Page 32 of Scandalous Whispers (Alpha Billionaire #28)

PARKER

H aley followed me to my office amid the stares of almost every person we passed.

I held my head high, confident that I was making the right decision.

She literally had no idea what was about to happen and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face.

When we got to my office door, I opened it and stood aside so she could enter first. Tom and David were waiting on us already, both of them fully informed as to the business proposition we had in mind.

“Have a seat,” I told her, circling round my desk. Both men remained seated as she entered, probably afraid to move after the lectures I’d just given them both on my personal life and my authority at the paper.

Haley sat precariously, glancing between Tom and David, then turning to me.

“What’s going on?” she asked, smoothing the front of her skirt.

The weather was warmer now, and her sleeveless shirt showed off her well-defined arms. I couldn’t wait to take her out to the tennis courts and see if she had any game in her, but first, some business matters to tend to.

“Well, we’re here to offer you a new position and salary, if you’ll be so kind as to let Tom explain.” I nodded at him, and he offered a grunt of acknowledgement. Tom had been opposed to this until I’d explained to him that Haley’s shift came with an important promotion for him too.

“Well, Haley, we’ve all done a lot of talking. We all believe that your talent is being wasted on simply writing articles for us, or even in a minor editorial role.” As Tom spoke, Haley nervously glanced at me. “So we are offering you the position of editor in chief of The Vine .”

“Wait, what?” Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth. “No… that’s your position, Mr. Green.”

“Was my position,” he corrected her.

“But what about Mr. Wright?” Haley turned to me with concern, but David spoke for himself.

“I’m completely satisfied with my role as of now, Haley.

You don’t need to worry about me. I am not the type of person to run the entire paper.

I have a keen eye for certain things, but you far exceed that in skill and talent.

” David smiled at her. I knew he was content where he was, and for his humility, I offered him a nice raise as well.

I folded my fingers across my desk and waited for her response, but instead of willingly accepting the promotion, Haley shook her head, resisting. “I can’t take this position. What will Mr. Green do?”

“First of all, stop calling them Mr. Green and Mr. Wright. You are their equal now. And secondly, Tom will now be our new chief operations officer. He will head up operations over all of our subsidiaries and of course The Vine , so you will report directly to him.” I watched Tom’s confidence soar as he squared his shoulders and sat a bit straighter.

“I don’t think so, Mr. Danvers. This is a huge step.

I’m not sure I’m ready for this.” Her eyes shifted to the writers on the other side of my office window, busily working but with one eye pinned on what was happening in the room.

“What will people think? We have a huge lawsuit going on right now and I’m?—”

“Not the least bit involved for now, Haley.” I saw how she shied away from the opportunity, but after much discussion, all three of us knew she was the right fit.

She had the eye for detail and the means to track stories.

Her expertise in so many areas made her the ideal fit.

“Let Tom and me handle that. You are the one we all want in this role, despite your age. You are more than capable.”

“But…” She sighed and looked at each of us for a moment before continuing. “I think I’d like a moment to consider this.”

“Haley, we believe in you.” David patted her hand. “It makes sense. There is a reason Richard offered that huge package.”

“Wait, you know about that?” Her face paled.

“Yes, we know,” said Tom. “We intercept all employee emails for security purposes. Only a few of us in management know this, so it’s not something you can discuss with others.” He winked at her. “We want you to stay. And we all want you in this role.”

She shook her head again and covered her face. I knew what she was thinking, and I knew the next part of my plan was what she needed to feel confident in the new position.

“Gentlemen, can you please excuse us for a moment?” I stood for a moment, and they nodded their acceptance of my request. Both of them touched Haley lightly on the shoulder as they rose and left the room one by one.

With the door securely shut, I strolled around my desk and took the spot previously occupied by David, resting my hand on her bare knee.

She looked up and offered a sad smile. I could see the tears forming in her eyes. She was overwhelmed by some emotion, elusive enough that she couldn’t speak it to me with others in the room. “Parker, they are saying things about us. Saying I’m sleeping my way to the top. You heard Lauren.”

