"I'm Maxine Mason's father. Surely I got every right to discipline her?" Mr. Mason's words had barely finished hanging in the air when a sharp crack split the rooftop silence. A guttural, agonizing scream boomed out, echoing off the concrete. He clutched the hand Braxton Payne had just shattered, his face draining of every last bit of color.

"If you ever dare harass one of my employees at my company again, I'll make sure you disappear from this town for good," Braxton warned. Even seething with rage, Mr. Mason didn't dare push him further. He shot Maxine one last furious glare before slinking off, broken and defeated.

A sharp cramp twisted through Maxine's abdomen. She clutched her stomach, stumbling back a few wobbly steps. Her face went pale, cold sweat beading at her hairline. Braxton's eyes locked on her ashen skin, a flicker of worry cutting through his usual stoic mask. "I'll handle your father," he said flatly.

"No need to trouble you, Mr. Payne. I can handle my own family mess. This won't happen again," she answered. Her tone was detached, almost icy.

Braxton's jaw tightened, his eyes blazing with suppressed anger. "Maxine, are you done with this nonsense?"

"I'm not making drama, Mr. Payne. I'm here to resign," she said quietly.

His eyes darkened instantly. "Resign? Just to run away from me?"

"Yes," she admitted, staring off at anything but him.

"Isn't staying with me enough? Haven't I given you everything you ever wanted?" Braxton's generosity had never been up for debate—cars, a penthouse, more money than she could ever spend.

But none of that was what she actually wanted. "I want to get married. I want kids. Can you give me that?" Maxine held his gaze, clinging to a tiny, stupid flicker of hope.

If he just said yes, she'd stay without a second thought. Even if he was lying.

But Braxton just furrowed his brow. His gaze went complicated, unreadable, and he never answered her question.

"If you're dead set on leaving, go process your resignation." He turned and walked away, his stiff back giving away no hint of softness, no regret at all.

Maxine tilted her chin up, fighting to hold back the tears burning at the backs of her eyes. Still, they spilled over anyway, rolling hot and fast down her cheeks.

Once she pulled herself together, she headed back to the office. Before she could even turn the doorknob, she heard her coworkers gossiping inside.

"Did you hear Maxine's dad was saying she's Mr. Payne's mistress? Is that actually true?"

"Who wouldn't jump at that chance? Our CEO's hot as hell and loaded. But he's ice cold—why would he even look twice at Maxine?"

"Right? I heard her dad's a total gambling addict. There's no way Mr. Payne's into her. She probably started the rumor herself to climb the ladder. And didn't Mr. Payne just fire her anyway?"

When she pushed the door open, the room went dead silent. Everyone scattered under her gaze, hurrying back to their desks. Maxine packed her things quietly, every pair of eyes burning into her back as she got ready to leave.

To get away from all the reminders of her old mess, she'd arranged to crash at her friend Sue's place for a few days.

She was sitting in the back of a taxi when her phone rang. It was her mom. She answered fast. "Mom?" All that came through was static and chaotic yelling. Her stomach dropped. "Mom?"

Then her dad's sneering voice cut in. "Guess where I got your mom, Maxine?"

Her heart plummeted straight to her feet. "Where is she?"

"If you don't bring me the cash, I'm gonna sell her to that dive club down by the docks to entertain the drunks. She's old, but she can still pull in a few bucks," he laughed cruelly.

Maxine trembled with white-hot rage. "If you hurt her, I swear to God I'll make you pay!"

Her dad just cackled, not a hint of fear in his voice. "Bring the money if you don't want her to get hurt. You know where to find me."

Maxine clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms, barely holding back from screaming. "How much?"

"A million!" he demanded, no shame, no remorse.

"Where the hell am I supposed to get a million dollars?!" she cried out.

"Braxton's gotten plenty of use out of you, don't try to tell me you can't scrape it together. Figure it out. Be at the club by eight with the cash, or else…" The line went dead.

The flat dial tone buzzed in her ear as fresh tears welled in her eyes. She wracked her brain, desperate for any way to get that kind of money. Her own savings barely covered ten percent of it.

