Two Little Secrets From My Boss

Chapter 72

[POV Daphne]

I spent the night weighing every implication of Archie's proposal.

He'd called the previous evening, after I'd returned home from watching Xander disappear into yet another crisis meeting. His voice had been careful, measured—nothing like the playful tone I remembered from our earlier interactions.

"I know this might seem like terrible timing," he'd said, "but I've been thinking about your situation and everything you've been through. And I would like to return to my offer I told you about."

It was simple in concept but complex in execution. Archie wanted to bring me into his company as a partner—with equity and decision-making authority.

He'd seen what I could do during the board crisis, how I'd gathered evidence and built cases and navigated corporate warfare. He believed those skills were wasted in my current role as Xander's wife, dependent on his company's fortunes for my family's security.

"You're more than capable of building something of your own," he'd said. "Something that doesn't rise or fall based on Xander's past coming back to haunt him."

I'd told him I needed time to think. Then I'd lain awake for hours, staring at the ceiling while Xander slept fitfully beside me, his breathing shallow and troubled even in unconsciousness.

I thought about the twins: Nina's fearless confidence and Lisa's quiet strength. About how close I'd come to losing them—first to Bianca's kidnapping and anonymous accusations, then to the financial collapse that could still destroy everything we'd built.

I thought about Eleanor Hale, circling our family like a predator, waiting for moments of weakness to strike. She'd helped stabilize the company, yes, but at what cost? Her influence was growing daily, her presence in our lives becoming more entrenched. Every favor she granted was a debt we'd eventually have to repay.

I thought about Bianca, sitting in a jail cell awaiting trial, her final words still echoing in my mind. Had she been trying to warn me, to point me toward a truth that could change everything?

Xander—my husband, the father of my children, the man I loved despite everything. He had spent our entire marriage protecting me from truths he didn't think I could handle.

I thought about all the instability surrounding his role in the company. The mysterious forces coordinating attacks whenever anyone dug too deep, and the growing sense that I was a passenger in my own life, swept along by currents I couldn't control.

By morning, the choice felt brutally clear.

I needed more authority and resources to handle my life. I needed to stop being "just Xander's wife" and become someone who could protect her children regardless of what secrets emerged from the shadows.

I waited until the girls left for school, until Xander departed for another day of damage control at the office. Then I picked up my phone and called Archie.

He answered quickly. "Daphne, I wasn't sure I'd hear from you so soon."

"I've made my decision," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "I'm in."

"That's... that's wonderful news," I could hear the surprise beneath his professional composure. "We can meet this afternoon to discuss the details—"

"I have conditions."

A pause. "Of course. Tell me what you need."

"Full transparency about everything—the company's finances, the decision-making processes, the risks and challenges we'll be facing. I've had enough of being kept in the dark. If I'm going to be part of this, I need to understand exactly what I'm getting into."

"Agreed. You'll have access to all the same information I do."

"Equal partnership. Not a token position or a courtesy title, but real authority to make decisions and shape the direction we take. I'm not interested in being someone's figurehead."

"That's exactly what I want too. Your judgment is sound, and your instincts are sharp. I'd be foolish not to leverage that."

I took a breath before stating my final condition—the one that mattered most.

"Legal separation from Xander's corporate interests. Whatever happens to Hale Enterprises and whatever secrets come out about his past—it can't touch what we build together. I need that protection for my family."

The silence on the other end stretched long enough that I wondered if I'd pushed too far.

"That's a significant ask," Archie said finally. "The legal structures involved would be expensive to establish and maintain."

"Can it be done?"

"Yes," another pause. "Daphne, I want to make sure you understand what you're asking for. This isn't just business separation but creating a firewall between your professional life and your marriage. If Xander's company fails, you'll be protected—but he might see that protection as a betrayal."

"I'm not betraying him. I'm protecting my children."

"I know that, but will he see it that way?"

I closed my eyes, imagining Xander's face when I told him. The hurt that would flash across his features before he locked it away behind that impenetrable mask. The questions he'd ask—or worse, the questions he wouldn't ask, retreating into silence instead of confronting the distance growing between us.

"He'll have to accept it," I said quietly. "I've spent too long letting other people's decisions determine my family's fate. That ends now."

"Then we have a deal," Archie's voice warmed with genuine enthusiasm. "I'll have my lawyers begin drawing up the partnership documents. We can meet next week to review everything and make it official."

"Thank you, Archie. For believing I could do this."

"You proved what you could do during the board crisis. I'm just smart enough to recognize potential when I see it," he paused. "And Daphne? I know this wasn't an easy decision. I respect the courage it took to make it."

After we hung up, I sat in the quiet apartment, processing what I'd just done. The morning light streamed through the windows, illuminating the life Xander and I had built together—the furniture we'd chosen, the photographs on the walls, the small touches that made this place a home.

My phone buzzed another text from Archie: ‘One more thing. Whatever happens with Xander—remember why you made this choice.’

I typed back: ‘That's exactly why I called you this morning instead of waiting another week to decide.’

I set the phone down, his words settling into my chest alongside the weight of everything I'd just committed to.

Would Xander understand that my decision was about protection, not betrayal? Would he see it as a vote of no confidence in his ability to provide for us? Would he feel abandoned, the way his mother had once abandoned him for a wealthier prospect?

The uncertainty gnawed at me, but I pushed it aside. I'd made my choice, and I would stand by it. Whatever secrets were buried in Xander's past, I would face them from a position of strength rather than dependence.

I was no longer "just a wife." The question that remained was whether Xander would accept this new version of me, or whether my choice would become another crack in a marriage already struggling to survive.