Page 47 of His to Possess
"I'm fine. I don't need your permission to go to work."
"Actually, you do. Or have you forgotten our agreement?"
"Our agreement doesn't include you locking me in like a prisoner."
His eyes narrowed, head tilted to the side. "I'm not locking you in. I think you need to rest and recover properly."
"By holding me hostage?" I laughed bitterly. "That's rich, even for you."
"You collapsed yesterday, Laurel. Do you think I'm going to let you push yourself again today?" A hint of frustration crept into his voice. He crossed his arms over his chest, and I observed him closely, trying to read him. What was it with his sudden concern about my well-being? That wasn't a part of the contract. Or did he think my actions would somehow damage the goods he had signed up for? That alone made more anger rise inside me, but I tried to keep my composure. After all, the headache still didn't allow me to think clearly.
I clenched my fists, trying to maintain control. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions about my health."
"Clearly, you can't. Otherwise, you wouldn't have let yourself get to this point."
"You don't know anything about me or my situation."
He took a step closer. "Then enlighten me, Laurel. What exactly is your situation?"
I swallowed hard, realizing I had backed myself into a corner. "That's none of your business."
"Everything about you is my business," he said, his voice dangerously low. "That was part of our deal. And you lying to me or avoiding telling me things is not helping your case. I will find out everything. You're better off telling me yourself."
I froze, my heart racing as my mind immediately jumped to Alain. How did Rex know about him? But then he asked, "When were you going to tell me about working with August Mendelson on that special project?"
I almost sighed in relief at the mention of August, but it was short-lived. His question made me defensive. "You never discuss your work with me, so I didn't think I needed to discuss mine."
"If you're no longer at the Art Institute, I should have known."
I blinked, not understanding. "What are you talking about? I am still working at the Art Institute."
"Then explain this project with August," he demanded, his voice cold.
I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "My boss reassigned me to August's restoration project. I didn't have a choice in the matter. I'm still employed by and paid by the Institute until the project is done."
This didn't seem to calm Rex. His jaw clenched, and I could see the tension in his shoulders.
I frowned, feeling my own anger rising. "I don't understand why this is such a big deal. It's just work."
"Just work?" Rex scoffed. "With August Mendelson? Do you have any idea who he is?"
"He's a patron of the Art Institute," I said, my voice growing exasperated. "What more do I need to know? It's what we do, Rex. We work with people."
He stepped closer, his presence looming. "He's my rival. In business and art. And now he's got his claws in you just to get to me."
I felt my face flush with indignation. "Got his claws in me? I'm not some prize to be fought over. This is my career we're talking about."
"A career that I've been helping you rebuild," he reminded me, his voice sharp.
"And I'm grateful for that. But that doesn't mean you own me or my decisions."
His eyes flashed dangerously. "Our agreement says otherwise."
I felt a chill run down my spine at his words. "Our agreement was about my work here, with your collection. It doesn't extend to every aspect of my professional life."
"It extends to whatever I say it does."
I stood my ground, meeting his gaze. "That's not how this works. You can't just change the rules whenever you want."
