Unlocking my Boss’s Heart (Romance in Sweet Comedy #4)

19. Celia

Chapter nineteen

Celia

D espite the brightness of the lights and the hospital’s attempt to create a calming atmosphere, the ambiance remained heavy and depressing. Anton and his brothers stood on the other side of the room, speaking in low murmurs with the doctor. I watched from my seat, their voices a distant hum in the air.

It had been over six hours since Anton and I arrived at the hospital. I was relieved that they were finally getting some answers. Now that the rest of his family was here…should I leave? What must his brothers and mother think of me, one of Anton’s colleagues, being here with him? Did they see me as an intruder? Unable to decide, I stared at the gray tiles on the floor, my hands clasped together.

Despite their hushed tones, it was impossible not to overhear their conversation. During one of the physical therapy sessions, their father had suddenly felt a heaviness in his chest and struggled to breathe. He was rushed to the hospital.

I lifted my head from my sixty-seventh tile and caught Anton’s gaze. His eyes were vulnerable. With that one look, I knew I couldn’t leave yet no matter how many other people were around.

When the doctor left, Mrs. Waltons went with him to visit her husband, and Anton returned to sit beside me.

I took his hand and squeezed it gently. “How is your dad?”

He shrugged, running his free hand through his hair. “Per the doctor, this second procedure went as well as the first. It was a quick intervention to remove a blood clot. Apparently, it’s not uncommon to have a clot after an operation.”

“S0, it was successful.”

“ Yeah. He also said my father will need to take two types of medications for the rest of his life to try and prevent any more clots. His chances of recovery are good, but a second surgery so close to the first could weaken his heart.”

“That’s encouraging news, right?” I reached out to smooth the mussed waves his restless fingers had left in his hair.

Too late, I remembered that I’d been in the process to put our relationship back on a more professional footing when Anton received the call about his dad.

“Sorry,” I muttered, withdrawing my hand.

Johan cleared his throat. “Hey, Anton, can I talk to you privately for a second?”

“Yeah, sure.” Anton got up.

I watched the two men leave the room. Feeling antsy from sitting so long, I stood up and stretched. Then, I headed to the vending machine room for a snack. Anton’s mother came in, looking much better after seeing her husband.

She glanced at the open purse in my hands. “Getting a snack?”

“Yes. Would you like something?”

“A Diet Coke, please?” she asked.

“Of course,” I responded, a bit too enthusiastically.

I paid for the Coke and handed it to her.

“Thanks.”

“Sure.”

I felt uncomfortable in her presence. When we first met at her home, I couldn’t read her to find out what she thought of me. I hesitated, then turned to go back to the waiting room.

“I’m sure Anton appreciates you being here. I was a little surprised.” Her voice stopped me, and I faced her, eyes wide, waiting for her to say more. But she didn’t. She glanced at the drink, popped the can open, and took a sip. After a long pause, she finally added, “And I appreciate you being here for him, too.”

Her reaction was unexpected. I was relieved to learn that she didn’t resent my presence here. I didn’t know what to say, but she didn’t seem to expect a response from me.

“It’s not easy for him. Being the oldest, he feels it’s his responsibility to be here for us—his brothers and me. I’m glad he’s finally allowing someone else to support him for a change.”

“I’m glad—”

“I won’t pry into what’s between you two,” she cut me off before I could finish. “But I’ll say this: Anton hasn’t had an easy time of it lately.” Her voice softened. “I’ve noticed a change in him since he’s been with you. Don’t break my son’s heart.”

A smile had formed on my lips as she spoke, but it quickly vanished with her last warning—a reminder of my plans to end things with Anton.

“Uh, yeah, of course,” I replied awkwardly.

She smiled faintly and left.

I stood there, conflicted. How could I break up with him now, especially after his mother’s implicit warning?

Anton returned a few minutes later and wrapped his arms around me. Despite knowing it would be wiser to keep my distance, I welcomed his embrace. His arms felt so good and so right around me. I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of his cologne, wishing we could be alone like we’d been on our first date.

“Thank you, Celia,” he murmured against my neck. The five o’clock shadow on his chin tickled my skin, sending shivers of longing through me. After a long moment, he stepped back and placed his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes. “Have you eaten?”

“I was going to grab a snack from the vending machine.”

He brushed stray hair from my face. “I want you to go home and eat a real meal.”

“I’m fine.”

“You must be tired and need some rest. You’ve been here long enough.”

His tenderness made it hard to argue. He walked me down to the first floor, our fingers intertwined. At the curb, he let out a shaky breath, an unusual display of vulnerability from him, something I’d never thought I would see.

“Do you think he’ll be alright?” he asked.

Taken aback by the question, I reached out and covered his hand with mine. “I will pray he will be.”

He looked into the distance. “I don’t want to lose him, Celia. We may not have the closest relationship, but he’s my father, and I—” His voice faltered, and he shook his head. “I can’t keep you. Go get some rest.”

I flashed him an encouraging smile. “I’ll call you later.”

When I got into the cab, he closed the door and tapped the roof twice; then the car drove away.

The ride back home was filled with doubts about whether I should follow through on my resolve to end our budding relationship. Was I making a mistake by letting it drag on? Anton was the first person I felt such a strong connection with. My life has always been focused on becoming a lawyer and working my way up to a high-level position.

