as a perfumer. Her father had always been comfortable letting her handle the creative side of developing new fragrances, but he had never given her complete responsibility for an entire fragrance line. This time, however, everything was in her hands.
And she desperately wanted to prove that she could handle it.
She took a slow breath before approaching the office at the end of the hallway. After a brief knock, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The office looked nothing like it had the last time she had visited.
The once-dull interior had been completely transformed. The old-fashioned furniture was gone, replaced by sleek modern pieces, elegant lighting, and tasteful decorations that made the entire room look considerably more sophisticated.
Rose's gaze swept across the room until it landed on the man standing behind the desk.
She stopped.
The last time she had been here, an older, bald man had been sitting behind the CEO's desk. He had been the one who agreed to work with her father's company on developing the new fragrance line.
But that man was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, a tall figure stood with his back to her, reading through a file.
A fresh wave of nervousness rolled through Rose.
Who was he?
She tightened her grip on the files in her hands and took a few cautious steps toward the desk.
“Excuse me?”
The man went still.
Then he slowly turned around.
Rose froze.
Her breath caught the instant she saw his face.
“Maverick?”
His name escaped her lips in a stunned whisper.
Of all the people she had expected to find in this office, he was the last.
“What are you doing here?”
Her gaze darted around the office before returning to him. Then realization struck her.
“You acquired this company?”
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Maverick's mouth.
He lowered the file onto the desk and placed both hands against its polished surface before leaning toward her slightly.
“Smart girl.”
Heat rushed into Rose's cheeks at the compliment.
It was ridiculous how easily he could make her nervous. She had spent the entire morning preparing herself for an important business meeting, yet the moment she saw him, every carefully rehearsed thought seemed to disappear.
And the way he was looking at her wasn't helping.
“You weren't here last month when I came to finalize the deal,” she said, trying to regain her composure.
She moved closer to the desk, but Maverick didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he watched her approach until she stopped directly in front of him.
Their eyes met. Then his gaze dropped to the bag and files she was carrying.
Without a word, he reached out and took them from her hands. His fingers brushed hers briefly before he placed everything on the desk.
When he looked back at her, his expression was calm, but there was something in his eyes that made Rose's heart beat a little faster.
“Yes. I took over the company three months ago,” he answered calmly. “We needed more manufacturers to join our network, and this company was struggling. Acquiring it made sense.”
Rose stared at him, her suspicion only growing.
Three months ago.
The timing was far too perfect.
Her father’s company had finalized the deal with Oracle Fragrances around the same time. She had come here expecting to work with the previous owner, only to discover that Maverick had somehow ended up taking his place.
It felt like too much of a coincidence.
Maverick seemed completely unfazed by the troubled look on her face. Instead, he stepped closer, stopping just short of touching her.
“Do you have a problem with it?” he asked. “Are you questioning my judgment or the decision to acquire the company?”
Rose immediately smoothed the expression from her face, realizing she had been far too easy to read.
“No. Of course not.”
His eyes softened slightly, but the familiar arch of his eyebrow remained.
“Then what’s the problem?”
Rose hesitated.
Maverick studied her for another moment before asking, “Do you have a problem working for your husband?”
His voice was quiet, but there was a faint edge to it that made her nervous.
Rose shifted her weight.
“It’s not that.” She lowered her gaze for a moment before looking back at him. “We weren’t together when I got this project.”
She gestured toward the files on his desk.
“And if I start working here now, everyone is going to think I got the project because of you. Even my father might think that.”
Her expression fell, frustration creeping into her voice.
“That bothers me. I worked hard for this. I earned the opportunity to handle this project, and I don’t want anyone thinking I only got it because I’m married to you.”
Silence settled between them.
Maverick didn't answer immediately.
Rose looked up at him nervously, waiting.
He rarely went quiet around her. When he did, she never knew what was going through his mind.
Then his hand lifted.
His fingers curled gently around her chin, turning her face toward him as he stepped closer. Rose's breath caught as the distance between them disappeared, leaving them standing so close that she could feel the warmth of his body.
His gaze held hers.
“What exactly do you want, Mrs. Bishop?”
Rose swallowed.
Being this close to him always made it difficult to think clearly. She could feel the tension gathering in her body beneath his unwavering stare.
“I was thinking…” She hesitated before finally forcing the words out. “Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone about our relationship for now.”
Maverick's expression changed instantly.
The softness disappeared from his eyes.
For a moment, he simply stared at her, his jaw tightening as though she'd just asked him for something completely unreasonable.
Rose's confidence faltered.
“You… don't want to?”
He didn't answer.
His hand remained beneath her chin, but the displeasure in his expression was unmistakable.
Rose's heart sank.
“If that's the case…” She lowered her eyes, trying to hide her disappointment. “Then I'll ask another director at my father's company to take over the project.”
She looked back at him.
“That would be the only way I could continue working on it without everyone thinking I got the project because of you.”
Rose stepped away from him, creating a little distance between them before turning toward the door.
She had barely taken a step when Maverick caught her arm.
He pulled her back, and she stumbled against his chest, instinctively placing a hand against him to steady herself. His other hand settled around her arm, keeping her there as his gaze fixed on her.
“Why do we have to hide our relationship from everyone?” he asked. “What difference does it make whether people know or not?”
Rose stared at him, almost offended that he couldn't understand something that seemed so obvious to her.
“Of course it makes a difference.” Her voice rose with frustration. “Everyone is going to think I got this project because I'm your wife, not because I worked hard for it. Do you know how embarrassing that would be?”
She pulled her arm slightly, but he didn't let go.
“Do you know how many years it took me to get here? How long I worked before my father finally trusted me enough to put me in charge of an entire project?”
Maverick's eyes narrowed.
“It won't make a difference.”
“It does to me.”
“Who cares what they think?”
Rose's expression fell.
“It's fine.”
She turned away again, but before she could get more than a step, Maverick caught her once more.
This time, he let out a slow breath and closed his eyes for a moment.
Rose watched him closely.
There was a brief flicker of frustration across his face, followed by something that looked suspiciously like resignation. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze settled on hers.
“How long?”
Rose blinked.
“What?”
“How long is the project?”
She stared at him for a second before the meaning finally sank in.
“Three months.”
Hope immediately brightened her voice.
“Three months?”
Maverick clenched his jaw, as though he were gathering every ounce of patience he possessed.
“Fine.” He finally gave in. “We'll keep our relationship private for three months.”
Rose's eyes widened.