Page 61 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

“Back up.” Penny throws her fingers over her mouth. “Jesus Christ, Leah! You go to England for a few days, and suddenly, you’re sleeping with the guy?”

“To be fair, I already slept with him back in New York.”

Penny, ever the realist, arches an eyebrow. “Okay, hold up. Do you actually love him, or was it just one of those ‘caught in the moment’ things?”

I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “That’s a million-dollar question, isn’t it? I don’t know. My head’s all over the place.”

“Yeah, well, you better figure it out fast because this situation isn’t going to wait for you to get your shit together. How does Silas feel? What did he say when you told him you loved him? Please, tell me there wasn’t a repeat of Rome.”

I sigh, glancing down at my bare feet on the stone patio. “He didn’t hear me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Or if he did, he didn’t acknowledge it. I don’t know, Pen. Maybe it was a mistake.” I shake my head, trying to push the panic back down, but it’s rising fast.

Penny’s silent for a moment, her face pinched with concern. “I don’t like that, Leah. Not one bit. He didn’t hear you? What? Were you whispering?”

“I know.” I sigh again. "I know. What is it about him that makes me so damn sensitive?"

“Shit, I can’t believe I’ve been hounding you to get laid for months, and now that you’ve gotten laid, I don’t like it one bit!”

After we hang up, I head out to find Emma. I can’t let this go, not after everything.

The estate grounds are annoyingly serene. The gardens, the pathways lined with perfectly trimmed hedges, the fountain bubbling in the background—all too peaceful for the chaos in my chest.

I spot her near the fountain, standing there in her usual chic attire—white cropped top, high-waisted pants, blonde hair cascading down her back like some sort of damn shampoo commercial. Her icy blue eyes flick over to me as I approach, but she doesn’t look the least bit apologetic.

Not even a little.

“If it isn’t the fiancée.”

“Emma,” I start, my voice tighter than I want it to be. “Why the hell did you post that picture?”

Emma blinks at me, her expression blank. “You mean the one of you and Silas kissing? I didn’t realize it was such a big deal.”

I stare at her, incredulous. “Not a big deal? You exposed our engagement to the entire world! You’re telling me you didn’t know my identity was afuckingsecret?”

She shrugs, flipping her hair back like she couldn’t care less. “You’re engaged. So what? It’s not like I bloody made it up.”

My hands curl into fists at my sides. “You had no right.”

She rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. If it’s such a secret, why were you making out in the open?”

“In the open?” I look around. “This place is in the middle of goddamn nowhere!”

“Honestly?” Emma steps closer to me. “You guys looked so good together; I just had to share it with the world. You understand, don’t you?”

I have a feeling she did that at her father’s request. The Caldwells are trying to see if my engagement with Silas is as solid as we made it out to be. They’re playing dirty, and I don’t understand it because they will make billions from this deal.

So, why the hell are they trying to tank it?

Before I can retort, I hear Silas’s voice behind me.

“Leah.”

I turn to see him walking up. His graying hair is tousled like he’s been running his hands through it out of frustration. But there’s nothing in his expression to suggest as much—Silas is always so damn composed.

“This isn’t over.”

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