LOGINChloe dashed up the stairs as fast as her little feet could carry her. Her heart raced as she swerved through the crowd of people.Down in the living room, the music continued to play, loud and careless, with no one controlling it.The hallway was quiet. They had restricted the party to just the swimming pool and the four corners of the rooms downstairs.Regardless, there were a few couples lurking around the hallways with their tongues buried in each other's mouths.“Rachel!” Chloe called, her voice sharp and loud.She didn't get a response. But on getting close to her room, Chloe found its door slightly open. “Must run in the family,” she whispered and pushed it open.Rachel stood at the edge of the bed. She was alive, but shaken. A guy stood in front of her; it was her boyfriend. But something about how close he was standing to her felt different. His hand was on her wrist, his grip visibly tightening as Rachel tried to wriggle herself free.“Let go of me,” Rachel snapped again.“
Chloe spent the rest of the day getting to know Harvey’s staff and attending meetings by his side. It was exhausting, a life moving faster than anything she was familiar with. The constant pleasantries, the polite smiles, the kind words and the constant lustful stare she got from a member of the company board. By the time they got home, she was exhausted and only wanted to fall onto her bed and surrender to the sweet embrace of sleep. She stepped into the house first, slipping off her heels at the door. Her body ached in places she had never thought possible, and this was only her first day. Harvey walked in shortly after her, his phone pressed to his ear. He had been on the call since they left the office, but only now dropped it when Rachel's voice came from the living room. “No business calls, Dad!” He let out a breath and tucked his phone back in his pocket. Rachel appeared a second later, beaming with contagious brightness, as always. She wrapped her arms around Harvey,
Chloe stood in front of the door to Harvey's office. Her palms were sweating, and her toes curled inside her shoes.For the fourth time since she got there, she raised a hard to knock on the door, and this time she did. The knock was soft, but loud enough to announce her presence.The secretary's desk outside his office was empty. Misfiled documents were littered across the surface of the table, and an untouched cup of coffee sat there, forgotten beside them.“Come in,” she heard his voice from inside the office.She stepped in, took a few steps forward until she stood across from him, the table being the only barrier between them.Harvey didn't look up to her. He was head buried in work, his table in more mess than that which belonged to his secretary. He lifted papers carefully from the table, eyes scanning for something surely important, and when he couldn't find it, he tossed the documents back on his table and slumped into his chair.Chloe watched as he took a moment to gather hi
It was eight in the morning, and Harvey and the girls sat at the dining table for breakfast in an uncomfortable silence.Chloe kept her eyes on her plate, spreading jam over a slice of bread she wouldn't eat. Harvey had the morning paper spread open before him, and had barely touched his food.Rachel, on the other hand, had been scrolling through her phone but could no longer bear the weight of the silence.She slowly looked up, her eyes moving from her father to Chloe. She set her phone done and folded her arms. “What's going on with the two of you?”Chloe nearly choked on her coffee. “Nothing,” she responded quickly, then added, “What are you talking about?”Rachel picked up her fork and gestured between the both of them. “This tension. You haven't said a word to each other since Tuesday.”Chloe swallowed. “There's no tension,” she responded. “We've just had nothing to talk about.”Harvey turned a page of the paper without looking up. “Rachel, eat your breakfast.”She glared at her
Harvey stood by the door, and for a split second, neither of them moved. He should have knocked, but instinct had overridden his etiquette. His instinct to protect her, and make sure she was in no form of danger. Chloe scrambled up, yanking the sheets tangled at her feet up to her chest. “Harvey,” she muttered, breathless. His jaw clenched. He turned his head slightly to the side. “I didn't mean to barge in.” he said, his voice low and controlled. “I heard you scream and thought something was wrong.” Chloe’s stomach dropped. She clutched the blanket tighter. “I'm… I'm fine,” she managed, though her voice trembled. He kept his gaze fixed on anything that wasn't her. His shoulders were tense, and the heat inside his body could not deny what he'd just witnessed. He tried to pretend like he wasn't affected by it, but the bulge in his pajamas was impossible for even Chloe to ignore. Her breath caught as she stared, her hands itching desperately to return to the wetness betwee
Rachel stepped fully into the dining room, excitement radiating off her like something contagious.“Dad, you're home early.”Chloe had already retaken her seat by the time she came in. Her hands rested too neatly in her laps.Rachel didn't notice the stiffness. She crossed the room and leaned down to hug her father, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.“I thought you had an important meeting today.”“It got rescheduled,” he replied, offering a measured half-smile as Rachel dropped into the seat beside him.She turned to Chloe. “You didn't tell me he was back.”“It didn't cross my mind,” Chloe said lightly. “He came back an hour after you left.”Rachel nodded.She lifted the lid of one of the serving dishes, and steam curled into the air, filled with the rich aroma of spice “This is definitely not your cooking, Dad.”Harvey gave a quick chuckle. “She's not bad.”His eyes flickered to Chloe for just a second before returning to his plateChloe lowered her gaze, a quiet warmth spreading