The truth was, I wanted him in my life as more than just my boss or colleague. But there were so many obstacles. What chance did a romantic relationship between us have of surviving?

Wouldn’t it be safer to keep my distance and protect my heart?

I got home and felt like I was suffocating. So, I decided to go for a walk. The noisy city would get me out of this state.

Before I’d walked far from my building, an elegant woman approached me. I furrowed my brows as she stopped in front of me. I’d never seen her before, so I started to go around her.

“Celia?”

I stopped to look at her, puzzled as my heart thumped in my chest.

“Celia Adams?” the woman asked again, sizing me up and down with a knowing glance.

“Yes…?” I answered slowly and was suddenly on my guard.

If this woman were a reporter sent to gather information about Anton’s father, I would have to choose my words carefully.

“I’m Reeva, Anton’s baby mother,” her voice was low and clipped.

Oh.

This wasn’t going to be a pleasant visit, but it wasn’t supposed to be. Why else would an ex-girlfriend visit the current girlfriend uninvited? And how did she know where I lived?

The surprise on my face must have shown because she continued, “You don’t know me, I understand. I saw Anton and you at the restaurant Le Parisien the weekend before last.”

“The restaurant....” My voice lacked the fight hers held.

I was suddenly tired of all of this—so tired.

“Has Anton told you?” She placed her hand on her abdomen as she said that.

I looked at it, and though I didn’t see any obvious bulge, I didn’t care.

Was she expecting me to be shocked? Instead, I sighed, stepping away from her. I was exhausted—mentally, physically, and emotionally—and too detached to endure whatever speech she’d prepared for me.

“You don’t have to say a thing. I know about the baby, and we broke up already.”

More like we were about to. But now that she showed up at my house, there was no way I was getting in the middle of all their drama.

Reeva’s eyes widened. She might have expected me to put up a fight or become upset, but my nonchalance caught her off guard, pulling the rug out from under her. She remained silenced by what I said, that was my cue.

I brushed past her and walked back to my apartment.

So much for going for a walk to escape my solitude and thoughts.

Why allow things to get even more complicated? I needed to complete the breakup conversation as soon as possible. That task though, wasn’t a small feat.

Once in my room, I sank onto my bed, feeling like a hollow shell.

The next day passed in a blur. I slept late, oblivious to my alarm ringing, and didn’t wake up until Maddison shook me. I got to work on time, but I was nerve-racked. The possibility of seeing Anton made things worse. I hadn’t called him as I promised, nor had I answered his text.

I carried on like nothing was wrong, drafting legal papers and completing administrative tasks. Yet my mind was a tangled mess of thoughts about how to complete the breakup conversation I’d started, after we felt so connected at the hospital. Just before lunch, an email from Anton arrived.

He was in the office and wanted to see me.

My brain buzzed with anticipation. My nerves became as frail and friable as dried feathers. With each heartbeat pounding in my chest, I struggled to stay composed as the elevator ascended. Olivia wasn’t at her desk, so I went directly to Anton’s door and knocked.

“Come in,” came his muffled voice.

I pushed the mahogany door open, pausing just inside. Anton sat at his desk, the backdrop of the impressive Manhattan skyline framing him. His suit jacket hung over the back of his chair, and he’d loosened his tie. My breath caught as I noticed the top button of his dress shirt undone. This was the most casual I had ever seen him at work.

He was not going to make this easy, was he?

He looked up.

“Olivia wasn’t at her desk,” I stammered.

“I gave her the day off,” he replied, his eyes briefly meeting mine.

I nodded and took a few steps forward, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and the stress lines etched across his face.

“How’s your dad?” There I went again, letting my emotions take over.

Reflecting on the ignored texts from Anton the previous night, I reassured myself that he wouldn’t be here if his father’s condition had worsened.

Anton leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands. “He’s improving, much better today.”

His tone was professional, almost detached. Right now, I feel like any other employee. That was what I’d wanted, but it stung and was disconcerting, to say the least.

He motioned for me to sit. “I won’t be here long today, but I wanted to let you know your probationary period is over.”

“Really?” I exclaimed. “I thought I still had about…two weeks.”

The probationary period was supposed to be three months, yet I was given freedom from it early. What a surprise!

“Yes. But you were already handling cases before you got hired.”

This was such unexpected news.

“What do I do now?” I looked at my hands, when I noticed he was watching every surprised emotion unfold on my face.

“You’re ready to take the lead on small cases,” he continued. “You’ve been filling an interning role with research and simple legal drafts, which help you understand how the firm runs. Since you joined my team, what you’ve done so far on the Aiko Osaka case tells me that you are ready to transition.”

This news couldn’t have come at a better time. Just when I wondered how I would manage to stay away from him, getting my own cases would keep me out of his office. Yet my heart dropped at that thought. I felt a pang of loss. Those times we’d spent in this office together…I would miss them. I already missed the connection we’d established.

My heart sank further as I recalled his mother’s words at the hospital: Don’t break his heart.

I collected myself from all my regrets. It was time I took a grip. I’d gotten involved too soon in a new city, in a new workplace, with my boss, who was not only off-limits but way out of my league in all aspects of life. I wished I’d heard his mother’s warning sooner.