CHAPTER 7

Chapter 07:

Caroline POV

I walked into the gallery the next morning, determined to act normal. This time I wouldn't let Kane have a reason to suspect anything.

Last night’s conversation with Gina kept replaying in my head. 

Kane would find out eventually. 

I knew that. But I'd make sure he didn't find out now. Not yet. It was still too soon.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus. I had too much to deal with, especially since today was the exhibit setup. 

The gallery was full of people moving from one place to another. The final pieces were being arranged and the lightning crew were making last-minute arrangements.

I grabbed my clipboard and did a quick check.

Everything seemed to be going well until…

CRASH!!

Gasps echoed through the room and I felt like my heart had stopped.

“No…no, no, no. Please, not today.”

I turned around to see a sculpture, one of the most valuable pieces, lying on the floor in shattered fragments.

Ohh God…. Why today?

I panicked, rushing past the small crowd that had gathered around the mess.

One of the assistants, trembling, looked at me with watery eyes. “I…I was just trying to adjust it like you asked, and then…”

I closed my eyes briefly, placing my hand on my temple. This is bad. Really bad.

The sculpture wasn't just expensive. It belonged to one of Kane's high-profile investors. If word got out, it could ruin the entire event.

“We can fix this,” I said quickly, trying to calm down. 

Yeah… I knew I couldn't but….. 

“Lets just call the curator and….”

“Fix it?” A sharp voice cut in.

I turned to see Nathan Carter, one of the senior art consultants and he looked furious.

“You were in charge of this setup,” he yelled at me. “This happened on your watch.”

I clenched my jaw. “It was an accident.”

“An accident that would cost us millions!”

More people were gathering now. Some whispered, agreeing with Nate.

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me there.

Oh God. My stomach twisted, my hormones were acting up because of the tension. 

Nathan took a step closer, lowering his voice but made sure it was loud enough for everyone to hear. “I warned Kane about hiring you. You don't belong in this world, Parker. And now? You've just proven it.”

The words hit harder than I expected.

I felt like crying but kept it in. I opened my mouth to argue but then a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“That's enough!”

The room went silent. I turned to see it was Kane.

I couldn't read his expression but from his tone, I could tell he was mad.

Nathan immediately straightened. “Mr Brown, I was just…”

“You were just making a scene,” Kane interrupted smoothly, stepping forward. “Which is a waste of time, considering we have to fix this situation and not point fingers.” 

Nathan’s mouth opened, then closed. 

Kane shifted his gaze to me. “Caroline.”

“Yes..” I swallowed hard. 

He was probably going to fire me. That meant when it came out that I’m pregnant with his baby. He'd brand me as a gold digger. Then he'd ruin my life and reputation. Then I'd have to stay under a bridge and….

“You okay…” Kane asked, his voice low, snapping me back to reality.

The question caught me off guard. I stared at him for a second. 

Then I nodded. “Yeah”

His eyes searched mine as if he didn't quite believe me.

After a brief pause, he looked back at Nathan. “Get the restoration team back here. I'll deal with the investor personally.”

Nathan hesitated. “But….” 

“I don't remember asking for suggestions.” 

Nathan stiffened, then muttered. “Of course, Mr. Brown.” before walking away.

Then I realized I'd been holding my breath. I let it out waiting for Kane's response.

He turned back to me. “Walk with me.”

I hesitated but I followed as he led me away from the crowd. 

Once we were in a quieter corner, he turned to face me fully. 

I expected him to scold me but…

“You should've stood up for yourself,” he said simply.

“I did.” I replied sharply.

“No,” he said, his voice low. “You let him talk you down.”

What? Who did this guy think he was?

I frowned, crossing my arms. “You didn't have to step in.”

“I did.” His jaw tightened. “Nathan was out of line and you should have told him that.”

Something about his tone made my stomach flip. 

I looked away. “I didn't want to make it worse and as I said you didn't have to step in.”

Kane's gaze stayed on me for a moment. Then to my surprise, he sighs and starts rubbing the back of his neck.

“I don't like people messing with things that are mine.”

I scowled. “I'm not yours.”

His lips twitched but his eyes stayed on me “You work for me, Caroline. What I said means I take care of my own.” 

For some reason, the words sent a warm feeling through my chest.

I cleared my throat. “Thank you. For earlier.”

There was no use arguing, especially since he didn't fire me. 

Kane nodded. “Go home early today. Get some rest.”

I shook my head. “No.. I can't leave. There's still…” 

“That wasn't a request, Caroline.” His voice softened slightly. “I'll assign someone to handle things from here.”

I couldn't believe this guy. Did he really think I was some helpless bum?

I stared at him, crossing my arms. “No.”

His brows lifted slightly. “No?” 

“I'm not leaving just because something went wrong,” I said forcing my voice to stay steady. “This is my job, Kane. I don’t need to be rescued like some helpless princess.” 

Something changed in his expression.

Was it annoyance? No. Maybe amusement? I couldn't tell. 

He exhaled, rubbing his jaw. “Caroline, you just got blindsided and humiliated in front of half the staff. I'm not acting like a knight in shining armor. I'm telling you to take a break.”

“And I'm telling you I don't need one,” I shot back. “I really appreciate you stepping in earlier. But I can handle this.” 

He studied me in silence, keeping a straight face.

I swallowed. “I’m not going to run away everytime something didn't go my way.”

There was a long silence between us.

Then Kane let out a slow breath, like he'd given up.

“You're stubborn,” he muttered.

“Well, you hired me” I replied, lifting my chin up.

He let out a short laugh, shaking his head. “Fine. You can stay. But if you faint of exhaustion, don't expect me to feel guilty.”

I smirked. “Noted.”

Kane turned to leave but paused and glanced over his shoulder. “Next time don't let people like Carter talk down to you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You mean next time you won't be there to swoop in?”

He gave a light smirk. “Something like that.” 

And then he walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart beating faster than it should. 

This was dangerous.

Because for the first time, I wasn't just afraid of Kane finding out my secret. 

I was afraid of what I was starting to feel.