Archie’s POV
The heavy study door clicked shut as Lincoln walked away, leaving me standing alone in the cold silence of the room.
My knuckles were white against the edge of the mahogany desk. My breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, every nerve ending in my body screaming with an unbearable mix of fury, panic, and shame.
Then maybe you should find someone else.
The words rang in my ears like a death knell. I had pushed him. I had hidden behind corporate coldness, behind cruel reminders of his employment, and I had finally managed to c***k the endless patience of the only person who had made this house feel like a home in three years.
I took a shaky step toward the hallway, desperate for a glass of water to clear the dry lump in my throat, when a muffled sound caught my attention.
It wa
