Page 18

SAVANNAH

T he lobby of Raven either way it felt like a ghost town.

Until I saw a sight I would rather not have seen.

My father stood by the waiting area with his arms folded and his jaw tight, wearing the look that used to make me confess to everything from bad grades to sneaking out in high school.

It was the face of discipline and control.

But something beneath it looked off. The tightness around his eyes and the stiff set of his shoulders suggested he knew this wasn’t a petty, immature issue. He was angry.

I straightened my posture as I crossed the lobby. “Dad. What are you doing here?” I glanced around to see if we were really alone, but kept my tone even, forcing professionalism into my voice even though my chest had already begun to tighten.

“We need to talk,” he said without waiting for a greeting. “Now.” He looked past me toward the elevators, not bothering to hide his urgency.

I glanced at the front desk and at two interns, whom I had not seen, pretending not to eavesdrop from beside the elevators.

Then I gestured toward a side hallway. “Conference room. This way.” I turned on my heel knowing he would follow and tried to swallow the bile rising in my throat.

I’d been putting him off for long enough that he knew I was avoiding the conversation.

Now he wasn’t just feeling protective; he was really upset.

The room I chose was empty. It was small and cold, and it smelled like new carpet, but that didn’t keep my stomach from knotting itself into a tangled mess and threatening to force my lunch up and out. I closed the door behind us and turned toward him, trying to steady my breathing.

“What’s this about, Dad?” I crossed my arms, holding myself in place.

He didn’t sit, and neither did I. His stance was rigid, though the expression on his face had shifted from anger to concern, and maybe a bit of relief. The divot between his eyebrows had deepened, and his shoulders had sagged slightly.

“Savannah,” he began, rubbing the back of his neck like the words pained him, “I know you’re smart, and strong.

But Dominic Knight…he’s not who you think he is.

” He took a breath. “I’ve seen the way he moves through people’s lives, using them up.

He leaves wreckage behind.” His voice stayed low, but there was steel behind it.

I felt the tension gather behind my ribs in a new way.

Not that terrified feeling of being called to the boss’s office, but the suppressed anger I felt when I’d done nothing wrong and was being accused of something.

“We’re not doing this.” My fingers curled into the fabric of my jacket as my expression tightened.

“You don’t know everything,” he said more gently now. “And I’m not saying this to try to control you. I’m saying it because I’ve seen things. Things I wish I hadn’t. I just don’t want you getting pulled into something that’ll hurt you. And think of the boys.”

My stomach rolled again at his comment about my sons, because I knew perfectly well how getting tangled up with Dominic could affect them. “Then tell me.” I lifted my chin, daring him.

Dad’s head tilted slightly and he massaged the bridge of his nose, but he didn’t give me a straight answer. “Baby, I’m watching out for you.”

“You’re warning me like I’m a child,” I said, throwing my hands up.

“Like I can’t decide who I trust.” I tried to control the tremor rising in my throat.

“And this isn’t that serious. You don’t even know what’s going on; you just made an assumption.

” I felt justified in being angry, though he did deserve an explanation.

I just wished he wouldn’t walk into my place of employment to badger me.

“You’ve made your choice, I get that.” He sighed, his voice softening. “But that’s what scares me. You’re all grown up now, and I can’t protect you the way I used to.” Dad stepped closer, but I didn’t let him take my hand.

Something in his voice gave me pause. It wasn’t the sharp edge of disappointment or the heat of anger.

It was quieter than that. I couldn’t name it exactly, but it pressed into me more deeply than any outburst ever could.

I could see in his eyes that something was affecting him, and he was truly upset by the mere mention of me dating Dominic. It made me curious.

I swallowed and spoke softly. “What are you not telling me?” My voice dropped to a whisper as I searched his face.

He looked away and then back again with a slow, resigned breath.

“It’s not something I can explain without saying too much.

” He reached for the back of a chair but didn’t sit.

“I’ve worked with men like him. I’ve seen what happens when people get close.

It never ends the way you think it will.

” He hesitated, then added, “You’re not a kid.

I know that. But that doesn’t mean I won’t worry.

Just…be smart about this. That’s all I’m asking. ”

When his demeanor changed again—back to the brooding, angry father—I knew he wasn’t going to tell me whatever it was.

