“If you want to climb the ladder fast, you have to make the best coffee in the office,” Hilary had said. “Every person at OWM can do important things well. Bosses appreciate subordinates who can do everything—even the mundane stuff—well.”
“Are the eggs not to your liking, my dear?” Ceinlys asked, walking in. As usual she was dressed elegantly; today it was in a cream tunic and a skirt. Sophia had never seen her less than immaculate.
“No, they’re fine. Thank you.”
Chad gave Sophia a meaningful look that said, Then eat, champ.
The older woman took her coffee and had a sip. “I saw Dane last week.”
“Oh?” Sophia couldn’t choke down the eggs. Suddenly, they tasted like sawdust.
Chad got up, mumbling something about needing more coffee, and disappeared into the kitchen.
“How was he?” Sophia tried for a polite curiosity, even though her heart had picked up its pace.
“Quite well, apparently. He made a few million dollars.”
Bitterness coursed through Sophia. “Good for him.” So it was business as usual for Dane. But then it made sense. All he’d ever felt for her was guilt, so without her around to constantly remind him of what he’d done, it was inevitable he’d go back to the way things had been.
“And whatever diet he’s on seems quite effective,” Ceinlys continued. “He’s lost at least fifteen pounds.”
Sophia’s fork clattered on the plate. “Fifteen pounds?” He’d never had an ounce of fat to spare.
Ceinlys nodded. “At the rate things are going, he’ll have to get his clothes altered.” She set her coffee cup neatly in front of her. “I know he’s been calling you. You should at least hear what he has to say. That way, you won’t have any regrets down the line.”
“Ceinlys…I know you mean well, but it’s too late. He should’ve told me the truth when he found out.”
“Do you know why people hide the truth?”
Sophia wanted to squirm under the older woman’s gaze. “For their own convenience? Because they’re horrible?”
“Fear.” A long sigh. “Dane was never afraid of the truth. It was his bluntness that often caused friction with the people around him. The fact that everything he said was true upset them more because they had nothing to fight back with, so they complained that he wasn’t kind enough.”
Sophia stared at Ceinlys. “I know that.”
“So think about what sort of fear could make a man like that act the way he has.”
Loud knocks came, sounding like gunshots. Ceinlys frowned. “What on earth could be so urgent at this hour?” She got up and went toward the door.
Sophia moved the scrambled eggs around on her plate. To imagine a man like Dane having any kind of fear was ludicrous. He’d always been driven, focused, cutting through everything like a shark’s fin across a lake.
But maybe he was afraid of hurting you…the way you were with Libby.
Sophia hadn’t been able to say anything to her best friend…even though she herself had been the victim. And Dane had caused the accident in Paris. It must’ve been a hundred times worse for him.
But even if she could forgive him for withholding the truth, she wasn’t okay with the situation. She pushed herself away from the table. She’d thought he cared for her. That what they had was genuine and real and affectionate even if he didn’t love her quite yet.
A dark scowl marred Ceinlys’s forehead as she came back with an envelope.
“It’s for you.”
“Me?”
“You’re being served.”
* * *
Dane kept glancing at his phone while reviewing a report on the latest business idea he’d backed. He’d laid the slim unit on his desk to make sure he didn’t miss it when it buzzed.
Eight o’clock.
She should be calling by now.
Come on. Come on.
Sighing roughly, he turned a page. Had Ceinlys interfered? He ground his teeth. It was quite possible. He could just imagine his mother telling Sophia, “Here’s my lawyer’s number. Have her take care of the matter.”
Damn it.
His phone buzzed, and he almost jumped. He almost snarled when he saw Blake’s name on it. “What do you want?”
“Hello to you too. Who moved your chee—?”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“I was going to ask you to—”
Another call. Sophia. His heart slammed against his chest. “Can’t talk.” He killed the line with Blake on it, then breathed in through his mouth. “Hello, Sophia.”
“What is the meaning of this?”
He couldn’t help but smile. Her voice sounded glorious, even in anger. He closed his eyes, savoring it. “The meaning of what?”