Page 91 of Silver Fox's Christmas Scandal
I dabbed at my eyes, trying to compose myself. "I thought you were against him."
"No, I never was, but I have to play the game carefully. If the board sees you as Lucian's weakness, then removing you from his direct supervision eliminates their ammunition." He paused, studying my reaction. "The real question is what is actually going on. Do you love him or something?"
The blunt question caught me off guard, and more tears spilled over. "Daniel?—"
"It's written all over your face every time someone mentions his name. You go pale when he walks into a room, you've lost weight, and you look heartbroken." His voice carried no judgment, only concern. "Do you love him?"
I closed my eyes, the truth burning in my chest. "Can you promise me you're really on his side? That you want him to succeed?"
"I swear it. All I want is for Lucian to run this company the way he was born to do. He built the damn thing. Everything else is politics and noise."
I didn't know if he was setting me up or offering me a life line, but the dam inside me burst.
'He offered to mentor me," I blurted out. "He said he saw potential in me that no one else bothered to notice." The words came out in a rush of garbled, jumbled phrases. "He treated my ideas seriously, gave me projects that challenged me, made me feel intelligent and capable."
Daniel nodded encouragingly. "And?"
"I started developing feelings for him. I don’t think he ever knew, but I knew." I twisted the tissue in my hands, the paper disintegrating between my fingers. "I knew it was inappropriate, knew it could destroy both our careers, but I couldn't help it."
"What happened?"
"He would've toed the line to make sure I could continue rising, but I told him it had to be over. I couldn’t handle the guilt of knowing I was in love while his ex-wife destroyed him, all so I could advance my career." It was a version of the truth, but I wasn't sure how much to reveal to him, or how "on Lucian's side" Daniel Mercer was. "When his ex-wife showed up with those photos, and you confronted us about improper conduct, I realized the cost was too high. For both of us."
Daniel was quiet for a long moment, and I worried I'd revealed too much. But when he spoke, his voice was warm with approval.
"You did the right thing, even though it doesn't feel like it now. Love shouldn't destroy the people involved." He gathered the transcripts into a neat stack. "Your sacrifice is protecting him, whether he realizes it or not. And I think you're doing fine here." He sighed and said, "And you're going to make an excellent analyst someday, even if you aren't learning from the best."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
If only he knew the whole truth—that I was carrying Lucian's child, that every day I didn't tell him felt like another betrayal, that I was protecting not just his career but the secret of our baby.
"Take the afternoon off," Daniel said kindly. "You look exhausted."
I thanked him and gathered my things, grateful for the reprieve. The office was already buzzing with talk of holiday schedules and the annual Christmas gala that would be held in December—the same event where everything had started between Lucian and me last year.
But as I stepped into the hallway, my fragile composure shattered. Lucian was walking toward the boardroom, probably for his meeting with Daniel, and the sight of him made my chest constrict with longing.
He looked tired, older somehow, with new lines around his eyes, puffy bags from lack of sleep. His hair was mussed, and his beard was unshaven stubble from a few days.
I hated myself for whatever it was that did that to him, because it was definitely my fault. Viktoria would never have come after him if it wasn't. When our eyes met, I saw pain there that mirrored my own.
"Hello, Tessa." His voice was calm, but I caught the warmth underneath.
"Hey," I breathed.
"How are you feeling? You look pale."
The genuine concern in his voice nearly undid me. Here he was, worried about my wellbeing when I was keeping the biggest secret of both our lives from him.
The baby—our baby—was growing inside me while he had no idea he was going to be a father again.
"I'm fine. Just tired." Refusing the urge to touch my stomach, I focused on tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Have dinner with me tonight." He glanced up the hallway as if checking to make sure no one was coming. "Please. I miss talking to you."
My heart clenched at the longing in his voice. I missed him too—desperately, achingly missed our conversations and the way he made me feel.
But I knew that seeing him outside of work would only make this harder for both of us.
