Page 63 of Little Did You Know

I nodded. "Maybe."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Istared at the untouched stack of contracts on my desk, Kathryn's words cutting through the silence: 'You're clearly in love with this girl.' The morning sun slanted through the blinds, casting prison-bar shadows across my hands. Love. The word lodged in my chest like a splinter, painful and impossible to ignore.

A knock sounded before Hannah entered my office.

"Good morning." Hannah's heels clicked against the hardwood as she entered—each step deliberate, measured. I'd been avoiding her, too. Only coming when I knew her, or Olivia wouldn't be here. "Do you have a minute?"

My hand swept toward the empty chair, a gesture more command than invitation.

She smoothed her skirt, professional mask firmly in place. "I didn't want to do this at work because you're my boss here, but since you're avoiding everyone?—"

"Permission to speak freely." The words came out sharper than intended.

Hannah's fingers flexed against the armrests, her usual poise wavering as she leaned forward. "If you don't want Olivia, then you need to let her go."

"She's free to go any time." The words came easily. Too easily.

"She's going on a date tonight." Hannah's grip on the armrests loosened, but mine tightened on my desk edge, the wood's sharp corner a welcome distraction from the vise closing around my chest. "If you do not want her, you should disappear tonight and not ruin this for her. If you do want her, then you need to get yourself together and tell her."

"Olivia and I have an agreement." My fingers tightened around my pen. "She's free to date who she wants when she wants."

Hannah's lips curved into a knowing smile. "That's not how it looked at the party." Her gaze pinned me in place. "It looked like you were jealous."

I busied myself straightening papers that didn't need straightening.

"The evidence of your jealousy was present all over her dress."

"Hannah—" The pen snapped in my grip. Ink bled across my fingers. "Yes, I—" My jaw worked silently. "Does Olivia know?"

Hannah's expression softened. "No." She leaned forward, voice dropping. "She's so new to this world that she thinks it was some weird kink."

I scrubbed at the ink staining my hands, the black marks refusing to fade. "I can assure you it won't happen again."

She studied my face for a long moment before nodding once, a silent acceptance of a promise we both knew I might not keep.

The intercom light flashed red. "Mr. Pearson." Rachel's voice carried an edge.

I jabbed the button harder than necessary. "Yes."

"You have a call on line one from Mr. Walker."

The air seemed to thicken as I released the button. "I need to take this."

Hannah slipped out, pulling the door closed with a soft click. The phone felt heavy in my hand. "Hello."

"Hey, Nick, It's Walker." Something in his tone made my muscles lock. "It's Emmett." Static crackled in the silence. "He's in the hospital. I think you should fly up."

"How bad is he?"

"He went in for surgery this morning." Papers rustled on Walker's end. "I'm not sure, man."

I pushed back from my desk, needing to move, to act. "Do you know what happened?"

"He was beaten." Walker's words fell like stones. "Other than that, I don't know."

"I'll be there in a few hours."

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