It抯 past eleven when she comes downstairs with wet hair, wearing a silk pajama set.
揌ey.?She stops a few feet away, running a hand through her hair self-consciously.
揌i.?I close my laptop and lean forward. 揑t抯， uh, Christmas.?
Her eyes widen. 揝hit, really??
揜eally.?
揥ow. I抣l匢 can get dressed. I feel like I should stop by the hospital, but we can go do something after, if you want??
I do want. Badly. I want nothing more than to drink hot chocolate and go skating and look at elaborate decorations and whatever other touristy shit people do here during the holidays that I抎 normally look down upon. As long as I do it with her. But I can抰。 And I have to tell her why. 揑 can抰。 I have to go into the office.?
揙n Christmas? You were supposed to have this whole week off.?
揟hat was before.?
揃efore what??
I nod toward the muted television. The banner at the bottom says the words I can抰 seem to. Kensington Consolidated Investigated for Insider Trading, it reads.
揊uck,?Scarlett breathes.
揧ep.?
揑s it卼rue??
揑 have no idea. But I抳e got to handle it, either way.?
揅an this take down the company??
揑 don抰 know.?I rest my elbows on my knees and scrub my hands over my face. 揟he legal team is working on it. My dad and Oliver aren抰 taking my calls.?
揥hat does that mean??
揑t means they knew about this and kept me out of the loop.?
揗aybe they were trying to protect you,?Scarlett suggests softly.
揊uck that. This is my family抯 company. My legacy. I抦 supposed to be the next CEO.?
揧ou didn抰 know anything about this. You didn抰 do anything wrong. If you have to, you can start over. Start your own company.?
揑f this goes that far, the Kensington name won抰 be worth much.?
揗oney talks.?
揗ost of mine is tied up in this sinking ship.?
揑 have money, Sport.?
揂nd you married me for mine.?I stand and grab my laptop. 揝o I抎 better go bail out this ship, huh??
揅rew厰
揑抦 sorry I can抰 go to the hospital with you. I抦 going to drive myself to the office. If you want Roman to take you, just give him a call.?
揙kay,?she says.
揙kay,?I repeat.
I walk over and kiss her. It抯 brief and sweet.
She grabs the inside of my elbow, holding me in place for a minute.
揗erry Christmas, Red.?
揗erry Christmas, Sport.?
The meetings last for hours. I抦 drained and irritated by the time I head back toward my office.
Asher is waiting. His feet aren抰 up on my desk. If I抎 ever told him why this hunk of wood holds sentimental value, I know he never would have put them up in the first place. Probably why I never did. Not many people challenge me.
揘athaniel Stewart.?
揥hat about him??I ask.
揧ou wanted the name. He was the leak.?
I sink down into my chair. 揌ow reliable is your source??
揔iera Ellis. Her father is棓
揑 know who her father is.?The biggest media mogul in the country.
揟here抯 more to come, apparently. Nathaniel claims he has some of our internal documents. Damning ones.?Asher raises a brow. 揇o those exist??
揘o idea.?
Asher shakes his head. 揑抣l admit the guy made a few good investments. But he抯 a bottom feeder at best. Coming after Kensington Consolidated makes no sense.?
I know exactly why he抯 doing it, but I keep that to myself. Good leadership is knowing when to share梐nd when to shut up.
揑抣l take care of him.?
Asher shakes his head. 揚lotting revenge on Christmas? That抯 the Crew Kensington I know. For a while, I thought you抎 gone soft.?
揝carlett is pregnant.?
Asher whistles and leans back in his chair. 揂lready??
揂ll it takes is one time.?
揜ight. I抦 sure you抳e had sex with your hot wife just the once.?He pauses. 揂re you freaking out??
揘o.?I don抰 correct his assumption that this is a recent development.
揂re you experiencing any emotions??His tone is exasperated.
揝ome.?
揕ike厰
揑 can抰 picture my life without her.?
揑 meant about the spawn you sired, Crew.?
揑 know what you meant. But the baby isn抰 here. It抯 the size of a peach or something. She is.?
揟hen go home and be with her.?
I want to. But I know what I抣l have to ask when I do. And it抯 not a conversation I抦 looking forward to.
Scarlett is curled up on the couch with Teddy when I get home, eating popcorn. I shrug off my suit jacket and loosen my tie as I walk into the living room, wishing I was in sweatpants like she is.
揌ey.?Her voice is soft. Hesitant. Unsure.
揌i.?I take a seat near her feet. Teddy crawls over to lick my hand.