Page 76 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

He sets his glass down carefully, his eyes darkening. “My father’s been placed in an induced coma. It’s only a matter of time now.”

The words shock me. Henry Caldwell, the man who built an empire, the man I’ve been negotiating with, is dying. I remember how he sounded earlier. He didn’t sound great, but I didn’t think . . . I didn’t think it would be this soon.

“Damn,” Cassian mutters, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, man.”

I nod in agreement, but Kane waves it off, his jaw tightening. “I’ve had time to come to terms with it. He’s been deteriorating for a while now.”

“I spoke with him this morning.” I set my glass on the table. “He didn’t sound good. I asked him if he was fine, but he waved it off.”

“He’s a stubborn old cow, my father.” Kane shakes his head, and I can see the grief he’s trying to hide.

He isn’t dead yet, but Henry Caldwell’s death will change things. A lot of things. I hate that even in the face of death, I’m still thinking about business.

Kane leans back, his expression softening slightly. “You’ll get what you’ve always wanted, though, Silas. The company.”

Was it that obvious—my thoughts?

I open my mouth to respond, but my phone rings again before I can say anything. This time, it’s Leah.

“Hold on,” I tell the guys, stepping away from the table. I can feel the alcohol hitting me. Day drinking was a bad idea. “Leah?”

“Silas, you need to come to Caleb’s school,” she says, her voice tense, almost breathless. “There’s been an incident.”

My heart skips a beat. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain when you get here, just—just come, now.”

Shit. I turn back to the table, running a hand through my hair. “I’ve got to go. Something’s happened with Caleb.”

“Is he fine?” Cassian asks.

“I—I don’t know. Leah asked me to come now, so I’ve gotta go.”

Kane and Cassian both nod, understanding in their eyes.

“Go,” Kane says, his voice low. “Take care of your son. Cassian and I here will drink to my dad’s health.”

“Hear, hear.” Cassian raises a glass. “I’ve got nowhere to be.”

As I leave the lounge, my mind is already racing.

Chapter twenty-seven

Leah

“Welcome, Mr. Waverly,” PrincipalMorgan gestures towards the seat beside me.

What kind of twisted universe is this? I’m sitting in a Principal’s Office with a scandalized pair of judgmental parents, and the most pressing thought on my mind is how much Silas needs sleep?

The man looks wrecked. I can see the strain under his eyes, a weariness settling into the lines of his handsome face that wasn’t there a week ago. It’s my father’s doing. He’s determined to grind Silas down until he’s nothing but a broken shell.

It doesn’t help that the tabloids are running wild, painting Silas as some sort of predator, which makes my stomach turn every time I think about it.

I watch him as he enters the room, his broad shoulders stiff under the strain of whatever sleep-deprived nightmare he’s just lived through. Still, he carries himself with that same quiet authority, scanning the room with a sharpness that makes everyone else seem to be moving in slow motion.

Including me.

The tension in the room thickens as he sits beside me. My heart hammers as I try to figure out how to act around him, especially with all these eyes on us. I know they’re all judging—hell, half of them probably read that trash headline this morning about me beinggroomed.

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