Page 78 of Bossy Trouble

My body didn’t note the tense mood when I walked into the office, too excited to announce my success.

“I did it!” I told Donovan, practically skipping up and down. I slapped the signed documents on Donovan’s desk. “I got her back. It was pretty easy, actually. Turns out the only reason she was leaving in the first place was that she thought I wasn’t in charge anymore. She said, and I quote, ‘I was only leaving because I thought someone else had taken over the company, and I truly didn’t know if I could count on them to deliver the same quality and customer service that you did.’ Isn’t that awesome? Guess me being a doormat wasn’t so bad after all.”

I expected him to smirk or throw out some dry comment about how I was being too cocky for someone who managed to lose two million dollars.

What I didn’t expect him to do was look up at me withthatexpression on his face.

It sent a cold feeling shooting through me.

His expression wasn’t anger, not really. It wasn’t sadness, rage or jealousy, or any of the other million emotionseither.

There was nothing there. As if all the other emotions had been sucked out by some void.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, quirking a brow.

“Avery is my daughter.”

The words landed like a landmine blast. My heart immediately stuttered in my chest, then dropped off all the way. My throat tightened at the same time, and my hands became clammy.

This couldn’t be happening.

Although, in hindsight, I cursed myself for not predicting this earlier. Of course, Alexander would tell him. After he exposed the plan to Donovan, he would have no use for me anymore and, therefore, no incentive to keep the secret. And now he’d told Donovan.

But if he did, then why had Donovan been so calm this morning? So nice to me?

Was it all a trick?

Did he want to lull me into a false sense of security and enact his ultimate revenge? Was that why he let me go to retrieve Christine? So I would be distracted, and he could nab his true target?

Avery. God, had he taken her?

“Where is she?” The words tore out of me in a panicked voice.

“Where is who?’

“Avery! What have you done with her?”

There was confusion on his face and then a flash of hurt. His lips tightened, and he got up from his desk, pacing a little bit before he spoke.

“You think I would do anything to hurt my daughter?” There was anger in his voice, such incredulous indignation that I instantly knew I was wrong. Again.

The inherent suspicion had kicked in, along with the need to protect my daughter, and it led to me lashing out at him.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t…I just….” I released a breath. “I know you’re mad, and you have every right to be. Just let me explain.”

“You don’t have to. Garrett already explained everything.”

I blinked up at him. “Wait, Garrett?”

“Yes. He told me that you didn’t tell me all those years ago because you were scared of me.” Donovan spat the words out as if they disgusted him. “That you thought if you said anything, I would be furious and even take Avery away. Really? You thought I was capable of something like that?”

“Well, can you blame me?” I said defensively. “You said you never wanted kids and would make anyone who tried to trap you into having them pay.”

“That didn’t apply to you, Georgia.”

“How was I supposed to know?”

“Because you were supposed to know what you mean to me!” Even though he wasn’t yelling, the words still carried a tornado of intensity. “What you’ve always meant to me. Damn it, Georgia.”

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