Page 74 of Heart of The Night

My stomach dropped, the world seeming to slow. ‘The latter.’

He nodded, his eyes darting around the room as he considered his next words. ‘I was on the phone with Dad before you arrived, discussing the Fusion situation.’

I raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to continue.

‘He brought up our dinner there the other day and asked what it was about.’

My breath hitched, my body tensing. ‘What did you tell him?’

‘I didn’t get the chance to say much. I was caught off guard, and he read my hesitation.’

I leaned back, horror creeping into my expression. ‘So he knows?’

William grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘He asked me point-blank if it was a date.’

‘And you confirmed it?’

‘No. But I didn’t deny it, either. I just went quiet. I was panicking, Cara.’ He watched me, his eyes full of contrition.

I propped my elbows on the table and buried my face in my hands, trying to get my mind around it. What would happen now?

‘He said he hoped it was a date,’ William continued.

I stiffened, my eyes ballooning as I slowly raised my gaze to his. ‘What?’ I asked, disbelief clear in my voice.

William gave a small smile, part apologetic, part optimistic. ‘Yeah. He said if you’ve made it clear that you’re interested in me, he’d encourage me to pursue you. He thinks we’re well-suited.’

I gaped, utterly shocked. ‘Are you serious?’

He chuckled softly. ‘Yes. And if that wasn’t enough, he even suggested I take you to the charity event in a couple of weeks – as my date. He laughed when I said I’d already asked you.’

I stared at him, struggling to process. ‘So he’s actually okay with this? I mean, doesn’t he care about us being colleagues?’

William shrugged. ‘His main concern was whether I had acted inappropriately as your boss. He worried I might have pressured you without realising it. But I told him I haven’t, that I’ve always let you take the lead. Well, at least since you started work.’

I let out a loud breath, my body finally relaxing as a wave of relief washed over me. ‘Good. That’s the truth.’

His smile widened. ‘And as for us being colleagues, he doesn’t mind because I won’t be your boss for much longer – which brings me to the good news.’

I reached for my glass of wine, tilting my head. ‘I’m not sure which news could be better right now. John giving us the green light is already more than I could have hoped for.’

William leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. ‘Trust me, it gets better. We started discussing your performance at work. He wants to hire you after you’ve completed your vacation scheme.’

My heart missed a beat. I couldn’t comprehend what he had said. The words echoed in my mind, yet I just couldn’t seem to understand them. ‘Come again?’

‘You heard me. So I’m going to have a chat with HR on Monday to see where we can fit you in permanently.’

‘Is this for real?’ My whole body started trembling. I could barely contain my excitement. All those years of hard work, the sacrifices, the sleepless nights… It was all finally coming together?

‘Absolutely. You’ve been outstanding,’ William said, his voice firm. ‘But we need to make sure everything’s in order – your references, final assessments, and all the necessary paperwork.’

‘Oh my God, William! This is amazing!’ I brought my hands to my face, feeling tears of pure joy brimming in my eyes.

He chuckled. ‘Well, don’t celebrate just yet. It’s not a done deal, but things are looking very positive. We’ll need to discuss your training contract, including the different seats you’ll take, and how we can best integrate you into the firm.’

‘What should I do in the meantime?’ I asked, my mind racing with possibilities.

‘Carry on as normal – impressing everyone. I’ll handle the rest. Just be ready for a more formal interview process after your scheme ends.’

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