Page 65 of Best Kept Vows

She just looked at me like I was talking a foreign language.

“I reported that to HR. Now, I’m reporting your current behavior.”

“What?” She looked genuinely shocked. “How could you do that to me?”

Seriously? Hadn’t this woman worked in a company before?

Christ!I didn’t need this shit in my life right now.

“You know we have a strict non-fraternization policy at Boone Metals, and the fact that you’re implying there could be anything between us is crossing so many lines—I honestly feel like an idiot for not addressing this sooner.”

Jane’s breath hitched as she realized,fucking finally, that Iwasserious.

“You’renotwithout blame, Sebastian. You’ve been giving me hints all along. Working late at night with me. Taking me out for dinners and lunches and?—”

“They wereworkingdinners and lunches,” I snapped.

“You talked to me about your marital problems,” she accused.

I frowned at her. “No, Jane, I never did that.”

She gave out a harsh laugh. “Yes, you did, when you told me how you were juggling Lia’s demands with work and how she didn’t understand what you did.”

I racked my brain to remember if I’d said any of those things about Lia. The truth? I wasn’t sure. I may have mentioned something in passing, but it never crossed into speaking poorly about Lia.

“How needy she is and?—”

“Thatneverhappened.” I didn’t need to go through my memory files for that.

Lia wasnotneedy, and now I knew my issues withherwere actually my problems with myself for putting peace with my mother, saving the company, and the kids…fucking everythingbeforeLia.

The damage I’d done was immense. My wife had walked out of our home, and only now, in painful hindsight, was I beginning to grasp the enormity of my screw-up. I’d been a complete jackass.

I took Lia for granted and dismissed the things that mattered to her, and in doing so, I’d not only hurt her—I’d robbed myself.

I missed out on the joy of her MBA journey, the pride of seeing her graduate, and the thrill of her landing a new job. All of it. Moments I should’ve celebrated with her, but instead, I let them pass me by.

Stacy, thankfully, walked in after knocking briefly, her laptop in hand.

“This is an ambush, and I won’t stand for it.” Jane rose, her hands clenched.

“Please sit down, Jane, and let’s talk like professionals.” Stacy kept her tone light as she sat next to Jane and turned so she could face her. I stayed seated behind my desk.

Jane looked at me and then Stacy, and I saw the shift in her—she went from a woman who thought she was fighting for the man she was interested in and who was into her, to a professional who knew she was about to lose her job.

Jane sat and looked straight at Stacy. “What is this about?”

“You know exactly what this is about, Jane,” she said calmly as she opened up her laptop. “Your behavior at Artillery on”—she paused and then relayed the date—"was unacceptable, both personally and professionally.”

Jane’s cheeks reddened slightly, embarrassment flickering across her usually composed face. “It was just friendly?—”

“You crossed a line,” Stacy shut that down. She looked at her computer screen again. “You said, words to the effect,Sebastian, you’re handsome. Why don’t you take me home, and we can see where the night takes us.”

Her eyes widened, shock rippling through her. “Ineversaid that. He’s lying. Making it up.”

Stacy pursed her lips. “I have talked to Mona Corbet on your team, and she has corroborated the incident at the Artillery, since you told her about it. You said words to theeffect:His wife was there, and you should’ve seen her face. He wants to be with me, and now I hope he?—”

“Stop.” Jane put a hand up.