I grip my phone, needing an anchor. There’s only one solution to this kind of madness. I pull out my phone and get Natalie’s contact up.
Matilda: See you at Blox @ 7:00pm x
I hit send before I can talk myself out of it.
If I can’t get Henry Chase out of my head, maybe a night surrounded by noise, lights, and a drink or two will help.
Though, somehow, I already know it won’t.
Thirteen
Henry
What the fuck is wrong with me?
How could I have been so fucking stupid? Cornering her like that, saying the things I said — what the hell was I thinking? She’s my assistant. Myemployee.And there I was, standing over her like some unhinged idiot with no self-control.
What must she think of me right now?
That I’m crossing lines. That I gave her that project because I want something in return. Jesus Christ, what if she thinks I’m the kind of man who uses power to get what he wants?
I drag both hands through my hair and start pacing the living room, each step heavier than the last. The more I replay it, the worse it feels.
It’s not just the obvious — that she works for me, that I promoted her — it’s that I can’t stand how much she gets under my skin. The way she smiles when she’s nervous. The way shelooks at me like she sees past the bullshit. The way another man’s attention on her makes me want to break something.
I got jealous. OverThomas.That smug, grinning prick from residentials. I almost sacked him today just for talking to her.
Pathetic.
And the worst part? I don’t even recognise myself anymore.
I grab my phone before I can talk myself out of it. I just need to hear her voice — to make sure she’s okay, to fix this mess before it festers any deeper.
The call connects, and all I can hear is noise — music, laughter, shouting. Then her voice, muffled but unmistakable.
“Hello?”
“Matilda, it’s Henry. I’m sorry to call so late, it’s ju—”
“Henry? Did you say it’s Henry?” she laughs, slurring my name.
Oh, God.
“Matilda, where are you?” But I already know the answer. The bass thuds through the speaker, heavy and chaotic. Blox. She went to Blox. She’swith him.
My pulse spikes, and I start pacing again. “Matilda?”
“I’m at Blox,” she giggles, voice hazy. “It’s really great — you should come.”
The sound of her laugh — tipsy, carefree — hits me somewhere deep in the chest. She’s drunk. Too drunk. My stomach twists with something hot and ugly.
“Matilda, are you okay?”
“No. I’m really drunk and I lost Natalie. I wanted to call you but I was scared you’d fire me.” Her voice cracks, soft and shaky beneath the background noise.
“Fire you? Why would you— Matilda, are you on your own?”
“No, people are here, I just can’t find them, I— I think I’m going to be sick. This is all your fault.”
