Page 36 of Daddy's Dirty Little Secret

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XANDER

Istormed out of the office with my mind clouded by anger, the kind that always made my chest feel tight and my fists clench. It had been building all day, but from the moment I saw Godwin talking to Amelia, it was uncontrollable. The way they were huddled together, whispering, exchanging looks—I wasn’t blind. It was more than just business. I had let it slide once, but now? Now, it felt like a line had been crossed.

My thoughts were a mess as I marched straight for Godwin’s office. The tension in my neck and shoulders was unbearable. As I reached his door, I didn’t even bother to knock. I threw it open and walked in, my gaze locking onto him immediately. He was seated at his desk, looking up at me like he was surprised to see me. He shouldn’t have been.

“Godwin,” I said, my voice low, sharp. “We need to talk.”

He didn’t flinch, but I could see his eyes narrow slightly. He knew exactly why I was here. “What’s going on, Mr. Blackwell?” he asked, his tone a little too casual for my liking. He had that look, the one where he thought he could talk his way out of anything. I wasn’t in the mood for it.

“Cut the crap,” I said, my teeth gritting. “I saw you with Amelia. Don’t act like it was nothing. I’m not an idiot.” As I was speaking, I realized how irrational this was—I didn’t take time to go through HR, didn’t pause to admit my emotions could’ve made me see things that weren’t there. I just saw through blind rage and jealousy.

Godwin leaned back in his chair with a relaxed face. “What are you talking about? We were just having a conversation. She needed help with something.”

“Help?” I spat, my anger flaring. “You’re fraternizing with her on company time, and you think I’m buying that? You’re not fooling me. I know exactly what’s going on.”

He leaned forward, meeting my gaze with an expression of confusion that annoyed me. “Mr. Blackwell, calm down. You’ve got it all wrong. There’s nothing happening between me and Amelia. It’s just work. She was asking about some stuff, and I was helping her out.”

“Don’t lie to me, Godwin,” I growled. My voice had dropped into that dangerous tone I used when I was angry. “I’ve seen this kind of behavior before. It’s not just work. And I’m done pretending I don’t know what’s going on. You’ve been using company time for your personal interests. Don’t think for a second I won’t deal with this.”

He stood up then, and the tension between us thickened. “You’re overreacting, Mr. Blackwell. It was just a conversation.” I could tell he was hiding something from me—something I felt the right to know about.

“I never said you weren’t being helpful,” I shot back, stepping closer. “But I know when someone’s being shady. And I don’t need people around me who can’t be honest. So, here’s the deal: you’re going to be transferred to a different department. You’ve proven you can’t keep it professional.”

Godwin’s face hardened, but he didn’t argue. I could tell the idea of a transfer hit him where it hurt. I wasn’t interested in playing games with him. The moment he’d crossed that line, he’d sealed his fate.

“I’m done with this conversation,” I said, spinning on my heel and walking out the door before he could say another word. My blood was still boiling, my anger like a fire I couldn’t put out.

I didn’t want to deal with Godwin anymore. I needed to cool off, clear my head. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but I was furious. I wanted to believe them both, that it was just business, but everything about it screamedred flag. Amelia’s presence in the office was messing with my mind, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep pushing it down.

As I stormed down the hall, I made my way to my office. I needed space, time to think. I had no idea how to deal with what was going on inside me, but I couldn’t let anyone see how much it was affecting me.

I was just about to open the door to my office when I saw Amelia standing there, waiting, looking up at me with those eyes that seemed to see straight through me. It threw me, caught me off guard. I wasn’t ready for this. I hadn’t had a second to think since I saw her talking to Godwin. My thoughts were still tangled in knots, frustration still coursing through me.

I opened the door and followed her into the office, closing the door behind us. My eyes automatically went to her, though I didn’t know what I was expecting. I had no clue why she had come to see me, but I didn’t trust myself to speak right away. The image of her with Godwin lingered in my mind, nagging at me.

What was it about him that made her feel comfortable? Why did they get along so well? The thought grated on me. I hated the idea that she had a connection with someone else—anyone who wasn’t me. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t expressly sexual in nature. There was something about the way they talked, the wayshe smiled, that made it feel personal. That made it feel like I was being rejected.

I knew I shouldn’t feel jealous. We had an arrangement. Nothing more. Still, it stung, and I didn’t know how to shake it. I couldn’t let her see that, though. I was supposed to be the one who had control.

Amelia crossed her arms, her expression hardening as she took a step toward me. “What was that all about, Xander?” she asked, her voice sharp. “You walk in my office, eyes full of fire, acting like I’m the one who did something wrong. What’s going on with you?”

I felt a sudden rush of irritation. Of course, she was going to call me out. She had every right to. I wasn’t proud of how I had handled it, but I didn’t know how else to express what I was feeling. And the more I tried to control it, the more it slipped out.

“Nothing’s going on, Amelia,” I said, my words careful. I didn’t want to snap at her, but the frustration was still bubbling under the surface. “You’re free to do whatever you want. I don’t own you, but I won’t share you either.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Share me? What does that mean?”

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep my cool. “You were talking to Godwin—on company time no less. That’s not how this works.” I winced at my own attitude toward her, then backtracked. “You can do whatever you want with whoever you want, just not while we’re working. We have boundaries.”

She blinked, clearly taken aback by my words. “Wait a second,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re mad about that? Godwin and I are just friends. Nothing’s going on between us. It’s not like that, Xander.” She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Her eyes darkened, and I’d have sworn I saw pain in her expression. “Besides, this is NSA, right? No strings attached. You made that clear.”

I felt a tight knot form in my stomach. She was right of course. We had an agreement. No strings. But her words stung more than I wanted to admit. “I’m not saying you’re obligated to me,” I told her, trying to control my voice, but my fight or flight response was going wild. “You can do whatever you want. I have no feelings for you at all.” Just saying those words hurt me. “But don’t throw yourself at men on company time. Keep it professional.”

Her eyes narrowed with offense, the hurt in them so sharp it almost cut me. “Are you serious right now?” she demanded, stepping back. “I’m not some object you can control. I wasn’t throwing myself at anyone. Godwin and I were talking about work. You really think I’m capable of doing that…?”

I saw her chest rise and fall, her breathing quickening with anger, and I knew I had overstepped. It didn’t matter that we had an arrangement—what I said was out of line. It wasn’t my place to tell her what to do, and the fact that I had made her feel that way made my insides feel like I’d been bludgeoned.

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