"We're here, miss," the taxi driver's voice pulled her out of her panic.

Maxine glanced out at the familiar neighborhood, Sue's worried text glowing on her screen. Her mind raced a mile a minute, and she made her choice. "Can you take me back to Payne Enterprises instead?"

Fifteen minutes later, Maxine stood outside the towering glass office building, her chest tight with a dozen conflicting emotions. Her phone buzzed. It was Braxton.

"Why are you standing at the front door?"

Could he see her? Maxine squinted into the glaring midday sun, scanning the windows for any sign of him, but found nothing. "I'll be up in a minute," she replied.

She endured the curious stares of other employees as she stepped into the private elevator for the top floor. When the doors opened, her footsteps echoed loud across the vast, empty floor. She walked straight to the CEO's office door, and met Braxton's intense gaze—he was leaning back against his desk, hands folded in front of him.

"Changed your mind?" His question was laced with teasing, utterly confident that he still held sway over her.

Maxine froze. She knew if she said the words, she'd be pulled right back into that familiar, suffocating abyss she'd been trying to escape. She took a deep breath, then faltered. "No. I… I forgot something. It's not even important. Sorry for bothering you, Mr. Payne. I'll go now."

Her mind was spinning with other options—she could call the cops about her mom, she could go confront her dad alone.

Surprise flickered across Braxton's face for half a second before he called out, "What about your father? You really just gonna pretend this doesn't exist and walk away?"

Maxine hesitated, her hard-won resolve starting to crack. Braxton saw his opening and pressed on, sure his argument would win her over. "You know he's just gonna keep coming back. The cops can't fix this for good. Stay with me. You'll have all the money you need, you'll have protection. I can take care of your father once and for all."

To Maxine, his words felt like a trap, one designed to keep her chained to him. But she also knew he was right about her dad's endless threats.

After a minute of tearing herself apart inside, she made her choice. "Mr. Payne… can we renew my contract for another year?"

One year to save up enough to get her mom away from him, to break free of her father's grip for good. And maybe… just maybe, to figure out what she actually felt for Braxton before she left forever.

Braxton's face softened, satisfaction settling over his features. He pressed the intercom button, and told his assistant, "Extend Maxine's contract by one year. Give her a fifty percent raise."

Maxine's eyes widened in shock.

"And I'll add an extra fifty grand for each… private meeting. That's enough incentive, right?" he added, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Maxine Mason paused, turning Braxton Payne’s repeated use of "every time" over in her head. It clicked. He was offering her a raise. Braxton waited for her answer, one eye squinted slightly. "Still not happy?"

"No," Maxine blurted before she thought twice. Then, after a beat of hesitation, she asked, "Mr. Payne, do you honestly think I’ve been pushing this hard just for more money?" She’d hoped he’d see the fire in her, but all it boiled down to for him was a cash grab.

Braxton tilted his head and said nothing. His silence said everything. At least the money’s here, Maxine told herself.

Ten minutes later, Maxine finished her assignments and headed back to her desk. She sorted her papers, then dropped her bombshell of a request: "My father, Jake Mason, is threatening to sell my mom to pay off his gambling debts. I need a million dollars by eight tonight."

Braxton, who’d been flipping through a contract, froze mid-page. He smirked. "Your old man’s got some real nerve, huh? Last time it was a hundred grand. Now it’s a million?"

Maxine’s shame and guilt coiled tight in her chest despite his jab, her eyes glued to the surface of his desk. Braxton didn’t even bat an eye. He scribbled the amount out on a check and slid it across to her. "Count it as an advance on your year-end bonus."

Maxine stared at the check but didn’t reach for it. Her voice came out soft, steady. "I need you to warn Jake Mason. He’s gone too far this time, using my mom against me."

She held Braxton’s stare, unflinching. "I know I can’t cut him loose for good right now, but I want him to feel pain. A little of it."

Braxton’s surprise melted into approval. He nodded. "And what do I get out of this?"

