Page 55 of He Falls First

That’s Gabrielle’s laugh echoing through the building. Shit.

I’m sure she’s headed my way—this is her old office, after all. I look into the hallway to see her with her daughter, Harper. A group of employees has gathered around them, welcoming back their former boss.

Panic hits my chest. The last thing I need is for Gabrielle and Elizabeth to cross paths. There’s a reason I’ve been keeping them apart in my world.

“Matt,” I hiss. “Make sure Gabrielle stays on this floor, will you?”

Matt cracks a smile. “Aw, Gabby’s here? That’s awesome, I always liked—”

But I don’t have time to hear Matt’s fan club updates. Of course he likes Gabrielle. The guy likes everyone. He’d like a rock if it wore a nice hat.

I’m already bolting for the stairs, taking them two at a time to rush down.

I spot Elizabeth entering the building’s lobby just in time. She looks up at me with a puzzled expression, clearly not expecting to see me barreling towards her like a kid who just heard the ice cream truck.

“Hendrix, what—”

“Change of plans,” I say breathlessly. “I need you to attend the lunch meeting without me. Use the company card, order whatever you want. Just make sure you take care of business.”

“Are you sure?” She squints. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing major, just a minor, uh, schedule conflict,” I stammer. “I trust you can handle it.”

Elizabeth frowns slightly but doesn’t argue. I let out a small breath as she steps outside. Crisis averted, for now.

With Elizabeth out of the building, I head back upstairs to Gabrielle and Harper. This time I take the elevator, wiping a bead of sweat from my brow and trying my best not to look as frazzled as I feel.

As I approach, Harper’s big green eyes light up and she runs toward me, arms outstretched.

“Uncle Hendrix!” she squeals as I scoop her up.

“Hey there, Trouble.” I keep her in my arms while I plant a light kiss on Gabrielle’s head. “What brings you two here?”

“We thought we’d stop by for a visit, since you haven’t had us over lately,” Gabrielle says pointedly.

She’s one person who’s not hard for me to read. Gabrielle’s a pretty direct communicator to begin with, and ever since she learned that I’m not one for subtle cues, she’s put all hints aside to tell me exactly what she wants to say.

I set Harper down and rub the back of my neck. “Yeah, sorry about that. Work has been crazy busy.”

It’s not exactly a lie, though the real reason I’ve been avoiding them is because of Elizabeth. Our supposed engagement is bound to come up if she’s around, and I don’t want Gabrielle getting suspicious. I wouldn’t want to lie to her and Harper about being engaged—but the only alternative to that is admitting to this sleazy fake engagement plot. And how could I explain that? It’s just not possible.

All I have to do is keep Gabrielle from hearing about it for a few more weeks to keep her out of my hair. Sooner or later—after it’s already over—the truth will likely come out. All I can do is hope that when it does, they’ll understand why I did what I had to do.

“How’s my brother been treating you two?” I have to ask, but I can’t keep the bitterness from seeping into my tone. Just the mention of Tobias is enough to put me in a foul mood.

Gabrielle’s expression darkens. “About the same, distant as always,” she says crisply.

“Typical,” I mutter, my jaw clenching involuntarily.

We share a look of disdain. It’s not worth talking about when Harper can hear us, but we’re both better off without that man in our lives.

This is why seeing Harper and her mom on their own is always a little bittersweet. There’s too much complicated history there. My brother and Gabrielle had a vicious divorce. Tobias should still be there for his kid, at least, but for several years now, Harper hasn’t gotten nearly as much time with her dad as she should.

It’s not like I ever wanted to be estranged from my brother, but his repeated betrayals—including cheating on Gabrielle and being an absent father to Harper—have left me with little choice. I’ll never understand how he could abandon his wife and child so callously.

“Don’t worry,” I tell Gabrielle and Harper. “I may be busy right now, but I’m always here for you two, no matter what.”

For their sake, I have to secure control of this company. It’s all part of my plan to make sure they have a stable life forever—since my sorry brother couldn’t be bothered to make that happen for them.

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