Page 37 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

“Silas?” His voice is dangerously low now. “You’re working for my best friend? When the fuck did that happen?”

“Yep.” I smile, but it’s the kind of smile that comes with sharp edges. “Your best friend.”

“When did you start working for him?”

“That’s really none of your business, Dad.”

“Oh, so you don’t want to work for me because you don’t want entitlement, but you’d work for my best friend, who probably only hired you because he knows me?” he laughs sardonically. “Your logic makes no sense. You’re acting like a child!”

“He hired me because I earned the job, Dad.” I fold my arms. “I know that’s difficult for you to wrap your head around, but yeah. Iearnedit.”

The room goes quiet, thick with tension. Penny looks between us, her eyes wide. She opens her mouth to say something, probably to play peacemaker. But we’re both too far gone for that.

“You won’t work for me,” Harvey spits, “but you’ll work for him? Do you know how this makes me look?”

“God forbid yourreputationtakes a hit,” I say, rolling my eyes. “This isn’t about you, Dad. Not everything is about you.”

He looks like he wants to say more, but then, like a storm suddenly passing, he turns on his heel and heads for the door. Penny, bless her, is trying to smooth things over with a nervous laugh, but it’s like trying to put out a forest fire with a water bottle.

“I don’t want to see you ruin your life,” he says over his shoulder, his voice carrying all the weight of a final warning.

“Well, I just don’t want to see you at all,” I mutter under my breath as the door slams shut behind him.

The following silence feels oppressive, like the air is thick with leftover rage. I exhale, my body still vibrating with the adrenaline of the fight. Penny steps forward cautiously.

“Leah, you okay?” she asks. “It’s like watching an episode ofSuccession, Jesus Christ.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “I just told my father I’m working for his best friend, who I’m also . . . complicated with. So, no, not exactly.”

Penny sighs, sitting down on the couch and patting the spot next to her. “Look, I get it. He pushes your buttons like nobody else. But throwing Silas into the mix? That’s a whole other level of messy.”

I flop down next to her, my head falling into my hands. "I know, I know. But did you see his face, Pen? I wanted to punch something—preferably him."

She’s silent for a moment, then nudges me with her shoulder. “You really care about this, don’t you? About working for Silas? About the engagement thing?”

I look at her, feeling a tug at my chest. “Yeah. I really do. I owe him.”

Penny watches me for a beat, her expression softening. “Then be careful. If things with your dad and Silas blow up, you don’t want to be caught in the middle of that.”

I nod, my fingers twisting in my lap. She’s right, of course. This whole situation is a delicate web of lies, half-truths, and too many emotions I haven’t untangled yet. And now, I’ve just thrown Silas directly into the line of fire.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glance at the screen and feel my stomach drop.

It’s Silas.

"Caleb’s had an emergency. A car's waiting outside for you."

I jump to my feet, my heart slamming against my ribs.Caleb?Oh, God. My hands shake as I text, my mind racing a million miles an hour.

What happened? Is he okay?

I shoot the texts and rush to my bedroom to throw something on.

“Leah?” Penny follows me, looking at me with concern.

“I—I’ve got to go,” I stammer, throwing on a dress. “It’s Caleb. Something’s wrong.”

Penny is still standing in the living room when I come out, her face full of worry. “You want me to come with you?”

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