Sealed with a kiss (WomanxWoman)

19

Charlotte's POV:

"I heard the gala was a success," Claire says enthusiastically as she enters my office with breakfast.

"Yeah, it sure was," I reply with a smile, the memory of that night flooding my thoughts. The night Jenny and I finally admitted our feelings, wrapped in each other's arms after an evening that felt like magic. Her hazel eyes sparkled in the dim light, her smile warm and bright, and her scent still lingers in my memory. I must have drifted off, because Claire's voice pulls me back.

"That good, huh? That smile is way too big for it to be just the gala. Does it have anything to do with Jeffery?" She winks playfully, and I feel my heart sink. Jeffery. He'll never compare to what I feel for Jenny.

"Well, dear, as long as there's something that makes you this happy, I'm glad." With that, she exits, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I can't rememeber being this happy before. What I have with Jenny is speacial. That's why I can't keep going on like this. The longer this drags on, the more I'm hurting Jenny, myself...even Jeffery, as much as I hate to admit it. I need a plan. First, I have to end things with Jeffery. Then I have to find a way to shift Jenny's position so she won't be reporting directly to me And then... I'll have to tell my father. That part terrifies me. Dad's expectations, his image of me-it's all so tangled in this world he's built. I might loose him, he might fire me. If I'm going to do this, it has to be carefully thought out. I press my fingers to my temples, a familiar migraine brewing.

A knock at the door interrupts my spiraling thoughts. "Come in."

Jeffery strides in, his smile twisted with something smug. "Oh, good morning, Char. How are you this morning?"

Something feels off. "Fine as usual. And you?" I reply cautiously, trying to gauge his mood.

"Oh, I'm great. More than great," he continues, his tone laced with an edge I don't like.

"What is it, Jeffery?" I ask, my patience already thinning.

He shrugs, feigning innocence. "What? A man can't check in on his fiancée?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose, bracing myself. "Jeffery, I'm not in the mood for games-especially if you're implying something."

His smile grows sharper. "You know, you really look good, not at all tired. Especially after spending your night with another woman."

My blood runs cold, my heartbeat pounding in my chest. This can't be happening. There's no way he knows about Jenny and me.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," I stammer, but my voice betrays me. I feel the color drain from my face as his smirk widens.

"Oh, come on, Char. Your little 'experiment' with your best employee? Don't play coy. I have proof."

Proof? My mind spins, trying to comprehend. How could he possibly-

He laughs, as if relishing my shock. "You know, at first I was offended. I mean, what does she have that I don't? I know what I have that she doesn't," he sneers, his tone dripping with malice. "But then, I realized I had leverage. You wouldn't want this getting out, would you? Imagine the whispers in the office, the media... or worse, your father. What would he think of his little girl ruining the life of his protégé, his 'best man,' his successor? He'd be ashamed of you."

His words slice through me, each one sharper than the last. I can hardly breathe, my world spinning out of control. "What... what do you want?"

He leans closer, his voice low and menacing. "What do I want? Mmm... let's see. First, a date for our wedding. We've postponed it long enough. Second, you'll end things with her immediately. I won't tolerate my fiancée sleeping around. And third, my favorite: you'll become the perfect, obedient wife, devoted to her husband's every whim. You have until tomorrow morning to decide. Either you cooperate... or you lose everything-your reputation, your career, your family."