He had said his piece and that was all I’d get out of it.

Whatever it was that concerned Dominic had him upset, and in his mind, it seemed a very real threat, either to me or to him via my connection to Dominic.

But until he was bold enough to spit it out, I had no reason to back off.

Fake dating Dominic was basically my job right now, on top of a few dozen other responsibilities, and raising my sons. I couldn’t stop and coddle my father’s insecurity. And if he wasn’t going to tell me, I had no choice but to continue doing my job.

“It’s just a PR stunt, Dad,” I grunted, but it didn’t resolve the tension in his eyes. Probably because he knew me better than anyone and knew I was lying. I got a good look at those initial press leaks from Luxe . I was so into him; there was no mistaking the heat.

“I have to go…but this isn’t over.” Dad’s hard glare returned to his face as he turned toward the door.

There was too much pounding behind my eyes to conjure up some sort of response to that, so I let him walk out.

He left without another word. The door clicked shut behind him, and the emptiness settled in its place.

When he was gone, I stood alone in the conference room.

The hum of the air vent was the only sound.

My hands felt sweaty, and my breathing came too shallow.

I needed a second—maybe five. I stepped into the hallway, and once I was sure no one else was watching, I slipped into the nearest restroom to cry.

The mirror above the sink caught me in full glare. My hair was windblown from the breeze outside, my lipstick worn off, and my eyes rimmed with fatigue. I looked tired, exposed, and deeply rattled.

Behind me, a stall door creaked open and I inwardly winced that the privacy I so desperately craved had vanished. Marla stepped out, smoothing her blouse and reaching for the sink to wash her hands.

“Hey,” she said, offering a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She flicked her hair back and leaned over the sink, scrubbing the soap into her palms. Marla was a lower-level analyst on my team whom I didn’t interact with much, but she was important. I couldn’t just brush her off.

“Hey,” I echoed, keeping my tone neutral. I washed my hands even though they weren’t dirty, because I had to do something other than stare at myself or I’d break down in front of her.

She dried her hands and tossed the paper towel, then pulled a tube of bright pink lip gloss from her pocket. Then she leaned toward the mirror, perfecting her Cupid’s bow with precision.

“I saw the blog post,” I said, reaching for a paper towel.

“Not exactly how I wanted to make my debut.” Forcing a chuckle, I watched her reflection.

She was in charge of analyzing the data that our teams collected from the social media push, to sort it and organize it into something that Vanessa and I could use.

Marla glanced at me through the mirror, her lip gloss wand pausing midair. “Gossip travels fast in this office. You learn that pretty quickly.” Her tone was light, but it was clear she wasn’t just making small talk. And I was confused by the comment too. What gossip? And who couldn’t handle it?

I paused. “Is there something I should know?” I turned slightly toward her, not bothering to hide my suspicion.

If people were talking about me and Dominic because of the PR stunt, I had to put an end to it.

And if they were talking about us because I slipped up and someone heard what we were really doing behind closed doors, we had a problem.

Marla smirked, her eyes flicking to mine. “Only that some people aren’t cut out for this kind of attention, honey.” She dropped the comment like a blade, then went back to slathering her pouty lips in a thick coating of gloss.

The air between us cooled by several degrees as I stared at her, wondering how to even respond.

I had no idea what sort of attention she was referring to.

Had she seen my father walk in here and lecture me?

Was she hearing something at the water cooler I didn’t know about?

I opened my mouth to ask, but she winked.

Then she capped her lip gloss and walked out, her heels clicking with finality.

I stood still, my heart thudding. My hands were still damp from the sink as I dug into my pocket and pulled out my phone, hoping for something mundane—an update from Justine, a calendar alert, anything to get my mind off of it.

Instead, I saw a new message from Dad and I swiped it open to read it.

Dad: 3:22 PM: I’m trying really hard to not lose my patience with this whole thing, but I just don’t know how to protect you, Savannah. I’m meeting with Dominic. Please don’t make me have to make a fool of myself.

My thumb hovered over the screen as I read the message again.

I didn’t know if he meant it, or if it was just one of those things he said when he felt powerless.

Either way, it left a tight feeling in my chest. I had no idea what he planned to say to Dominic—and that uncertainty made everything worse.