Chapter 2

There was no room for denial because the SENT folder confirmed her nightmare. The thumbnail of her most private moment sat right next to the name of the one man who held her entire future in his hands.

Panic surged through Stacy like a cold and prickling sensation that made her scalp tingle.

“Shit, shit, shit!” she hissed into the empty room.

The thought of facing Apollo Savage after he saw that photo was physically nauseating. He was already a demanding and cold hearted boss who looked at her like she was a stain on his professional record.

"If he opened that message, I wouldn't just be fired. I would be obliterated!"

She had no other choice. She had to get to his house and delete that message before he woke up.

The commute to the high end residential village was a blur of adrenaline and dread. Fortunately, the guards recognized her because Apollo often had her summoned at ungodly hours for late night briefings or to drop off urgent blueprints. She sailed through the gate but her heart didn't stop racing.

Once at the villa, she bypassed the main entrance. She knew the layout well enough to avoid the security cameras near the front door. She crept through the manicured lawn and nearly slipped on the dew slicked grass as she made her way to the side of the house. This wasn't her first time being here in the dead of night, but it was certainly the first time she was trespassing with criminal intent.

She looked up at the second floor. One window was cracked open and a soft, warm light spilled out onto the balcony. She prayed that he was passed out while her voice remained a tiny whimper in the dark.

She gripped the steel trellis on the side of the wall. Using every bit of strength she didn't know she had, she climbed.

Finally, she reached the ledge and tumbled through the window before landing silently on the plush carpet.

There he was. Apollo Savage was sprawled across the king sized bed while looking uncharacteristically vulnerable. He was wearing nothing but boxers. His muscular chest was rising and falling in the deep and heavy rhythm of a drunken sleep. One arm was flung over his eyes while the other hung limply off the side of the mattress. Stacy froze for a second because she was caught off guard by how human he looked.

"Focus, Stacy! You’re not here to window shop!" she whispered to herself while shaking off the stray thought.

She scanned the room. The bedside table was empty. She checked the desk and the floor before peeking into an open drawer. Nothing. Then she saw a glint of metal on the bed. The phone was tucked right against his side and was partially pinned under the weight of his torso.

She crept to the edge of the bed while her heart hammered so hard she feared it might wake him. She sat on the very edge of the mattress while the springs groaned ever so slightly. She reached out with her fingers trembling as she tried to slide the device from under him. She was so close that she could see the notification light blinking, but then the world shifted.

Without warning, Apollo’s arm swept out while hooking around her waist and pulling her down.

Stacy let out a sharp and muffled gasp as she was dragged onto the silk sheets. Apollo’s grip was like an iron vice. He smelled of whiskey while his skin radiated a heat that felt like it was branding her. 

“Ugh... Mr. Savage!” she whispered while struggling to pry his arm off her. He didn't budge. He just groaned in his sleep and pulled her tighter against his chest.

She was trapped. She could feel the steady thud of his heart against her back and his shallow, rhythmic breathing tickled the nape of her neck.

In the struggle, the phone had slipped into the narrow crevice between their bodies. She tried to shift her shoulder while hoping he would roll over and release her. Instead, he nuzzled closer and his nose brushed against the curve of her neck. 

"Jesus Christ, why is this happening?" she whimpered while tears of frustration pricked her eyes. 

Every time she moved, he seemed to tighten his hold instinctively. Finally, he shifted his weight and threw a heavy leg over hers while effectively anchoring her to the bed. Stacy closed her eyes while praying for the ground to swallow her whole. The proximity was overwhelming. She could feel every muscle in his arm and the heat of his breath.

She reached down while her hand disappeared between them to search blindly for the phone. Her fingers brushed against his skin and made her flinch, but she pushed through the embarrassment. Finally, she gripped the metal casing. She pulled it out slowly and was agonizingly careful not to jostle him.

She tapped the screen and her heart sank. 

Enter Passcode.

“Dammit, of course it's locked!” she hissed under her breath.

Before she could even process her next move, a sound from the floor below made her blood run cold.

“Why did Apollo get this drunk?” a woman asked.

Stacy’s soul nearly left her body. She looked at Apollo who remained dead to the world. She heard the maid’s hushed reply that he had had a lot and was probably just stressed from the office.

The footsteps began to climb the stairs. Stacy didn't hesitate. She rolled out from under Apollo’s arm and hit the floor before scrambling under the bed just as the door handle turned. It was tight and dusty under there.

