Page 84 of How to Resist Prince Charming

“Yes, but...Wait!”

The secretary hopped to her feet, but she wasn’t even around her desk by the time Lenna shoved opened a door.

Braxton sat at his desk with a pen stuck in his mouth as he simultaneously typed on his computer and studied a sheet of paper in front of him. He glanced up when she entered, and the pen dropped unnoticed from his teeth.

“Len—”

“You bastard,” she hissed, fisting her hands.

Braxton popped to his feet. Glancing behind her, he boomed, “Tasha, shut the door.”

Lenna didn’t notice the secretary’s hasty retreat or the sound of the handle clicking behind her. She advanced toward Braxton as he leaped out from behind his desk.

He was so beautiful and distinguished-looking here in his office, a fresh wave of agony washed through her. This man had made her fall for him and then he’d deceived her. To top that off, he’d gone after her father.

Her father.

Letting the fury inside her take over, Lenna wound back her arm and jacked him in the face.

“How could you do this to him?” She screamed as pain exploded in her hand. “What is wrong with you?” She cradled her aching knuckles to her chest as Braxton shook his head, dazed, and dabbed at his nose, then checked his fingers for blood. “Don’t you have a soul? Your company is all he’s ever known.”

“Lenna, please don’t,” he mumbled, and shook his head again. “I don’t want to fight with you. What happened yesterday between Tom and me was business. It had nothing to do with you.”

She snorted. “And just how can you expect me to believe that the very day after I break up with you, my father, who’s been with your company for twenty-five years, did something to warrant being suspended?” Arching her brows, she folded her arms over her chest. “Isn’t that a little convenient for you?”

“Convenient?” He sputtered, then hissed out a breath and tipped his face back before he clutched his nose again. “Yeah, right.”

She’d definitely hurt him, and she refused to feel bad about it. “You’re a snake, do you know that? I thought you were better than this. I thought you would be able to keep our personal relationship away from your job. But, obviously—”

He grabbed her arm, cutting her off as he pulled her close. “Listen to me. This had nothing to do with you. I swear it.”

She yanked herself free and pushed herself back. “Then what did he do that was so wrong?”

He opened his mouth; no words came out.

She tapped her foot against the floor. “I’m listening?”

“I...I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s work,” he said, his eyes begging her to believe him. “It involves company-sensitive information.”

“No,” she countered. “It involves me. You hurt him because I wounded your stupid pride.”

“Damn it,” he roared. “It’s because I don’t want to be the asshole who clued you in to the fact that your darling father isn’t as perfect as you think he is.”

Lenna drew back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means he lied to me,” he exploded. “Just like he lied to you. I was forced to do what I did. God, I should’ve fired him. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to trust him as an employee again after this. He’s lucky to get off with a mere suspension. The man looked me straight in the eye and told me a bald-faced lie, Lenna. A lie that could affect everyone under my payroll.”

“Oh, here we go again.” She rolled her eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you, Thomas Davenport doesn’t lie. He’s too straightforward. You’re the one who’s lying.”

“And how many times do I have to tell you, I can’t lie worth shit?”

Lenna hugged herself tighter while Braxton growled out an impatient sound and turned away, running his fingers through his hair before he clutched his nose again. An impasse of silence passed for a good ten seconds.

Finally, he let out a long, tired sigh. “It doesn’t matter what I say to you. You’re not going to believe me. If you can honestly think I’d see another woman behind your back, then there’s no way you’ll—”

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