He already knew her only leverage was herself. Maxine turned, locked the office door, and walked right back to him. She slipped her clothes off one by one until she was standing naked in front of him.

"I picked up some new tricks lately, Mr. Payne. You interested?"

Braxton spread his legs, his eyes blazing with hunger. "I’m all yours."

Three hours later, a worn-out Maxine pulled her clothes back on and checked the clock, a gentle reminder. "It’s time to get moving, Mr. Payne."

No one ever questioned Braxton’s connections. One nod from him was all it took to get the wheels turning. As eight o’clock ticked closer, he slowly packed up his things, slipped on his coat, and called to her: "Let’s go."

Maxine’s anxiety climbed with every tick of the clock, but when he stood to leave, she hesitated. "I can go alone."

"I’ll drive," he said—no room to argue.

To her shock, Braxton got behind the wheel himself. Maxine sat rigid in the passenger seat, unused to this sudden softness from him. Was this just the afterglow of what they’d done that afternoon?

She was still lost in thought when they pulled up to the casino. The whole place blazed with neon, the roar of the crowd growing louder the closer they got. The security guard moved to frisk them, but Braxton’s voice dropped low, cutting him off. "You really need to check my people?"

"Mr. Payne! Welcome, sir," the guard’s whole demeanor flipped instantly, and he ushered them inside with a bow.

Maxine’s eyebrows shot up—how was he so at home here? A regular? He rarely came around, but everyone knew him. Sensing her curiosity, Braxton leaned in as they wove through the crowd, his breath warm against her ear. "I’m a shareholder here."

This wasn’t Jake Mason’s first time gambling here, which meant Braxton had known who he was all along. He’d never said a word. A cold chill crept up Maxine’s spine. For the first time, she understood just how little she mattered to him.

"Well, look who it is! Brought Mr. Payne to pay my tab, didn’t you? My girl knows how to make an entrance," Jake Mason slurred, half-drunk at the bar, yelling loud enough for the whole room to hear. "See this? My daughter, Mr. Payne’s mistress. You all better remember that."

The onlookers swapped glances, their interest perked right up.

"Ow—"

A sharp scream cut through the noise. Jake clutched his rapidly swelling cheek, already reaching to hit back, but a wall of Braxton’s guys blocked him. Three massive enforcers moved in fast, their moves so sharp the crowd scattered to get out of their way.

Jake ducked and roared, "You little brat, make them stop! Don’t you wanna know where your mom is?"

Maxine’s brow furrowed so deep it ached. Years of hurt and rage boiled up, clouding her judgement. She forced herself to breathe through it, and over the sick crunch of fists hitting flesh, she ordered, "Stop."

The men looked to Braxton. He nodded, letting them know Maxine was in charge now.

Jake’s face lit up with triumph, thinking his little threat worked. "I knew you cared about your mom—"

*Smack—*

A stinging slap cut him off. Maxine had hit him with every ounce of strength she had, and her right hand shook uncontrollably. She glared right through him. "Where is my mom?"

"You little brat, how dare you hit me! You’ll never see her again!" Jake sneered.

*Smack—*

The second slap landed just as hard. Jake clutched his face, stunned. His quiet, doormat daughter was standing up to him. His voice shook. "You… you…"

"Where is she?" Maxine snapped, rage pushing her right to the edge.

Jake still tried to play hardball. Maxine grabbed a wine glass off the nearest table, smashed it against the edge, and pressed the jagged broken rim right to his throat. She spoke slow, clear, cold. "Where. Is. My. Mom?"

"You don’t got the guts to kill me. All these people saw you—even if you try, you’ll never get away with this!" Jake barked, emboldened by the split second she hesitated.

"Mr. Payne?" The casino guards edged closer, asking for his call.

Braxton watched, thoroughly entertained. He’d never seen this side of Maxine before. If he’d known it’d be this fun, he’d have pushed Jake over the edge a long time ago.

Maxine’s eyes turned red. She tightened her grip, pressing the glass shard deeper until blood trickled down Jake’s neck. She pushed harder, snarling, "Are you gonna talk now?"

