Page 76 of Madden

“Forgive me for dropping in on you first thing this morning. I hope you don’t mind. I’ve had some personal matters come up, and unfortunately, I need to see about the possibility of working remotely over the next week.”

“I’m sorry.” Her face falls, a look of sympathy shining through her features. “I hope everything is okay?”

I nod, attempting to reassure her. “It will be. It’s just challenging right now when I’m needed somewhere else. I was hoping I could finish off the week working remotely. It would allow me to leave town while I could still work during the day.”

“Of course. You’re still working on the article for Isla Grace, right? That should be going off to editing early next week. If you need time away, though, I’m certain we can accommodate it too, so long as we get the article submitted in time.”

I sigh. “Absolutely. I’ll make sure I get it completed. It won’t be any worry at all.”

She smiles. “Go ahead and do what you need to do to finish up today, and you can take off. Please let me know if I can help you with anything.”

I nearly sag in relief, thanking her and reassuring her I’ll keep her updated.

Davis is in his office, scrolling on the internet, when I walk by and knock on his door. He glances up to look at me.

“Did you get a chance to talk to him?”

I nod, closing the door behind me.

“I just met with Sawyer, and she’s letting me work remotely for the rest of the week. I’m going to fly out to Carolina Beach. Madden asked me to come to him as soon as I could.”

His eyes widen. “Does that mean our lunch date is postponed?”

I nod. “For today, but as soon as I’m back, I’ll make it up to you.”

“That works for me. I have some juicy drama of my own I need to fill you in on anyway.”

“I mean, I do have a little time if you want to just spill it now.”

Davis smirks and shakes his head. “Nuh-uh, honey. I need something to hold over your head to drag you out with me, and you need to get to your man. It’ll have to wait.”

I open the door and lean against the frame. I’m about to leave when something stops me.

“Do you ever get burned out of this job when you see lies get spun and innocent people have their name dragged through the headlines?”

His brows deepen. “Of course, I do. Every job you find has bad eggs, though, right? That’s why it’s important we do this. To prove there are good ones, honorable ones, who aren’t going to crumple at the demands of liars or with the enticement of money.”

I smile. “You’re one of the good ones, Davis.”

“Right back at you, babe.” He winks.

I head to my office and immediately pull up flights out of New York to North Carolina. The soonest one is this evening. I don’t have much time if I have any hope of making it home to pack and getting to the airport on time. They have a few seats left on a direct flight from JFK to Wilmington.

Without thinking, I book the ticket and close my laptop, packing up my things into my bag. I skip taking the train and instead hail a cab outside of Limelight to take me to my place. The elevator dings when I reach my apartment, and the first thing I notice when stepping into my place is the dull silence surrounding me.

It’s quiet and empty and almost feels cold and sterile.

Every inch of this place is neat and tidy, and that’s almost the point. I’ve spent the past few years working so hard to prove to my father I can make it on my own, without him or his money, and I’ve accomplished a lot.

What is the point of it all, though?

All of this to prove to him that I’m capable of being an adult. Davis said it perfectly—I won’t crumple to his demands or the enticement of money.

Money isn’t everything, though. I’ve seen how it can bring out the ugly side of people. Hell, my father has grinded his entire life, spent every day married to his job.

Sure, he has a certificate of marriage, and in front of my mother and our families, he vowed to love her forever.

Doesn’t change the fact that even though she’s his wife, his priority has always been Granite Industries.

I take one last look around my apartment, overwhelmed by the emptiness in the quiet space. For the first time since moving here, I don’t feel at home in my own place.

With that thought in mind, I climb the stairs to my bedroom and pull out my suitcase. In a few hours, I’m boarding a flight that will take me to the one place I’ve felt the most at home.

With Madden.

---