Page 123 of Discretion

“Probably not,” I said, though I wanted to spend the night at Halle’s more than anything.One day. Soon.

“When can we fly in your helicopter again?”

Jesus.This kid was going to be the death of me.

“You got to fly in Jasper’s helicopter?” Sloan asked. Her tone might be casual, but I could sense the underlyingtension in her words.Fuck fucking fuck.So much for minimizing the fallout.

“Yeah.” Kai perked up. “Jasper took Mum and me to Legoland for my birthday.”

“Wow,” Nate said, eyes pinging between Sloan and Kai and me. “That was really nice of him.”

“It was the best day ever!” Kai was growing more animated. “He got me a stuffed dog that looks just like Rosie. And we flew in the helicopter, and we rode on all the best rides.”

My mind was spinning with how to do damage control. Nate continued to engage with Kai, but Sloan was eerily silent, watching me. Finally, Alexis’s daughter Blair asked Kai if he wanted to play a game with her. He ran off, leaving me alone with Sloan and Nate.

“So…” I scanned the room, seeking an out. “I, uh—” I was at a loss for words. Because anything I would say was only going to make this worse.

Nate grinned. “Fucking finally.”

I jerked my head back. “What?”

Sloan’s attention whipped to him. “What does that mean? You knew?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Suspected.”

I trusted that Pierce wouldn’t tell anyone, but damn. Had Halle and I really been that obvious? Or was Nate just that perceptive? And if he’d suspected my relationship with Halle, had anyone else?

Sloan was deathly still, and I was bracing myself for her reaction. The suite erupted into cheers, and she blinked a few times as if only just remembering where we were.

She stood. “Come with me. Both of you. And where’s Knox?”

Nate met my eyes and cringed. “I’ll get Knox. We’ll meet you in his office.”

“And Halle,” I said, trying to steel myself for the discussion ahead. “She needs to be a part of this conversation.”

“I’ll ask Em to keep an eye on Kai,” Nate said before rushing off.

Sloan and I headed down the hall to Knox’s office, the sounds of the game quieting the farther we got from the field. I couldn’t get a read on her. Was she mad? Disappointed? Probably a bit of both.

I kept my gaze trained on the floor, a tight ball forming in my stomach. I hated it. Hated that I’d let her down. I was only reaffirming what everyone had always thought of me—I’d never be as good of a CEO as Graham. He’d always put the company first. And here I was, yet again, putting my desires before anything else.

“I’m sorry,” I said, the words thick in my throat. My thoughts were spiraling, and I had to do something, say something, to dispel the growing tension. The last thing I’d wanted was to hurt Sloan. “I know you’re friends with her?—”

Sloan sliced a hand through the air. “I don’t care about that.”

I frowned. “You don’t?”

“No.” She laughed. “Actually, I think the two of you would be good together. And if it weren’t for the fact that she works for Huxley, I’d be thrilled.” I blinked a few times, and she dragged a hand through her hair. “But another scandal is the last thing we need.”

I ducked my head. “I know.”

I was relieved my sister wasn’t upset about the fact that I was dating her friend. Sloan was more concerned about how this would impact the company.

“Ugh.” Sloan shoved my shoulder as we entered Knox’s office. “Why her? You know how hard it’s been to find an SVP, and Halle’s perfect for the role.”

“She’sstillperfect for the role,” I gritted out. I would notlet our relationship jeopardize what Halle deserved. “And everyone knows it.”

“Right, but…” Sloan’s expression was sympathetic. “You can see how this might reflect poorly on both of you. Not to mention the company.”