Page 302 of By His Rule

“Holy shit,” I gasp, almost dropping the mug in my hand.

“Crap, I’m sorry,” Melissa says softly as she steps farther into the room with me.

“It’s okay,” I whisper before turning back to the coffee machine.

“No one here will judge you, Lorelei. You know that, right?” she says, going in for the kill.

“Of course they will. I’m not like them,” I mumble, refusing to look back at her.

“I know that Kian has had a privileged life, and there are a few others here that have too. But trust me when I say that they’re the exception. Most people under this roof are here because they’re good at their jobs and they work damn hard at them.

“This office contains people from all walks of life. It’s not just the wealthy. There are many more people like you.” She takes a step closer. “People like us,” she says with a new layer of understanding in her voice.

“This isn’t how I grew up, Lorelei. I got my first job when I was twelve to help my mother pay for food for my little brothers and sisters. I didn’t even graduate high school,” she confesses, raising her brows to drive the point home.

I take a step back, surprised by her words.

“Life isn’t about the past, Lorelei. It doesn’t matter where you came from. The only thing that’s important from here on out is your future. And you get to choose what to do with that.”

She grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator and then spins around and leaves me with those words.

Resting my ass back against the counter, I can’t help but believe them.

Why should I be ashamed of where I’ve come from when Kian isn’t? He has never made me feel any less than him, even now he knows. He’s happy to embrace that it’s a part of me. So why shouldn’t I?

And Melissa is right—it’s in my past. As soon as Wilder and Hendrix graduate, it’ll be in all of our pasts. Mom…hell, we don’t even know where she is…she made her choice years ago. She probably won’t even notice that they’ve left. It’s a sad but true fact. One that all three of us will have to learn to live with. I just hope that it’s made us all stronger.

With two mugs of coffee in hand, I make my way to Kian’s office.

Melissa is on the phone as I pass, but she gives me a soft smile and I happily return it, hoping she can read the gratitude in my eyes.

I knock once before letting myself in, and then kick the door behind me.

“Eight minutes. Not bad,” Kian teases.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” I mutter, lowering our mugs to his desk and taking a seat. “So, what have we got this week then, Boss?”

He watches me closely before reaching for his office drawer.

“You forgot your notebook,” he points out before passing something to me.

My eyes drop from his and I swear, they almost bug out of my head.

“List of coworkers who don’t think you’re sleeping with the boss.”

“Kian,” I gasp as I take it from him.

“Open it and see the list,” he encourages.

Without thinking, I follow orders and find nothing but empty pages staring back at me.

A laugh rumbles in Kian’s throat and when I look up, I can’t help but join in.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Maybe, but at least I’m a funny one. I got you a pen, too.”

“Oh Christ,” I mumble as he passes it over.

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