Page 35 of Discretion at Its Finest

“He’s trying to humiliate me,” he muttered, his eyes cutting to me before looking away, his snarl deepening. “And now he has my fucking fiancée playing his clean-up crew. I can’t believe you actually accepted this.”

My spine stiffened. “You make it seem like this was a choice… I didn’t ask to be in this role.”

“You didn’t fight it either.”

“What is there to fight?” My voice rose an octave unintentionally, and his eyes found mine again.

This time he held my gaze.

“You could’ve said no,” he said flatly.

“Towho, Greg?“ I demanded. “To your father? To the board? Tohim? Honestly, what do you suggest I should have done?”

“I don’t know, something, Gen! Instead of just letting him drag you into all this. Letting him parade you around.”

I blinked at him, stunned. “You think I want to be doing this? I was fine,perfectly fine,raising our son at home. And now, until I can find someone else, Jamie, who’s in and out of the hospital withcancer,has to watch him.” Gregory didn’t move. “Do you know how dangerous that is? How much I hate that I even have to ask her?”

My voice didn’t rise. “Our son was already surviving with one parent who was half-present,” I said evenly. “Now I’m going to spend my evenings writing speeches, planning press conferences for your brother instead of spending them with my son. All for a mess you—”

I stopped mid-sentence, biting my tongue as silence fell over us.

My heart was racing in my chest, beating in my eardrums. I could feel it in my throat, my temples, the tips of my fingers.

The mask was slipping. I was losing it. My composure, my restraint, the version of me everyone needed me to be. The home I was trying to keep together was unraveling.

This was exactly what Reid wanted.

He wanted the breakdown. The exposure. He wanted me pulled apart at the seams in front of the man I’d chosen over him.

Gregory didn’t argue or defend himself as I sat there like a deer in headlights. Instead, I heard the quiet scrape of the chair as he stood. His steps were slow as he made his way over to me. I kept my eyes away from his as he stepped in front of me.

Grabbing my hand, he stood me up, pulling me into his chest gently as he rested his chin atop my head.

“I know,” he said softly. “I know, Gen. I’m sorry.”

I wrapped my arms around his frame, my chest rising and falling as I willed my racing heart to slow.

After a moment, he pulled back just enough to look at me. His hands came up to cradle either side of my face, thumbs brushing gently beneath my eyes. His gaze searched mine, still looking for the woman that he knew, the one that wasn’t in the middle of a spiral.

“It’s going to get better,” he said, voice low, steady. “I promise. We’re going to come out of this. I don’t know how but… I’ll fix it. I’ll make it right.”

I nodded once. Enough for him to have the trust he needed. But the sinking feeling in my chest was only getting worse.

I stepped off the elevator and moved toward Jamie’s corridor, heels soft against the tile. It was late. Visiting hours were over. But the nurses had learned who I was by now; they didn’t botherto question me. I probably looked exhausted, hair in a looser ponytail, still wearing the wrap dress I’d put on this morning.

Entering her room, my eyes landed on Eugene, who was curled on the couch, his tiny body huddled under a blanket. I approached his side, my hands running through his hair gently as he leaned into my touch. His eyes opened just slightly and he immediately reached for me, his arms wrapping around my neck as I pulled him into me. His cheek pressed against my shoulder, his breathing soft and warm against my skin.

Across the room, Jamie sat upright in a recliner, a worn quilt across her legs. Her face was pale, thinner than last week, but her eyes were bright.

“They cleaned the room twice before he got here,” she whispered, smiling. “Sterilized every surface. I watched them. Nurses didn’t let him touch a thing.”

I nodded slowly, running my palm over Eugene’s back. “I know.”

But I knew better. This wasn’t safe. Not for Eugene or for her. And I still did it anyway. Because I had no choice… Reid was leaving me with no choices. I looked down at my son again, his breath rising and falling steadily against my collarbone.

Jamie shifted in her chair. “You want something to drink? They gave me one of those awful teas to help with inflammation. Probably chamomile with turmeric and ginger. The taste doesn’t really do much for me but it’s supposed to help.”

I smiled gently. “I’m good.”