Page 74 of Flowers Near Me

Hades

Bring Sophia’s phone to my office. Tell her I’m doing random security checks.

Charon

Got it.

“My ex told her I shouldn’t be trusted and would cheat on her the second I lost interest,” said Hermes.

Hades raised his brows at him. “Well, is that true?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is your ex telling the truth? Would you do that?” Now he was toying with Hermes. A little out of spite for causing the ruckus, but also curious if one of his developers was headed towards a messy break-up.

“I-er… no,” Hermes replied, as his eyes danced around the room. Hecate laughed from the corner.

Charon opened his office door, and Hades greeted her with a nod.

“Here.” She handed him the phone. He hovered his hand over the device, unlocking it then opening her messages.

“What’s your ex’s name?” he asked Hermes.

“Thaddeus.”

He typed the name into the search bar, and “Thad” popped up in the results. He opened the thread and read a message very similar to Hermes’ version. The only part Hermes had left out was the fact that Sophia had reached out to her friend Thad, asking if Hermes was the guy who’d cheated on him a couple of years ago.

Hades locked the phone, then handed it back to Charon. “Tell her all clear.”

Charon nodded and headed out.

“Hecate, thank you for your help.”

Hecate wiggled her fingers at Hermes, who shrunk back in fear. “Until we meet again,” she said, then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

“You’re done seeing Sophia. Find someone outside my company, and if you involve Persephone in another stunt, my brother will be scraping you off Underworld’s walls.”

Hermes nodded. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”

“Leave,” Hades commanded, sending him through a portal to Zeus’ office. He didn’t care if Zeus was irritated by the intrusion.

Hades leaned back, exhaustion and frustration gnawing at him. He’d accused Persephone of betrayal, but perhaps she hadn’t meant any real harm. Still, he’d needed to be sure.

Rushing out of his office, he approached the developer, Sophia, offering her a warning to stay clear of Hermes. Then, with a heavy heart, he made his way to the conference room, hoping he hadn’t destroyed the fragile trust between him and Persephone.

But when she met his gaze with a glare, his heart sank.

Damn it.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

FLOWERS NEAR ME

PERSEPHONE

If Persephone could’ve melted Hades with her glare, she’d have done it without a second thought.

But her anger soon drained, leaving only guilt and embarrassment behind. What had she expected—Hades to laugh it off? Hermes wasn’t there on business and hadn’t been invited. The more she reasoned and rationalized Hades’ reaction, the sicker she felt at her petulance.

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