He said nothing.
Embarrassment and humiliation seared her face. She’d been so stupid. She’d thought what they had was real. But in reality, the only person who’d felt anything was her.
It made so much sense now. His excessive generosity. His insistence that she find another path to pursue. Even his unusual attentiveness in bed. It all had been…atonement.
“You should’ve told me,” she said, her voice barely audible over the roaring in her head. If she’d known she wouldn’t have given him her heart. She would’ve made sure to not take his gestures for anything more than what they were. “You’re despicable!”
“Sophia…”
Chad put himself in front of her. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Step aside. I pay your salary,” Dane snarled.
“To protect her. And I’m protecting her from you.”
She breathed deeply for a moment to gather herself. It wouldn’t do to break down in front of everyone.
But it was too late for excuses. There was nothing Dane could say.
She stalked out, her hands clenched by her sides. She didn’t know where she was going or what she was going to do, but she knew she couldn’t stay in the same room with Dane any longer. She couldn’t be with a man who spent time with her out of guilt.
* * *
She was gone.
No. The precise assessment of the situation was—he’d lost her.
Dane had known all along she would never forgive him if she found out, but the reality choked him, paralyzing him like a viper’s venom.
He squeezed his eyes shut. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be. In another second, he’d wake up with Sophia in his arms like always. She’d continue to sleep peacefully, and he’d lie there in a cold sweat and stare at the ceiling until his heart slowed.
George’s grating laughter snapped him out of it. “I’m going to make you pay. I’m pressing charges.”
“Oh for god’s sake!” Barron stepped up spryly and gave George a soccer-kick in the ribs. “There. Why don’t you press charges against me while you’re at it?”
George groaned. “Mr. Sterling!”
“You’re a disgrace. I am going to press charges against you for being trash because your particular flavor of trash is so offensive it’s got to be illegal.” Barron then turned and smacked Dane on the shoulder. “And you: stop standing around! Go get your girl while I take care of this…garbage.” Then he bellowed, “And somebody get Vanessa some water!”
Dane pulled himself together. What the hell was he doing? He had to come up with a game plan fast. But the first priority was to stop Sophia. If she left, he might never get her back.
He ran out into the hall. The elevator doors at the end of the long corridor were closing with a soft chime. “Shit.”
He charged down the corridor. Sophia was on that elevator. Another one opened, and he got in and pressed the close and L buttons repeatedly. “Come on. Come on!”
Before it shut, Ceinlys slipped inside.
“You should stay with Vanessa,” Dane said.
“She has an army of people.” Ceinlys squeezed his forearm. “You need at least one person by your side.”
He stared at her hand. “You think I’m going to fail.”
“What do you think?”
He looked away. He’d never, ever done something knowing his chances of success were low. His financial empire was built on careful planning and—as far as possible—risk avoidance. But Sophia wasn’t an empire to be built. He’d never win her by being careful. He had to lay it all down.
They finally came to a stop at the lobby. He hit the button for Vanessa’s floor and ran out. “Don’t follow me,” he called back to Ceinlys.
Sophia wasn’t anywhere to be found, not that he’d expected her to linger. He went outside. Gray, more gray and some trees and lawns. Cars. Uniformed nurses on a break.
Come on. She couldn’t have gone that far.
There!
Sophia was marching down the sidewalk with Chad behind her. Her fists pumped. Tension had pulled her shoulders together, raising them until they almost brushed her gold hoop earrings. She hadn’t even taken her purse.
Dane ran after her. “Wait!”
She took one look over her shoulder and picked up speed so she was power-walking.
Chad stopped and took a solid stance as Dane neared. Why the hell had he ever thought it was a good idea to hire the man?
Because you were terrified for her—that someone might hurt her again when you weren’t around.
“Get out of the way. You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” Dane said.
“You firing me?”