Page 56 of Kisses and Paperclips

I matched her tone. “Nah. Just passing along what I learned the hard way.”

I paused, let that sink in.

“My father moved the goalposts every time I got close. Wanted me to be him. Wanted me to stay in the shadow. No matter how many deals I closed, how much money I brought in—none of it mattered.”

Her expression shifted. Softer, but still guarded.

“She always said I was too stubborn,” she said, leaning back. “Too headstrong.”

“She might’ve been right,” I said with a shrug, teased the line just enough to keep her on edge.

Her brow arched. “Oh, you bold today.”

“Stubbornness is good in business,” I said, nodding. “Until it isn’t. You’ve built something real here. That takes vision. Backbone. But being able to pivot when the numbers say pivot? That takes maturity.”

Her jaw ticked, just slightly. “I’m not some wide-eyed intern. I’ve been in these trenches since day one. Turned her little boutique dream into a multimillion-dollar brand. I don’t just work here, Julien. I am this company.”

I nodded. “Then you’d know its secrets too.”

The shift was subtle, but I saw it… the flicker of something tightening behind her eyes. Not fear. Not guilt. But awareness.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, cool again. Controlled.

I raised both hands. “Easy. Just wondering how much you actually know about what she’s been doing behind closed doors.”

Her stare didn’t waver, but the energy changed—shoulders straighter, voice quieter. “You’re good at that,” she muttered.

“At what?”

“Asking innocent questions,” she said, mouth twisting slightly. “Until they’re not.”

I smiled slow. “And here I thought you liked a challenge.”

She didn’t respond, she just stared at me, the silence growing thick between us.

Before she could respond, there was a sharp knock at the door.

It opened a second later, and in walked my mother, all pearls and presence like she hadn’t just timed this interruption with a sniper precision.

“There you two are,” she said, breezing in like she owned the air we were breathed. “Julien, I thought I’d give you a proper tour of the office. Make sure you get the full experience of what we’ve built here.”

Serena’s jaw clenched. She didn’t speak right away, just smoothed her blouse and stepped back behind her desk, cool as ever. Controlled. But her eyes had that glint… that you’ve overstayed your welcome gleam that didn’t need a full sentence to land.

Julien turned back to her. “Serena was actually—”

“I’m sure your mother would love to show you around,” she said, with a smile so sweet it could cut glass. “Quality time.”

Message received.

I didn’t argue. Just offered her a look. One that said this isn’t over.

She didn’t flinch. Just sat down, eyes already on her screen like I was dismissed.

But that only made me more certain—I’d be back.

So much for putting a lid on whatever this was between me and Serena. At best, I’d managed to move us to a low simmer. And the worst part? I wasn’t even mad about it.

My mother fell in step beside me as I left Serena’s office. I slowed just enough to let her lead, even though my height usually put me a step ahead of damn near everyone. It was a silent power move, but she didn’t seem to notice—or maybe she did and just didn’t care.

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