Two Little Secrets From My Boss

Chapter 13

I arrived at work Tuesday morning still processing everything Archie had revealed. The story kept replaying in my mind—the betrayal that broke something fundamental in him.

Xander wasn't trying to deceive me that night at the bar. He was trying to be seen for who he was, not what he owned.

The realization softened something inside me, but it didn't ease the ache settling in my chest.

Understanding his reasons didn't erase the five years I'd spent alone. It didn't change the sleepless nights or the missed milestones or the constant, crushing weight of doing everything by myself.

But it made him human. And that was almost worse.

Around lunchtime, I needed air. The office felt suffocating—Bianca's presence permeating every floor, her perfume lingering in hallways, her laugh echoing from conference rooms.

I grabbed my wallet and headed for the café across the street, desperate for fifteen minutes of normalcy.

I was distracted, my mind tangled in thoughts. I didn't notice the uneven edge of the stone steps leading down from the building entrance until my heel caught and I stumbled forward.

I braced for impact… But it never came.

A strong arm wrapped around my waist, catching me mid-fall and pulling me back against a solid chest. For a moment I was practically suspended, my feet barely touching the ground, held up by one arm as if I weighed nothing.

I looked up. Xander.

His face was inches from mine, his dark eyes wide with concern that quickly shifted to something else—awareness, heat, recognition. Neither of us moved.

His arm was still wrapped around me, his hand splayed against my lower back, and I could feel his heartbeat through his shirt. The busy street faded away.

There was only him. The warmth of his body, the intensity of his gaze, the way his grip tightened almost imperceptibly. Like he didn't want to let go.

"Are you alright?" His voice was rougher than usual, hot against my cheek.

I nodded, my face flushing and heat gathering low in my belly. "I'm fine. Just... lost in thought."

"Dangerous habit." He set me down gently but didn't step back, his hand still resting at my waist. "Should I be concerned about what, or who, has you so distracted?"

There was a hint of something in his voice. Not quite teasing, but close.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to regain my composure. "Are you fishing for compliments, Mr. Hale?"

"I don't fish." The corner of his mouth twitched. "I'm a very direct person."

"Since when?"

The words slipped out before I could stop them. A reference to the lies, to Alex, to everything unspoken between us.

I braced myself for tension, for the walls to slam back up. But instead, something shifted. His eyes softened with what looked almost like amusement.

"Touché." He tilted his head slightly, studying me. "You've gotten even bolder since we first met."

"I've had to be. Single mother of twins. You learn to speak up or get trampled."

"I remember a woman who wasn't afraid to speak up." His voice dropped, becoming almost intimate despite the crowded street around us. "She told a stranger in a bar that his taste in whiskey was pretentious."

Heat crept up my neck. He remembered that.

"It was pretentious. Who orders a forty-year Macallan at a dive bar?"

"Someone trying to impress an incredibly beautiful woman, clearly." The words hung between us—an admission wrapped in humor. "It didn't work, if I recall. You ordered gin."

"I have simple tastes."

"There's nothing simple about you, Daphne." The way he said my name made my breath catch. His thumb shifted almost imperceptibly against my waist—not quite a caress, but close. "I'm starting to realize I barely scratched the surface that night."

"And whose fault is that?" I meant it to sound light, but it came out softer than intended.

Something flickered in his eyes—regret, maybe, or longing. "Mine. Entirely mine."

He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter.

"I'd like the chance to do better. If you'd let me."

My heart pounded. I should step back, create distance. Instead, I found myself leaning slightly closer. "That sounds dangerously like you're asking me to trust you."

"Would that be so terrible?"

"I haven't decided yet."

A real smile crossed his face—small, private, nothing like the controlled expressions he wore in meetings. It transformed him, made him look younger somehow. More like the man I'd met five years ago.

"I suppose I'll have to work on being more convincing," he said.

"I suppose you will."

We stood there, the moment stretching between us, neither willing to break it…

"Xander!" Bianca's sharp voice cut through like a blade.

We both turned to see her approaching from the building entrance, designer heels clicking against the stone, her expression perfectly composed but her eyes sharp as she took in the scene.

Xander's hand is still at my waist. How close we were standing. The flush on my cheeks. The almost-smile still lingering on his lips.

"Work’s waiting," Bianca said coolly, linking her arm through Xander's and smoothly pulling him away from me. "The investors from Belgium arrived early. We need you upstairs immediately."

She didn't acknowledge me at all, but her gaze lingered for just a moment—calculating, cold.

She'd seen enough.

Xander hesitated, his eyes finding mine one last time. "I’ll see you around."

Then Bianca steered him back toward the building, her hand possessive on his arm.

Throughout the rest of the day, I noticed Bianca watching me differently. Studying me. The cool appraisal from before had sharpened into something more focused, more dangerous.

Whatever she'd seen on those steps, it had made me a target.

That afternoon, Archie found me at my desk, staring blankly at a spreadsheet I'd read three times without processing a single number.

"Don't frown, beauty. Wrinkles will appear. Although you'd still be sexy with them."

I managed a tired smile. "Hello to you too."

Archie perched on the edge of my desk, his presence warm and uncomplicated.

"I've been thinking about what you told me. About the twins." His voice was gentle. "You know, I think motherhood makes you even more remarkable. And sexy. Have I already mentioned that?”

I laughed. “You did. Twice”

“Right. What I’m trying to say—what you've done for those girls, all on your own..." He shook his head slowly. "That takes strength. And I love strong women."

Warmth spread through my chest. Here was a man who knew my secret, my biggest, scariest secret, and he wasn't running. He wasn't judging. He was looking at me like I was someone worth admiring.

"Coffee tomorrow?" Archie asked. "I know a place with terrible pastries and excellent people-watching."

I laughed despite myself. "That sounds perfect."

He grinned, and for a moment, everything felt lighter. Simpler.

The question lingered in my mind as I drove home that evening, Nina and Lisa chattering in the backseat about their day.

Was Xander worth the heartbreak waiting to happen, or was Archie the wiser choice?