Emma groans so loudly I swear her neighbors must’ve heard it. “Ihatethat you work for him.”
“He’s not that bad,” I protest, leaning forward. “I don’t hate it. In fact, I really enjoy working there. He makes it fun.”
It’s true. This past week, I’ve been inside the most exclusive buildings in Manhattan, seen parts of the city that few ever get to experience, and I’ve learned so much that my brain feels like it's bursting at the seams. Silas has me running all over the place, but it’s different from any job I’ve had before. He explains things like a mentor, and honestly, it’s a side of him I never imagined.
“Don’t worry about me,” I say, giving her a reassuring smile. “I’m fine.”
Emma stares at me for a long moment, then sighs. “I believe you,and that’s what worries me. Silas always had a hold on you. Just don’t forget what he did to you in high school.”
“I won’t,” I murmur, the familiar weight of the past settling over me like a heavy blanket. My voice sounds small, like I’m talking to our mom after one of her lectures.
I tell myself it’s all in the past, but part of me knows that Emma’s right. Silas Walker has always had a way of getting under my skin. And that, more than anything, is what scares me.
Silas
“Why did Lauren free up your calendar?” Luca’s voice cuts through my phone, sounding way too curious for my liking.
I sigh and rub my forehead, already annoyed. Since when do I owe anyone an explanation? But I know Luca’s calling as a brother, not the owner of Property Group Miami. Still, it grates on me.
“I’m taking this week off,” I say flatly. That’s all the explanation he’s getting. He doesn’t need to know about my little ‘incident.’ If the family found out, Dad would have a field day questioning whetherI’m fit to be CEO. And my brothers? They’d circle like sharks smelling blood in the water.
Luca stays quiet for a few seconds—too long for my taste. “A week off, huh?” His tone is suspicious, like he’s waiting for me to slip up.
“What?” I snap, already defensive.
“Nothing,” he says, but I can hear the smirk in his voice. “It’s just, since you took over, you’ve never taken Christmas off. You always say it’s the busiest time of the year.” He’s mocking me now, and it pisses me off.
It isthe busiest time of the year.Fuck!
“Yeah, but Lauren said that?—”
“You don’t need to explain anything to me, brother,” Luca interrupts, his voice shifting back to that cold, distant tone I know all too well. “The Greens usually have that effect.”
The Greens?
“Are you messing around with Emma Green again?” I shoot back, now the one grilling him.
“No,” he replies, way too quickly. “The company she works for is collaborating with us here, and I see her often, but not in the way you think.”
“You remember what happened with her, right?”
“I remember.” He sighs heavily, the weight of the past hanging in the air. “No need to walk down memory lane, brother. After all, we were both screwed over by them.”
I don’t miss the edge in his voice. Emma Green—just hearing her name brings back too much, and not the kind of memories I want to dwell on. I never knew the full story of what went down between Luca and Emma. He’s always been a reserved guy, but anyone could see from a mile away how wrecked he was after losing her. It was the only time I’d ever seen him that vulnerable.
I stand up from my chair and head to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, my hand immediately reaches for a cold can of beer, but just as my fingers graze the metal, I can practically see Lauren’s face hovering over my shoulder—shaking her head in disapproval, twisting her mouth like she does whenever she disagrees with something.
That damn look. It always gets to me.
I smile, rolling my eyes at the mental image of her, and switch to grabbing a bottle of water instead.
“Did you talk to Mom about Christmas?” I ask, fumbling with the bottle as I balance the phone between my shoulder and ear, collapsing into the armchair.
“Yeah, she’s expecting us like she does every damn year.”
“What do you think she’ll be like if I don’t go?” I ask, taking a sip from the bottle right as Luca responds.
“Don’t you even think about it, Silas,” he warns, his voice dead serious. The way he says it makes me laugh so hard, I end up spitting water everywhere. “Don’t leave me hanging on this,” he adds, like it’s a real threat.