She watched a pair of designer red bottomed stilettos click across the hardwood toward the bed.

“You’re so handsome even when you’re a mess, love,” Georgia said. Her voice dripped with a sweetness that Stacy knew was purely for show.

Stacy held her breath while watching the shoes linger by the bedside. She expected Georgia to stay but the woman only lingered for a minute while checking if he was truly asleep. The footsteps receded. The door opened and then clicked shut with a finality that felt like a death knell.

Stacy crawled out from under the bed while gasping for air and wiping dust from her blazer. She scrambled back to the bedside to find the phone but the bed was empty.

The bedside table was bare. The floor was clear. Her eyes widened while her hands shook as she patted the duvet.

"The phone... where is the phone?!"

She checked under the pillows. She checked the sheets. She even looked back under the bed. It was gone. 

A cold realization washed over her.

Georgia took Apollo’s phone!

Stacy slumped against the wall while her legs gave out. She was officially and completely ruined.

Stacy spent the rest of the night as a ghost. She sat in the corner of the office pantry long before the first employees arrived while her eyes were shadowed by dark circles. She kept checking her own phone while waiting for the axe to fall.

"There's no way they haven't seen it," she whispered while her voice cracked.

When she finally forced herself to walk toward her desk, the atmosphere hit her like a physical wall. Every person she passed lingered a second too long. Some whispered behind their hands while others offered mischievous grins that made her skin crawl.

She stopped at a mirror in the hallway, to check if she had something on her face while rubbing at her cheek. There was nothing but her own pale and terrified expression.

When she reached her department, Rocky was already there while leaning against a cubicle with a look that was half pity and half malice.

"I have to hand it to you, Stacy. I didn't think you had the fighting spirit," Rocku said while her voice was loud enough for the neighboring desks to hear. "I mean, the whole country has seen the goods and you still showed up for work?"

Stacy’s world tilted. "What are you talking about?"

Rocky rolled her eyes while flourishing her phone. "We all knew you were clumsy but sending a nude to Mr. Savage? Now his phone is lost and your photo is on every gossip site in the city. That’s one way to get a promotion."

Stacy felt the blood drain from her face. It was true. Georgia hadn't just found the photo. She had burned Stacy’s life to the ground.

The tears started before she could stop them. She stood there frozen while the weight of the humiliation crushed the air out of her lungs. Her reputation and her future were all gone because of one mistake.

Without a word, she turned away from Rocky. She headed for the elevator while her steps were heavy and mechanical. She needed to leave before she completely collapsed. But as the elevator doors slid open, she found herself face to face with the last person she wanted to see.

Apollo...

He was dressed in a black turtleneck while looking stoic and imposing. He was holding a brand new phone. Their eyes locked for a split second and for the first time in a year, Stacy didn't see irritation in his gaze. She saw sympathy.

"Stacy..." he started while stepping forward.

She didn't stay to hear the rest. She bolted for the stairs while her sobs finally broke through. She ran down flight after flight while being desperate to escape the building and the man who was at the center of her ruin.

**

For seven days, Stacy lived in a cocoon of misery. She stayed in her apartment with the curtains drawn and her phone turned off. She ignored the knocks on her door and the concerned texts from her mother. 

"I'm so stupid... I should never have taken that picture," she groaned into a throw pillow. 

She eventually turned on the TV while hoping for some mindless noise to distract her. As she flicked through the channels, she stopped on a business news broadcast. 

There was Apollo. He was sitting in a high backed chair while looking calm and effortlessly powerful. He was being interviewed about the latest market trends but the host eventually pivoted to the topic everyone was actually interested in.

"Mr. Savage, we have to ask about the rumors regarding your secretary, Stacy Smith, and the leaked photo. Is it true there's a relationship there?"

Stacy sat on the floor while leaning toward the screen. She expected him to deny it or to fire her on national television.

Instead, Apollo Savage leaned into the mic and gave a small and confident smile.

"She’s my girlfriend," he said while his voice was absolute and unwavering. "It was a private photo sent between a couple. It just so happened I lost my phone and it was leaked by someone with a grudge. I’m doing everything in my power to take the photo down and protect her."

Stacy’s mouth fell open. She dropped the remote while the plastic clattered against the floor. 

Girlfriend?!

The man who had spent the last year threatening to fire her was now claiming her in front of the entire world.