Maya POV
I shouldn’t have leaned into Alex. I shouldn’t have hugged him.
But there I was, crying into his chest like I hadn’t cried enough already. His arms wrapped around me without hesitation, warm and secure, like I belonged there. And for a moment—just a moment—I let myself believe that maybe it was okay to fall apart in front of someone who didn’t look at me like I was broken.
“Oh, Maya…” Alex whispered, his voice soft with concern. “What happened?”
I shook my head against his chest. “It’s nothing,” I mumbled, wiping my cheeks, though the tears kept coming. “I’m just… overwhelmed.”
Alex gently pulled back, cupping my face in his hands. “Why are you even at the office? It’s Saturday, Maya. What are you doing here?”
I let out a small, bitter laugh. “Please. Is that even a question?”
His jaw clenched. “Let me guess—it was my brother, wasn’t it? He called you in?”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to. Because the moment I said nothing… the tears came harder.
Alex sighed heavily, his voice dropping low. “Of course it was. That man doesn’t know how to treat people—especially not you.”
“I just want to go home,” I whispered.
“Then let me take you,” he said gently, his hand finding mine. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
I nodded, too exhausted to argue. I didn’t care anymore. About the graphs. The presentation. The edits. Or Noah Sterling.
He could have his stupid project. He already had my dignity.
I let Alex guide me down the hallway, my eyes red and puffy, my chest aching with every breath. We reached the lobby—so close to the exit I could already taste freedom.
And then—
Click.
The door behind us opened. I froze. So did Alex. And then I heard it.
“I’ll bring her home.”
That voice. That icy, commanding voice. Noah.
I didn’t even have to turn to know he was there. I could feel him—his presence heavy, charged, as if the very air shifted to make room for his fury.
Alex turned slowly. “I don’t think she wants to go home with you.”
There was amusement in his tone, but also challenge. Like he was daring Noah to keep pushing.
“She works for me,” Noah replied coldly. “I’ll bring her home.”
Oh great.
He makes me cry, rips me apart in his office on a weekend I didn’t even want to work, and now he wants to drive me home?
What’s next? Stop for tissues and insult me all over again?
I turned around slowly, caught between the two of them. Alex’s expression was calm, smug even. But Noah—he looked like a man barely holding himself back. Possessive. Stiff. Furious.
Why? Why now?
“You already dragged me into work on a Saturday,” I thought bitterly. “Now you want to drive me home? To what—cry in the car instead of the bathroom stall? Wow. How thoughtful.”
They both stared at me like I was some prize in a pissing contest neither of them signed up for—but suddenly really wanted to win.
Noah’s gaze snapped to me. “Go grab your bag, Maya. I’m taking you home.”
Before I could move, Alex stepped in front of me slightly, protective. “Don’t let him boss you around. If you don’t want to go with him, say it. I’ll take you home, no pressure.”
“Alex,” Noah growled, “do not get involved in this. Go home.”
Alex turned to him, eyebrows raised. “You don’t tell me what to do, Noah.”
My brain short-circuited. Half-brothers. Both VP candidates. One made me cry, the other just wiped my tears. And here they were, about to go full WWE boardroom edition in the middle of a Saturday lobby.
I stood there, frozen, watching them like I had just stumbled into a movie scene I didn’t audition for.
Noah stepped forward. “You will listen to me. I am your boss. You work for me. I will take you home.”
That did it.
I exhaled loudly, stepping between them, voice shaking but sharp. “You both don’t have to take me home. I’ll take a cab.”
Sweet, awkward, testosterone-charged silence. They both looked at me, as if my voice actually surprised them.
“I’m not some file you can assign to yourselves,” I added, stepping back. “I don’t need a ride. I need space. So thank you, both, for the generous offer—but I’ll manage.”
Alex nodded slowly, something soft flickering behind his eyes. “If you change your mind, I’m just a call away.”
Noah didn’t say anything. He just stood there. Looking at me like he didn’t understand why I was walking away from him. Like he didn’t just cause all of this.
I turned and walked out, head high, heart heavy.