“And let me remind you that I run this paper. I own it. They can leave if they don’t like my decisions, and that’s final. Got it?” I pushed my finger under her chin and forced her to look at me. “Will they accuse my wife of sleeping her way to the top?”

Haley slowly relented, letting me turn her gaze to mine. She stared me directly in the eyes and whimpered, the sweet, melodic way someone does when they can’t speak. She studied me, as if the words I had said to her moved her heart in a way she’d never felt before.

“What?”

“I said, would they question my wife? My partner? The woman I want to be with the rest of my life?” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small, white gold band with the quarter-carat diamond set into it.

Her eyes turned toward my hand as I held it out.

“I’ve known only one other woman who could touch my heart the way you have, Haley, and I called her Mom.

I would be stupid to let you out of my life.

I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life, and if you asked me to sell the paper and give away every cent to my name, I would. ”

Tears streaked down her cheeks as she listened to me. Her blue eyes glimmered with emotion, and she still had her mouth covered. I was overwhelmed too, in a good way. I loved her so much, all I wanted was to make sure she knew she was mine now, and I was never letting go.

“I want you to help me build this paper, but more than that, I want to build a life with you. I want kids, and I want to see the world. I want to come home to you every day, hold you every night. I want you to be my wife.” I waited, my hand hovering in front of her face as she wept.

The ring was simple, but I knew she would like it.

She was like that, so laid back that she didn’t need expensive things or flashy jewelry, not that I wouldn’t have splurged and purchased the most expensive ring, but that wasn’t her style.

“Yes,” she sobbed, diving onto my lap and wrapping her arms around me.

For a moment, I was acutely aware that eyes were watching us.

I felt them burning into the back of my head, but when Haley’s lips covered mine in a passionate kiss, I didn’t care at all.

The woman of my dreams had just accepted my marriage proposal and the world could burn to the ground around me. I was a happy man.

She sat on my lap for several minutes, and I held her.

With the ring clasped in my closed hand, I only wanted to cherish the sweet moment.

The phone rang, and I ignored it. Haley was the only thing that mattered in that moment.

When she sat up, resting her hands on my shoulders, I saw her makeup smeared, black streaks of mascara streaming down her cheeks.

“I love you, Parker.”

“Hey, pretty girl, I love you too.” I brushed the hair out of her face and looked into her blue eyes.

“Nothing is ever going to come between us again. You are what matters most to me. Those people out there watching us right now mean nothing. Yes, I value their loyalty to the paper, but when it comes right down to it, you’re the one I’m spending my life with. You’re what is important.”

She nodded, and I brought my hand up between us. “This is really a beautiful ring. So perfect.” Haley wiped her eyes before she took the ring from my open palm, and she slid it on her finger. It was a bit loose. “Looks like I need to get it sized, but it’s really perfect, Parker. I love it.”

I grinned. “I’m glad you like it. I thought you would.”

She hugged me again and offered another kiss, then slid off my lap and straightened her skirt.

“I think maybe it’s time we told them what is happening because I’m sure that scene they just gawked at is going to start more rumors. Better to make an announcement than let the wildfires rage.” I stood next to her and grabbed her hand, though she looked reluctant.

“Do you really think that’s really a good idea?” she asked, hesitant.

“I think so. Just trust me.” Squeezing her hand for reassurance, I led her to the door.

With the door open, I cleared my throat loudly.

The staff members who were not already staring at us stopped work and looked up at me.

Without any fanfare, I said as loud as I could, “This woman has just agreed to be my wife!”

There was a split second where I thought maybe Haley was right and I shouldn’t have said anything, until the room erupted in cheers and applause.

Tom approached me from a nearby cubicle and shook my hand, offering his congratulations, followed by a stream of writers and editors, each there to congratulate both Haley and me.

When the crowd finally started to disperse, I turned to Haley and asked, “Do you think we should tell them about the new job too?”

She bit her lip and her brows furrowed, but she nodded and smiled painfully. “If you believe in me, then yes. I think so.”

I could have hugged her and spun her around in a circle, but instead, I offered the next announcement, which was accepted with less enthusiasm, but it didn’t seem to bother Haley one bit. I was on top of the world, and I was taking her with me.