Page 18

CHAPTER 18

ANNA

I walk into the executive offices with a stack of paperwork for the suits, feeling lighter than I have in a while. The morning has been busy, but things are finally starting to fall into place, and there’s a bit of an extra skip in my step. It’s not just because I’m getting things done—it’s Ollie.

He’s back, yet we’ve only managed to text so far. All I want is to see him, to give him a big hug and welcome him home, and it feels…nice? I’ve noticed in our conversations while he’s been gone that he’s not just talking about hockey or pushing himself for the game anymore. It’s for me. I can feel it in the way he threads subtle mentions of his games into our conversations or in the glint in his eye when I catch him looking at me when we’ve FaceTimed, like he’s silently asking, Are you watching? It’s a deliberate kind of charm, an intentional effort, and I know exactly what it is: Ollie Decker is wooing me.

The thought sends a spark of warmth through me, one that clings even as I head down the hall. There’s something undeniably thrilling about being the focus of his attention—knowing that all his talent and charm, all that easy confidence, is being directed at me. It’s a heady feeling, almost dizzying, like standing at the edge of something I don’t fully understand yet. But one thing is clear: Ollie isn’t trying to impress me anymore; he’s showing me that I’m worth the effort. And that thought stays with me, making the day a little brighter.

Sutton spots me as I approach Jimmy’s office, her face lighting up when she sees me. “Hey, you. What are you doing here?”

I smile, adjusting the papers in my hands. “Dropping off some stuff on Ben’s behalf. He’s behind on admin and out of the loop on a few things since they were out of town.”

Sutton gives me a knowing look. “And because Ben doesn’t like Jimmy, huh?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Nailed it.”

Her eyes widen slightly, then she chuckles. “Well, you can bring those papers to me. I’m glad you’re here, saves me a phone call.” As I step into the office to hand over the papers, Sutton follows me in, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. “You know, that fake-dating thing you’ve got going on is really working.”

I raise an eyebrow, surprised. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” she says, a proud smile on her face. “Ollie’s been offered a commercial contract for a major energy drink and there’s a men’s skincare line that wants him as their ambassador. Lara emailed us today that he’s also been asked about appearing for other events, too. With the hashtag OllieAnna going viral, and the little bits you two have done keeping up your part of the deal, it’s lifted his profile a ton. It’s enough that Lara thinks Jimmy’s finally going to shut up about it.”

I can’t hide my smile. That’s great news for all of us, and it feels even better knowing that it’s working so well. I’ve watched Ollie navigate the whole thing, and knowing there is an end in sight really helps my conscience, too.

Sutton leans in a little, lowering her voice as if she’s about to tell me a secret. “And with the mayor’s ball in a few days’ time...it’s all over then. You’ll get the next payment in your bank very soon.”

I feel a warm rush of gratitude. All the stress, the worry, the juggling—it’s finally paying off and things are falling into place. There’s still a long way to go, for me and my dad personally, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m on the right path. At the same time, there’s a bleakness that surrounds my good thoughts, but I can put that away for now. I don’t want to think about the end of this. Not yet.

“Sounds good,” I say, forcing my smile to widen. I already know where to send that payment, so it is money spent. And I’m still trying to figure out what happened to Dad’s hospital bill. It’s all been a whirlwind, but exhausting, too. “It’s good to have something to look forward to.”

She gives me a wink. “A lady always needs her options.”

I laugh, leaving Sutton’s office with a light feeling in my stride as I head back to Ben and Molly’s. By now he should be home, and with a laundry list of duties I’ll need to get started on.

The Masters’ house is quiet when I arrive, but I can hear the murmur of Molly and Ben talking in the kitchen. I walk toward the voices, carrying bags of snacks and supplies I picked up earlier in the day.

“…and you should’ve seen it, Ben,” Molly’s voice carries as I reach the doorway. “Ollie was there, at breakfast this morning, with some woman. He had his arm around her and she wasn’t Anna.”

“What?” Ben’s voice registers his shock. “We just got back and he had a breakfast date lined up?”

“I can’t say much except that he disappoints me,” Molly says, her voice wavering.

My pulse falters for just a beat, but I take a steadying breath. The casual mention of Ollie’s sighting with someone else stings more than I would have expected. It doesn’t make sense, and yet, a little part of me feels a twinge of jealousy. Am I even allowed to feel it? It wasn’t in the contract…

But we did agree to not talk about present dating lives.

I linger for a moment at the kitchen door, unsure if I should join the conversation or give them a few more moments. Ben and Molly don’t see me at first, but when they do, they both turn and smile, with Molly immediately changing the tone of her voice.

“Anna, you’re back,” she announces happily as she points to the grocery bags. “Ah, dinner. Thank you so much.”

“Hey, Anna,” Ben greets me.

“Welcome home,” I manage cheerfully through a forced smile, setting the grocery bags down on the counter as I step further into the room. I pause, my mind still swirling. “I’ll get these items put away, then I’m off to get your drycleaning picked up and take back those returns for the kids.”

Molly, noticing my distracted expression, raises an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”

I nod, though I know the tightness in my chest says otherwise. I don’t want to tell them the real reason I’m feeling off. Instead, I swallow my unease and casually ask, “So, what was this about Ollie?”

Molly and Ben exchange a glance before she looks at me, her expression unreadable for a moment. She lets out a light sigh. “I met an old friend for a coffee this morning and Ollie was at the same café with someone—a woman.” Her eyes rock to Ben’s before she looks at me. “Didn’t seem like a casual thing, either.”

