Page 92 of Secret Seduction

Even though I was forced to step away and she had to hire a new intern, she was understanding, and I left on good terms.

“Vanessa, please tell me you’ll be back after the holidays. I’ve gone through five interns, and nobody is as efficient and knowledgeable as you.”

I bite back a laugh at the desperation in her tone, and my heart swells at the compliment.

“Actually,” I say, “I will be back. My … family emergency has been taken care of, and I’ll be moving back to Seattle after Christmas.”

“Oh, thank God! After dealing with these bumbling idiots, I’ve made an executive decision. I’m putting you on payroll. That way, you can work more hours, and you won’t have to work at that bar anymore.”

I wasn’t planning to work at the bar since I’d been making a good living from my online boutique, but I don’t tell her that because, hello, she’s going to pay me.

And then it hits me …

“I only have one stipulation.”

“Name it.”

“I need to ensure there’s no noncompete clause. I’ve opened a little boutique online to sell the clothes I make and⁠—”

“Oh, I’ve seen it, and your clothes are gorgeous. I wanted to speak to you about your plans for after you graduate. I won’t put in a noncompete clause, but I would like to schedule a business meeting with you to see about partnering. Your clothes are the ideal mix of edgy and classy, and I think they would be perfect for a collab. I’m heading to LA right after Christmas, and I was thinking you could go with me.”

Oh my God. Holy shit. It takes everything in me not to scream and cry. But I hold it together, not wanting to sound silly. Her LA office is where all the deals are made.

Once I somewhat have control of my emotions, I say, “I would love that.”

“Perfect. Have a good Christmas, and I’ll see you soon.”

We hang up, and I stare at my phone for several minutes, half convinced I just dreamed that entire conversation.

When Leo wakes up, I get his diaper changed and put a fresh outfit on him, torn about leaving him. On one hand, I’m looking forward to a weekend with Lorenzo, but on the other hand, I only have a couple of weeks left with my little monkey.

Dani shows up a little after four o’clock and is dressed in business attire.

“Are you back at work?” I ask since Lorenzo didn’t mention anything.

“Part-time.” She lifts Leo up and gives him kisses on his cheek. “I know I’ll end up taking more time off once this little one comes”—her hand slides down to her lower belly—“but with Alba being older now, I wanted to go back to work. I’m going in three days a week for a few hours to see how it goes. But”—she sighs—“I was only away from her for four hours today, and I missed her like crazy.”

“Why don’t you work from home? Lorenzo does it all the time.”

“That’s because he knows the company backward and forward. He could probably run it from a remote island and still do what he needs to do. But between my ex coming after me and forcing me to stay hidden for months, then me getting pregnant, having Alba, and going on maternity leave, I’ve barely gotten my feet wet. I walked through the break room to get a coffee, and someone asked me if I was lost.” She winces. “I had to tell her I was the VP.”

I bark out a laugh, then cover my mouth. “Sorry, I can just imagine her embarrassment.”

“It leveled mine.”

“You’ll get there, and you have months until this baby is due.”

“Yeah … it’s just … can I tell you something and you not tell my brother?”

“Of course,” I exclaim. “I would never repeat anything you tell me.”

She nods and has a seat with Leo in her lap. Spotting his toys, he climbs off her lap and drops onto the floor to play.

“For as far back as I can remember, all I’ve wanted was to work at Russo,” she says. “I watched my dad and brother bond over the business while I was off at boarding school and then college, and my only goal was to graduate so I could move home and work with them. But then I fell in love with Matteo and became a mom and wife, and my priorities shifted.”

Tears prick her eyes, and I move closer to comfort her.

“Sorry,” she chokes out. “Between the pregnancy and leaving Alba, my emotions are all over the place.” She sniffles back a sob. “Our dad left me forty-nine percent of the company because I’d told him I wanted to work for Russo, and I did …”