All in or walk Away

Chapter 7: All In or Walk Away

Emma hadn’t slept.

The HR meeting replayed over and over in her mind like a broken record. The sharp words. The cold distance. The idea that everything she’d worked for—and everything she was starting to feel—might unravel with one boardroom rumor.

She tried to keep herself busy the next day, but her desk felt like a spotlight. Every glance from a passing employee felt heavy with speculation. They all knew—or at least they thought they did.

Alex had barely said a word all morning. He canceled his meetings, closed his office door, and kept the blinds drawn. For someone who ruled the building like a king, he suddenly looked like he was hiding.

By five o’clock, Emma couldn’t take the silence any longer.

She was halfway through packing her bag when his door opened.

“Come in,” he said quietly.

She walked inside and closed the door behind her, her heart thudding in her chest.

“I’m pulling you off my schedule,” Alex said, standing by the window, his back to her. “Effective immediately.”

She stiffened. “What?”

“It’s a temporary move. HR says it’s the best way to show compliance while they sort everything out.”

Emma stepped closer. “And what do you say?”

He turned then, and the mask was gone. He looked tired—more tired than she’d ever seen him. “I say… I hate it.”

“Then why are we letting them decide for us?”

He walked over, slowly. “Because if we don’t, they’ll destroy both of us. You’ll be labeled as the assistant who slept her way up, and I’ll be the CEO who took advantage of someone beneath him.”

Her throat tightened. “Do you really think that’s what this is?”

“No,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean it won’t look like it.”

There was a long silence.

Then Emma reached into her purse and pulled out a plain envelope.

“I drafted this last night,” she said, placing it on his desk. “My resignation.”

Alex stared at it like it might explode. “You’re quitting?”

“I thought I should,” she whispered. “To protect you.”

His eyes darkened. “Emma…”

“I couldn’t sleep knowing I might be the reason you lose your position. Your reputation. Everything you’ve built.”

He moved around the desk fast—faster than she expected—and took the envelope from her hands.

Then he tore it clean in half.

“I don’t give a damn about my reputation,” he said. “Not if it means losing you.”

She blinked, breathless. “Alex…”

He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve built empires. Closed billion-dollar deals. But nothing has ever scared me as much as falling for you.”

Emma froze. “You’re… falling for me?”

He nodded. “Already have.”

Her heart thundered in her chest. For a moment, everything—the job, the office, the risk—faded into the background. All she could see was him. All she could feel was the truth between them.

“I’m not resigning,” she whispered. “Not unless you tell me to.”

“I’ll never tell you to walk away from me.”

And then his lips were on hers.

The kiss was desperate, hungry, full of everything they hadn’t said and everything they were still afraid to feel. It wasn’t gentle—it was honest. Fierce. Like the truth finally breaking free after being buried under too much control.

When they pulled apart, both breathless, Alex rested his forehead against hers.

“We’re in this now,” he murmured. “No more hiding.”

Emma nodded. “All in.”

Just then, his phone buzzed.

It was a text.

From an unknown number.

“I know your secret. Hope she’s worth the fallout.”

Alex’s face went still. Emma looked up at him, confused.

“What is it?” she asked.

He didn’t answer.

But the chill that crept into the room said enough.

They weren’t just risking the whispers anymore.