Jake finally realized he wasn’t bluffing. He spun to beg Braxton. "She’s your secretary! If she kills me, Payne Corp gets dragged into a huge lawsuit. You’re just gonna stand there and let her?"

Braxton had been ready for that exact line. He smiled calm as you please. "The cameras are off."

The color drained from Jake’s face. Maxine’s resolve hardened. She pushed the glass down another half-inch, and blood flowed faster.

"I’ll talk! I’ll talk! She’s in Room F on the second floor!" Jake caved, desperate, scared out of his mind.

Maxine’s grip went limp. She stumbled back, her hands falling loose to her sides. A strong pair of arms caught her before she hit the floor. She glared at Jake, her voice low and deadly. "If you ever touch my mom again, this glass goes straight through your throat."

With that, she hurried up the stairs, found her mother, and asked Braxton to help get her home safe. Once everything was sorted, she climbed back into his car.

Braxton had waited patiently this whole time. He faked innocence. "Aren’t you going home with your mom?"

Maxine clicked her seatbelt into place, her voice calm. "You did me a huge favor, Mr. Payne. It’s only right I pay you back properly."

If he hadn’t been there, there was no way Jake would have caved and told her where her mom was so fast.

Braxton Payne had always valued Maxine Mason’s quick, sharp situational judgment, and the two were driving back to his estate together.

After a night of mind-blowing passion, Maxine had passed out cold from Braxton’s relentless energy. It was only 4 a.m. when a sharp, sudden cramp in her abdomen jolted her awake, gasping. Clutching her stomach, she sat up, stepping off the bed slow and careful. A quick shower later, she pulled on her clothes, glanced back at the rumpled sheets and the man sleeping dead to the world, grabbed her bag, and slipped out as quiet as a mouse.

The clinic was way more packed than she’d expected for that hour of the morning. Sophie rushed over to her, concern carved deep into her face, and shoved a test result into her hands. "What the hell were you thinking? You’re pregnant, and you’re still being this reckless? Braxton doesn’t know yet, but you can’t keep putting your own health at risk like this!"

Maxine’s eyes scanned the report, and she breathed a sigh of relief—turns out the pain was just from mild uterine pressure, nothing serious. Her gaze snagged on the doctor’s note: avoid strenuous physical activity for one month.

One month. Braxton could barely go a single day without it.

She handed the result back to Sophie, and flashed her worried friend a playful, reassuring grin. "I’ll be careful. Besides, you might as well start getting ready for your new title: Auntie."

Sophie’s heart ached for her best friend. She took the paper reluctantly, muttering, "He would’ve made me Auntie eventually anyway."

Maxine linked arms with her as they walked out of the clinic. A sharp, cold gust of wind hit them, making Maxine shiver and sniffle.

Sophie couldn’t stand seeing her freezing, and draped her own coat over Maxine’s shoulders. "With all the money Braxton has, you’d think he’d splurge on some decent warm clothes for you. Half the time you look like you’re barely wearing anything."

"There’s still a while before work starts. Why don’t you crash at my place for a nap?"

Maxine slid into Sophie’s car, listening to her friend’s worried fretting. "How are you planning to keep this hidden anyway? Braxton isn’t an idiot. If you keep dodging him, it’s only a matter of time before he figures out something’s up, and who knows what’ll happen to the baby then?"

She was right—it was a problem that couldn’t wait much longer. Maxine leaned her head against the car window, watching the night bleed into dawn outside the glass. "I’ll figure something out," she said lightly. She’d already dragged Sophie into enough of this mess; she didn’t want to burden her any more than she already had.

---

Back at work, Maxine carried on like nothing had changed. When she walked into his office, Braxton looked up from his desk, but didn’t ask a single question about her sudden disappearance that morning, like he didn’t care one way or another.

"Braxton, I’m gonna stay at Sophie’s place for the next month," she mentioned offhand, sorting through the day’s schedule on his desk.

