Page 40 of Her Billionaire Bossholes

"We know you've been hurt before, and trust isn't something that can be easily mended," he tells her quietly. "But we're different."

Charlie pulls away from Jackson, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and vulnerability. Slowly, she reaches up to touch her forehead where his lips had lingered. Her hand trembles slightly, an outward representation of the internal battle waging within her.

I take another step closer, keeping my voice as gentle as his. "We're not asking you to trust us blindly. We're asking for a chance, a chance to show you that we're worth it."

She looks between the three of us, her gaze searching for any signs of deception. But all she finds are earnest expressions and unwavering determination.

Taking a deep breath, Charlie straightens her posture, a flicker of professionalism returning to her demeanor. "I appreciate your honesty," she says with a hint of caution in her voice. "But I can't ignore the potential complications and conflicts of interest."

"Conflicts of interest?" Caleb sputters disbelievingly. His voice carries a tone of incredulity, his eyes narrowing. "Listen, we're not just some random flings. We're your- your colleagues, yes, but that doesn't mean we can't differentiate between work and personal life."

She crosses her arms, a defiant expression settling on her face. "Oh please, Caleb. I've seen it happen before. Office romances never end well. And I won't risk my reputation and career for some fleeting moment of passion."

I scoff, tossing my hands up. "Some fleeting moment of passion? Really?" I point at her, wishing I could grab her and kiss her all over again. But I can't--she needs to accept this the old-fashioned way. "Nothing about the time you've spent with any of us is fleeting. Passionate, sure. But not temporary."

Charlie raises an eyebrow, her voice dripping with defiance. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I miss the memo where you three became the masters of this organization? Is it suddenly your decision to make, without any consideration for the consequences?"

Caleb steps forward, his face turning a shade darker with anger. "We're not saying we hold all the power here, but we do have a say. And we refuse to let you push us away because you're scared."

A sigh escapes Charlie's lips, her shoulders slumping as she looks down at the ground. "You don't understand," she murmurs.

"You're the one who doesn't understand," I snap.

Her eyes blaze furiously, and they're aimed at me. "No, Leo. You're the one who took one look at me the first time we met and decided I wasn't bodyguard material."

"And I already admitted that I was wrong," I push back with exasperation. "Stop coming up with ridiculous excuses and just say yes."

"You think you can force me into a relationship with you?" She laughs bitterly, the sound echoing through the room like shards of broken glass, "You can make my life here as miserable as you want to. You can work me like a dog until I can't take it anymore. But you can never make me stay with you."

My heart sinks at her words, the weight of her pain and past experiences crashing down on me. I never wanted to be the cause of her suffering, but my stubbornness had brought us to this impasse. With a heavy sigh, I step back, my anger fizzling out like a dying flame.

"You're right," I admit, the admission tasting bitter on my tongue. "I can't force you into anything. And I certainly don't want to make your life miserable." I glance at Jackson and Caleb, silently urging them to follow suit.

"No one is trying to force you into anything," Caleb says, his voice softening. "We just want you to consider the possibility that this could be something more than just work."

Jackson caresses her cheek intimately. "We don't want to hurt you. We're willing to put in the work-"

She swats his hand away and groans that she "can't do this anymore" before spinning around and walking out.

Hmph. Well, I could do this all damn day.

34

CALEB

The door slams. I turn to look at Jackson and Leo but they look equally as frustrated and hopeless.

"We're not letting her leave... right?" Leo says. You can hear the abrupt switch in his tone from confident to unsure.

I sigh, grabbing the countless papers to busy my hands. "No, of course not. But she's right. We can't force her into this."

"Whatever this is," Jackson mumbles.

We turn our attention to him.

"What?" he shrugs, plopping into one of the chairs. "You have to admit... This is pretty weird. Three guys and one girl?"

Leo glances at me and says, "He does have a point. Would something like that even work?"

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