Chapter 5 - What are We?

Nicole's POV

The drive back to the hospital after our nap, cuddled in each other’s embrace was painfully awkward. And it was my fault.

The sweetness of the night, everything that had happened earlier that morning, all felt like a dream. The only thing giving me a reality check was the ache in my body, my inability to walk properly. That, and the fact that I could still feel him inside me.

Xavier was driving, stealing occasional glances at me, probably wondering why I had gone silent. I deflected every conversation he tried to start, pretending to be distracted by the passing city lights.

When we passed the hospital gate, he finally broke the quiet.

“Okay, you need to tell me what’s wrong before we go upstairs,” he said, his voice low but firm.

I sucked in a deep breath and turned to him. "I want us to act like this morning never happened."

He slammed the brakes so hard that we jerked forward, the car knocking into an already parked vehicle. The thud was sharp, but not nearly as sharp as the look in his eyes when he turned to me.

“What?!” he snapped, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“It would’ve been a one-time thing anyway,” I said, keeping my voice even. "We both got what we wanted, so let’s just treat it like adults."

His hands clenched the steering wheel, the skin of his knuckles turning white. “You don’t want more? That was just sex to you?”

“Exactly.” I nodded, even though I felt like my heart was cracking. I thought if I said it first, it would hurt less. But seeing his reaction made it sting anyway.

His lips thinned. “I understand,” he said finally, his voice low, almost disappointed.

The surprise in his eyes dulled into something unreadable.

Something inside me snapped. It shouldn’t have hurt how easily he agreed, but it did.

Deeply.

Trying to clear the awkward air, I said, “Okay, also... about helping you with your daughter, I have one request.”

He paused with his hand on the door. “Go on.”

“You’ll have to cut off all your girlfriends and mistresses. It’s just... to create a non-toxic environment for her to grow in. It’s nothing more.” I rushed to add the last part, nervous that he’d read into it.

He gave me a look, then leaned back. “Okay. But in that case, I have a condition too.”

“Please go on, Mr. Wolfe,” I said, though it felt odd to call him formally after moaning his name all night.

“First, you don’t have to call me that when we’re alone,” he muttered.

“Okay... Xavier. But you’re still my boss,” I reminded him.

“Suit yourself,” he sighed. “My condition is that you move in with me. And keep this arrangement a secret.”

I blinked. “I can keep my lips shut, but there’s no need to move in. I can come from home every day. Plus, I still have to resume work at the company.” I was rambling and panicking because deep down I knew that moving in would blur the lines dangerously.

“It’s for Loise’s safety,” he said. “I can’t have you getting mixed up in the public and putting her on the radar of my enemies.”

I swallowed my protest. It wasn’t just about Loise, was it? It was about control.

About keeping me close.

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll pay you three times your regular salary and take care of all your daily needs,” he added.

Three times? I was already one of the highest-paid secretaries in the country. My mind raced… his was more than enough to settle my mom’s medical bills within a year. My heart leapt, but I kept my face still.

He mistook my silence for hesitation and raised the offer. “Five times then. That’s the highest I can go.”

My eyes widened. “Yes, boss. I agree,” I said quickly before he added more zeros that would make me too uncomfortable.

“You’ll go with my personal driver to pick up your stuff. You can move into that room. Is it to your taste?” he asked.

Instead of answering, I was flooded with sweaty flashbacks of what we’d done within those four walls. I cleared my throat. “It’s fine. Thank you.”

We got out and headed into the hospital.

They moved Loise to a more private, heavily-guarded ward. When we met Dr. Eliot, Xavier finally did something I hadn’t expected—he apologized for manhandling him earlier.

“It’s okay, Mr. Wolfe. I understand your concern. You and your wife can go in as soon as you’re sanitized and wear clean scrubs. It’s just procedure,” the doctor said.

“Actually, she’s not my wife,” Xavier corrected.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You both looked good together so I assumed... but I was wrong,” the doctor muttered. Then he turned to me, “If I may ask, what’s your name, ma’am?”

“Miss Harrington,” I replied with a kind smile. “It’s okay. You didn’t know better.”

“And... if I may ask, what’s your relationship with Miss Wolfe?”

I felt Xavier shift beside me, waiting.

“I’m her newly hired babysitter. But up until now, we didn’t have a relationship.”

The doctor hummed, scratching his beard awkwardly. “That makes things

different.”

“What do you mean?” Xavier asked, his tone sharper.

“It’s just that your daughter is barely stable. We can’t risk triggering her emotionally, so it’s better to wait until she’s more stable.”

“I understand,” I said softly, stepping back.

“I’m really sorry,” the doctor apologized again, but Xavier just trudged on, disappearing into the ward after suiting up.

Before he went in, he glanced back. “I’ll tell her about you first.”

I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to comfort me, but I nodded with a small smile.

Watching his back fade down the corridor, I reminded myself why I needed to keep my distance.

It didn’t matter how well I did my job. In the end, I was still replaceable. No matter how willing I was to give my all, I’d never be more than that in his eyes:

A worker. An assistant. His daughter’s nanny.

It hurt to think about... but it was the truth staring me in the face.