He raised his eyebrows slightly.
“So she’ll control her attitude,” I added. “And be nicer to people.”
My father watched me quietly for a moment. Then he gave me a tired smile. “I understand.”
I held his gaze. “Do you?”
“Yes,” he said after a moment. “I do.”
He paused briefly before continuing. “And I know what I need to do.”
That was enough for me. “Good.”
The room fell quiet for a second. Next, my father glanced toward the door.
“Well,” he said, straightening slightly, “I’ll let you get back to work.”
Theo nodded politely. “It was good seeing you.”
My father returned the nod. “You too.”
He looked at me one last time. “I’ll see you at the charity ball.”
“Of course.”
He turned and left the office. The door closed behind him, leaving Theo and me alone again. Neither of us said anything. Theo looked at me. I looked back at him.
He shook his head slowly. “Watching your parents doesn’t exactly motivate me to want a relationship.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re just using them as an excuse, so I won’t keep pestering you.”
Theo shrugged. “Maybe.”
I leaned back in my chair again. But honestly? He wasn’t wrong.
By the time I left the office, the city lights were already starting to glow.
Most of the employees had gone home hours ago, but being CEO meant the work rarely stopped when everyone else left. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck as I stared at the final document on my screen.
I wasn’t even reading it anymore.
All I could think about was her.
Knowing I still had a surprise for her. I saved the file, shut my laptop, and checked the time. Seven thirty. Perfect.
Grabbing my jacket, I headed for the elevator. The ride down to the parking garage was quiet, but my mind was already moving ahead, replaying the plan I’d been piecing together all afternoon.
When I got home, Vani was nowhere to be found, so I headed for her library. She was curled up on the couch with a blanket over her legs and a book open in her hands. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she had on one of my sweaters.
“Careful,” I said as I stepped inside. “You’re starting to look like you live here.”
She glanced up immediately, her face lighting when she saw me. “Well, considering I do live here, I think that’s acceptable.”
“Debatable.”
She set her book aside and stretched slightly. “You’re home early.”
“Seven thirty is early now?”
