Page 68 of Shattered Throne
I followed her out of the conference room, past curious eyes and whispered conversations, into my office. She closed the door behind us. The click of the latch sounded like a gunshot.
"I told you." Her voice was low. Controlled. The kind of ‘controlled’ that meant she was one wrong word away from shattering. "I told you Zoe wasn't getting involved.”
"I know, but?—"
"I had one rule, Xavier. One condition. Keep my daughter out of this."
"I didn't invite my grandmother here. I didn't know she was coming. I?—"
"This isn't a joke." She stepped closer, and I could see the fear beneath the anger now. The protective mother whose child had been exposed to something she'd tried to shield her from. "This is my daughter's life. Her stability. Her understanding of what family means."
My chest tightened at that word. Family.
"And now your grandmother thinks she's part of something that doesn't even exist."
"I'm sorry." The words felt inadequate. "I'll fix it. I'll explain to her that?—"
"Explain what? That you lied? That this whole thing is fake?" Her voice cracked on the last word, just barely, before she caught it. "That you've been paying me to pretend to love you?" Kim laughed, but there was no humor in it. "No. We're done."
The words hit me like a physical blow.
"Kim, wait?—"
"I warned you." She was already turning toward the door. "I told you what would happen if Zoe got hurt. And now she's going to be confused when this ends, when you disappear from her life, when she has to understand that none of it was real."
"It's not—" I reached for her arm.
She pulled away. "Don't."
"Please. Just let me?—"
"No." She yanked open the door. "I'm taking my daughter, and I'm leaving. We're done, Xavier. The arrangement is over."
She walked out.
I followed her to the conference room, still trying to find the words that would make her stay. "Kim, please. I know I messed up, but we can figure this out. We can?—"
She wasn't listening. She was gathering Zoe's things, stuffing them into a bag with jerky, angry movements. Zoe watched with wide eyes, clutching Peanut to her chest.
"Mommy? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, baby." Kim's voice softened for her daughter, but I could hear the strain beneath it. "We're going home."
"But I don't feel good."
"I know. We're going to go home and rest."
"Is Mr. Xavier coming?"
Kim's jaw tightened. "No, baby. Mr. Xavier isn't coming."
Zoe's face crumpled. "But why? Did I do something wrong?"
"No." Kim scooped her up, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You didn't do anything wrong. Come on. Let's go."
She walked past me without another glance. I stood in the doorway of the conference room, watching her go, watching Zoe's confused face peer at me over her mother's shoulder.
I was aware of the others watching, too. Assistants at their desks, pretending not to stare. Executives in the hallway, whispering behind their hands. Another assistant chased off by Xavier Dubois. Another failure to add to the list.