I don’t respond right away, my stomach tightening. Ollie hadn’t mentioned anything about this, and I’d thought we were...I don’t know, something . It feels ridiculous to feel upset, but there’s a sting of disappointment that runs deep. I know it’s probably nothing, a coincidence, but the fact that he didn’t tell me—didn’t even mention it—is harder to ignore.

I focus on gathering my thoughts before answering. “That’s interesting,” I murmur, a battle beginning to wage inside the dangerous neighborhood that is my mind. Ollie and I did say we’d be honest with each other. Didn’t we?

Ben and Molly exchange another look, clearly aware of the tension bubble that’s formed around my thin outer shell, but they don’t press me. Instead, Molly looks at me pointedly and asks, “You okay?”

I take a deep breath, the words I’ve been holding back all day finally tumbling out, knowing I can’t keep pretending everything is fine anymore.

“I need to tell Ben,” I say, my voice wavering just a bit as Molly nods.

“Tell me what?” he asks.

Molly pulls out a barstool and I take it from her, sitting down. “It’s about Ollie—and why things have been the way they’ve been.”

Ben stops what he’s doing, turning to face me. His expression immediately hardens while Molly watches me closely, sensing that this conversation is going to be important.

“I’d be an idiot to not have noticed your closeness,” he says. “So, you’re dating?”

“Well, that’s up for debate, depending on who you ask.” I swallow and continue. “I’m not dating Ollie. I mean, I am, but it’s not real. It’s fake.”

“You’re fake-dating?” Ben’s expression is beyond puzzled.

I nod, glancing at Molly for strength. “It started as part of the job. But it’s more than that now.”

“It isn’t part of your job. You work for us.” Ben’s jaw tightens, but he stays silent, clearly waiting for me to elaborate.

“It’s for Sutton—and Jimmy,” I say, trying to steady my breathing. “Sutton asked me to help Ollie with his public image, but it’s not just that. Jimmy apparently was threatening to get rid of Ollie if he wasn’t seen as a more marketable player.”

Ben’s face immediately darkens, his eyes narrowing in fury. “Wait—hold on. Jimmy’s messing with Ollie? He’s been causing problems for my guys?” His tone is sharp, furious.

My eyes flick to Molly’s, then back to Ben’s. “He’s made some threats behind the scenes. And I stepped into it. I made the bed, and I’m currently lying in it.”

Over the next few minutes, I explain the whole arduous ordeal to these two: from my dad and the Ponzi scheme to Ollie being on the chopping block. I feel both sick and lighter as the words fly across my lips.

“And this is why I have Travis bringing me those contracts.” Ben’s nostrils flare as he processes the information. “This is insane. Jimmy’s trying to mess with one of my players, and I won’t stand for it. I’m going in there right now, then I’m writing a letter to the league, taking this straight to the top.”

Molly rushes forward, placing a hand on his arm, as he gets carried away. “Ben, don’t.”

I nod in agreement. “If you go after Jimmy like that, it’s only going to make things worse for Ollie, and I think we’ve got him off Jimmy’s radar now. I don’t want to make things harder for him.”

Ben’s face flushes with anger, but he slowly exhales, his shoulders dropping as he tries to rein in his emotions. “But Ollie doesn’t deserve this. It’s not right.”

“I know,” I say softly, my voice catching. “He’s trying to survive the mess Jimmy and Lara created. Sutton and I are trying to help him, but since I’m involved now, I need to get this next payment from them so I can put it towards my dad’s bills.”

Ben shakes his head, clearly still upset, but his anger softens a little. “I didn’t realize it was this bad, Anna. I’m sorry.”

I cut him off. “No, it’s okay. I get why you’re upset. I’m upset, too. But I needed to tell you the truth.”

Molly steps in, her voice calm but firm. “Anna, you’re doing the right thing by helping your dad. This is on Jimmy, not you. He’s the one causing all the drama.”

I offer a small smile, grateful for her support. “Thanks, Molly. I just didn’t know how to explain it. It’s all a bit incestuous and really crazy now.”

Ben exhales slowly, clearly still processing everything. “Well, if you need anything—if you or your dad ever do—we’ve got your back. But we’ve got to handle this carefully. I don’t want anyone caught in the crossfire.”

“I appreciate that,” I say quietly as Molly gives me a hug.

Ben looks at us, his frustration still bubbling beneath the surface, but he nods reluctantly. “Alright, I’ll stand down. For now. But if it gets any messier…”

“Thank you,” I say, feeling a little better, like I’m not carrying the weight of this alone anymore.

Molly smiles warmly at me. “You’re doing everything you can. Those two men in your life are lucky to have you on their side.”

I nod, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders, and for the first time in a while, I don’t feel quite as alone in this. “I just wanted you to know the truth.”

Ben gives a short nod. “Thanks for trusting us.”

I smile at both of them, grateful to have them in my corner, but I’m also quietly curious about a topic I may or may not need to worry about. I want to ask more questions, like what did this woman look like and did she touch him? But also, I have no claim here. We’re dating, but it’s fake. There’s feelings, but we’re…I don’t know what we are, so it makes my confusion that much more murky.

But I also want to play it cool. At the end of the day, these two are my employers and I’m an adult woman who makes up her own mind about things. I decide if I’m going to let something like what Molly said affect me. It’s up to me, I’m the master of my mind.

But why does it feel so awful?