He Doesn’t Know I Had His Child, And Now He’s My Boss

CHAPTER4

NORA POV

I don’t feel rested when I wake up.

I barely sleep. My mind never really left yesterday.

Davis Rowan’s voice still sits somewhere in my head, calm and controlled, like everything around him already has structure… even people.

And now I’m part of that structure.

Not outside it anymore.

Inside it.

Rowan & Co. feels different the moment I step onto the executive floor.

Quieter.

Tighter.

Like every moment has already been decided before it happens.

My desk is already arranged when I arrive.

Not hidden.

Not isolated.

But placed inside the executive coordination section… an open workspace where assistants and coordinators work under constant visibility.

Which means one thing.

I’m visible now.

“Early,” Clara says as she approaches.

I nod. “I couldn’t sleep properly.”

She studies me briefly, like she understands more than I said. Then she gestures.

“Your access has been updated. You’re officially on Orion coordination.”

I sit slowly.

That name again.

Orion.

It doesn’t feel like a project.

It feels heavier.

Before I can settle, I feel it.

Eyes.

I look up slightly.

A woman is standing across the workspace.

Melissa.

Watching.

Not casually.

Not briefly.

Like she’s already deciding something about me.

Then she walks closer.

“So you’re Ms. Edward,” Melissa says.

“Excuse me?”

Her eyes move over my desk.

Then back to me.

“So you’re the new executive favorite.”

I reply immediately.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Melissa smiles.

“You’ll understand soon enough.”

Then she walks away.

Clara appears minutes later and places a folder on my desk.

“Your full task breakdown.”

I open it.

My eyes stop immediately.

Direct executive oversight. Daily reporting. High-level coordination access.

A knot forms in my stomach.

“This changed again,” I say quietly.

“It was approved this morning,” she replies.

“Who approved it?”

A pause.

Then carefully.

“You already know.“

I do.

Even if no one says it.

Clara turns to leave before stopping.

“Nora.”

I look up.

“Yes?”

She hesitates for a second.

“Just one piece of advice.”

I wait.

“Mr. Rowan notices everything.”

My brows pull together.

“Everything?”

She gives a small nod.

“You’ll see.”

Before I can ask what she means, she walks away.

I stare after her.

Somehow…

That warning unsettles me more than if she’d said nothing at all.

Work doesn’t feel like work anymore.

It feels like awareness.

People speak less around me now.

Watching instead.

Adjusting around me without saying it.

And I don’t like how fast it’s changing.

Around midday, I step away from my desk.

I hear my name. Not directly… but close enough.

“She’s the one under executive oversight?”

“Yeah.”

Melissa doesn’t look happy.

I stop walking.

So it’s already spreading.

I return to my desk but don’t sit.

My phone is already vibrating.

Unknown number.

I hesitate before answering.

“Hello?”

A familiar male voice comes through.

“Nora.”

My body goes still.

“…Jayden?”

A soft laugh.

“So you still remember me.”

Jayden. My childhood friend. One of the few people who remembers who I was before everything fell apart.

A life I’ve spent years trying not to think about.

I step away from my desk.

“Why are you calling me?”

“I’m back in the city,” he says casually.

“Came for something with my uncle’s business.“

My grip on the phone shifts.

“Your uncle?”

“Yeah. Just stepping into company dealings.”

Company dealings?

Jayden never cared about business before.

Something about it doesn’t sit right with me.

But for some reason…

It feels too close.

“And I thought I should call you. It’s been a while.“

I don’t respond immediately.

“What do you want?” I ask carefully.

“Relax,” he says. “I just wanted to check on you.”

Then casually,

“Maybe we should meet up. Talk. Catch up.”

Unease creeps through me.

Meeting him is dangerous.

Not because of him.

But because of everything I’m hiding.

“I’ll think about it,” I say.

“Okay,” he replies.

Then he says,

“Oh, and how’s little Mai?”

My heart drops.

“She’s fine,” I say quickly.

“Good,” he says. “She’s getting big. I saw a picture Lucy posted.”

A pause.

Then his tone shifts slightly.

“I’ll be around for a while. I’ll call you again.“

The line ends.

I stay still.

Jayden knows too much.

Too easily.

Too comfortably.

I lock my phone and sit slowly.

Trying to focus on work.

But I don’t get the chance.

A notification flashes on my screen.

Internal update.

ORION PROJECT—

EXECUTIVE ADDENDUM.

A chill runs through me.

I open it.

My eyes move quickly across the page.

Then stop.

Additional Coordination Assignment.

Three names.

Davis Rowan —Executive Lead.

Nora Edward —Coordination Unit.

My breath catches.

Then the last line.

Jayden Rowan — Strategic Integration (External Liaison.)

Everything stops.

No sound. No movement. No air.

I read again.

Once. Twice.

It doesn’t change.

Jayden Rowan.

My pulse stutters.

Rowan.

Davis Rowan.

He never told me.

He’s part of Rowan & Co.

My phone vibrates again.

Unknown number.

I don’t want to look.

But I do.

One new message appears.

Welcome to Orion.

Report to my office at 8:00 tomorrow.

—D. Rowan.

I stare at the message long after the screen goes dark.

Tomorrow.

Jayden.

Davis.

Orion.

Somehow… I have a feeling tomorrow won’t go the way I expect.