Page 63 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

That’s the first thought that comes to mind as the plane touches down in New York. And as soon as the jet touches down, my phone blows up with notifications. All of them are from Harvey.

That’s not a great sign.

The last thing I wanted was for Harvey to find out this way. But here we are, thanks to Emma’s lack of discretion. I always knew this day would come. But damn, I thought I’d have more time to prepare for the fallout.

Now, Leah and I are about to walk into the lion’s den—Harvey’s mansion, Leah’s childhood home—and somehow try to make sense of this disaster before it explodes further.

Two cars are waiting for us on the tarmac. One to take Caleb home with the housekeeper, and the other to deliver me and Leah straight to Harvey. Caleb bounces out of the plane, sleepiness still etched on his face. I ruffle his hair, forcing a smile onto my face as we approach the cars.

“You’re going home with the housekeeper,” I tell him. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

He frowns slightly but nods. “Where are you guys going?”

“I’ve gotta go see my dad,” Leah explains, “and I want your dad to come with me.”

“Want me to come along too?”

He hops into the backseat of the first car, the housekeeper beside him, his eyes already darting to the screen of his tablet.

“Not this time, buddy.”

He waves me off, far more interested in whatever game he’s playing.

Once we’re settled in the back of the second car, I exhale, rubbing a hand down my face. “Harvey’s been blowing up my phone all morning,” I say, pulling it out and flashing the screen at Leah. “Texts, calls—he’s been relentless. But I haven’t touched any of them.”

Leah leans back against the plush leather seat and pulls out her own phone. “Same here. He’s been texting me nonstop, but I haven’t read any of them yet, either. What’s the point? If I talk to him over the phone, he’s just gonna try to guilt-trip me about my relationship with you.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Harvey.”

“We really should’ve told him about this whole thing from the start, consequences be damned.”

I wonder if she’s right. Maybe the best thing would’ve been telling Harvey about it so he wouldn’t have to find out about it from the news or whatever. I glance at Leah, who’s silently watching me.

“What?”

“You look worried.”

“I do?”

She nods. “I know you don’t like being at odds with Dad, but he’s not worth the—”

“He’s my friend, Leah.” I press my lips together. “I know he wronged you and your mom repeatedly. But Harvey’s my friend, and the last thing I want is to wrong him or make him feel like I did.”

“Then why did you ask me, of all the women in New York, to be yourfakefiancée?”

“I ask myself that same question every damn day.”

We stay silent for a few minutes as the car hurls us towards our confrontation. I can feel Leah’s tension emanating from her like a radioactive bomb. I wonder if she can feel mine.

“Leah, I don’t know how charged things may get, but do not, under any circumstances, mention Caleb.” I cut a glance at her. “If Harvey finds out that Caleb’s one of the reasons that we’re doing this, he’ll tell him everything. I can’t risk that—Caleb can’t know the engagement’s fake.”

Leah nods, but she doesn’t look at me. Instead, she shows me a headline on her phone from Entertainment Weekly. “Billionaire Silas Waverly Engaged to His Best Friend’s Daughter—Who’s Half His Age.”

My jaw clenches as I skim the article. “For fuck’s sake,” I mutter, tossing my phone onto the seat beside me. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like this.”

“Can I ask you something, Silas?”

My eyes flick to her. “Of course. What is it?”

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