Braxton, who’d been fully absorbed in his work, paused. His frown deepened, sharp with displeasure. "Are you fucking serious? I didn’t even nag you about bailing this morning, and already you’re making demands?"

He usually never questioned her choices, so Maxine froze for a second, caught off guard. She pulled a printed diagnosis out of her bag and slid it across the desk toward him. "Mild pneumonia. Highly contagious. Doctor ordered rest."

The subtext was crystal clear: no roughhousing.

"I can’t risk getting you sick, Braxton. It’s better if I stay somewhere else for a little while."

Her reasoning made total sense—Braxton couldn’t exactly force a sick person to stay with him. Even so, the way he flipped through his contract pages, sharp and loud with frustration, caught Maxine off guard. Before this, when she’d gotten sick, he’d only grumbled a little. Never this silent, simmering irritation.

While she was still turning that over in her head, her phone rang. The caller ID said *Mom*. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stepped out of the office without even excusing herself to Braxton.

"Mom?" she answered, slow and cautious, half expecting to hear the same angry, demanding voice she was used to.

Thankfully, it was her mom, sounding relieved and almost cheerful. "Don’t worry about me, baby. I found a job right near your office, it’s really nice working conditions."

Tears pricked Maxine’s eyes. "You should take more time off to rest, Mom. I still have enough money to cover you."

Her mom laughed softly. "Staying at a hotel’s so expensive, no need to waste all that cash. I’ll text you the address later."

"Okay. Take care of yourself, okay?"

After hanging up the short call, Maxine smiled a genuine smile for the first time in weeks. She walked back to the desk just as her mom’s text popped through with the address. It looked weirdly familiar.

Maxine pulled it up in a quick search. It was a small subsidiary under Payne Enterprises, with amazing benefits, and they specifically prioritized hiring older workers. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Braxton was the one who’d pulled the strings.

No wonder he’d been in such a foul mood this morning. Maxine glanced over at Braxton, who was still flipping through contracts, his face set in that unreadable stony mask.

She thought it over for a second, then walked over slow and graceful, leaned against the edge of his desk, and tilted his chin up gently with her finger. Braxton’s eyes locked on hers, and she pressed a soft, sweet kiss to his cheek. He blinked, caught completely off guard, then tugged her closer with one strong arm wrapped around her waist.

Maxine pressed a single finger to his lips, her smile turning coy. "No contact, remember?"

That only cranked up the tension, the anticipation thrumming between them. She let her hand drift slow down his chest, her smile growing more teasing, more tempting. "But I’ve got other ways to make it up to you."

Braxton’s office quickly filled with thick, heady tension. Maxine thought appeasing him like this would buy her enough time to figure things out without him doing anything drastic. But she quickly realized she’d severely underestimated how stubborn Braxton could be.

When he cornered her in the break room after work, Maxine pushed him away like before, her voice a mix of firm and fed up. "Braxton, did you already forget what I told you?"

He paused, then leaned in even closer, a flicker of annoyance glinting in his dark eyes. "I called the doctor. It’s not that serious."

He’d gone that far? Maxine’s eyes widened for a split second, but she dodged his embrace smoothly, a light smile still on her face. "Braxton, you should think about your health too, right?"

He caught her before she could slip away, gripping her waist tight to hold her pressed against him, his eyes narrowing. "Maxine. Are you hiding something from me?"

He wasn’t stupid. One or two little incidents could be written off as a bad mood, but this was clearly something else.

When she heard his suspicion, a jolt of panic shot through Maxine—but she pulled her composure back fast. "No, I just still feel like crap. You don’t want your best assistant overworking herself and collapsing, do you?"

Braxton stared at her in silence, scanning every inch of her face for any telltale give away. Unfortunately for him, Maxine had gotten really good at hiding what she really felt. She met his gaze with a calm, steady smile, totally unfazed.

Time dragged by as Maxine held her breath, waiting for him to push further. Suddenly, Braxton let go of her, stepped back, and straightened his suit jacket, his voice dropping to icy cold. "Make sure all the documents for tomorrow’s meeting are ready."