Secrets

Xander stood in the middle of his living room, his mind spiraling in chaos, his heart pounding against the walls of his chest like a caged animal. The atmosphere had shifted from the laughter of moments ago to a chilling silence that now hung like fog around him. June had left… stormed out… slapped him and he couldn’t even blame her.

His fingers twitched as he ran both hands through his thick hair, pacing the floor like a man caught between loyalty and guilt. Then, without warning, he let out a sharp grunt and kicked the corner of the mahogany coffee table.

“Damn it!” he hissed through clenched teeth, limping backward as pain surged through his toe. “You’re foolish, Xander. Stupid. She was falling for you and now she’s gone.”

The sting of her slap still echoed in his mind, but what hit harder was the regret in her eyes. The betrayal. She had trusted him enough to come over… and he blew it. It wasn’t just about the kiss it was the timing. The pressure. His own impatience.

He turned toward the fireplace, staring blankly at the flames flickering behind the glass. That was when his phone rang.

His stomach tightened when he saw the caller ID.

Dad.

Xander hesitated for a split second before answering, trying to mask the dread in his voice.

“Hello.”

“How is our plan going, son?” his father’s deep, commanding voice cut through the receiver like a knife. “You’ve had more than enough time with June. I was expecting a solid update by now. So what do you mean she’s not responding?”

Xander swallowed hard. “Things got complicated, Dad. I—”

“Don’t give me that,” his father snapped, his voice rising in anger. “You know what’s at stake here. Our company is bleeding out, and if we don’t solidify this merger with Williams Industries, we’re finished. I didn’t raise you to fail at something as simple as charming a woman.”

“She’s not just some woman, Dad,” Xander said quietly, his jaw tightening. “She’s been through a lot. And she doesn’t trust easily.”

There was a pause on the other end, then a dark chuckle. “Of course she doesn’t. That’s why you make her trust you.”

Xander’s face contorted. “You want me to manipulate her?”

“I want you to do what’s necessary,” his father replied coldly. “You don’t have to love her, Xander. You don’t even have to like her. Just marry her. Gain control. When we’ve leveraged her shares and finalized the expansion deal with her father’s silent holdings, then you can walk away. It’s that simple.”

“Simple,” Xander echoed bitterly. “Destroy her heart just to save ours.”

“This isn’t about hearts,” his father snapped. “It’s about legacy. Family. Survival. Or have you forgotten the years I’ve spent keeping our empire intact? The sacrifices your mother and I made? You have one job, Xander. Get June to fall for you. Marry her. And deliver Williams Industries into our hands. You do that, and your future is secured.”

“And if I don’t?” Xander asked, though he already knew the answer.

His father didn’t hesitate.

“Then get ready to lose everything. Your inheritance. Your position. Your name. If you fail me, you’re out of the family business. For good.”

The line went dead.

Xander stood frozen, his phone still pressed to his ear, heart pounding in his chest like a war drum.

He sank onto the couch, burying his face in his hands.

He was stuck.

Trapped between the expectations of his bloodline and the truth growing steadily in his heart.

Because what his father didn’t know what Xander couldn’t admit out loud was that somewhere along the way, this plan had turned real.

He didn’t want to walk away from June.

He didn’t want to break her heart.

He wanted to protect it.

But how could he, when he was the one lying to her?

He looked up at the door June had walked out of, as if hoping she might come back through it. But it remained closed. Empty. Cold.

He had a decision to make.

One that could either cost him everything he’d ever been raised to fight for…

Or finally set him free.