To Late To Stop Loving You

DAISY POV “Sir… your girlfriend says she’s pregnant.” Alexander looked up from his laptop, one dark eyebrow raised like I had just told him the coffee was cold. He didn’t look shocked. That was Alexander King, a billionaire, ice-cold. I stood there in the open doorway of his massive corner office. I was plus-sized, always had been, and right now I felt every extra pound of it, like I took up too much space in a room that already belonged to him. He leaned back in his leather chair, the one that probably cost more than my rent for a year. “Send her in, Daisy.” I nodded, forcing that a fake smile “Right away, Mr. King.” Her name was Elena Voss. She had supermodel legs, tiny waist, and perfect blonde waves that bounced like she was in a shampoo commercial. She stormed past me in a cloud of expensive perfume and tears. I caught the flash of her diamond earrings, they were new ones, I bet. Alexander liked giving shiny things when he got bored. I closed the door behind her but stayed right outside. I pretended to be organizing a schedule. My ears strained anyway. I couldn’t help it. “You can’t be serious,” Alexander’s said. “I am, I took three tests, Alex. And I missed my shoot in Milan because of the morning sickness!” Elena’s voice cracked. “You told me you were careful.” He moved through women like they were calendar pages, flipping to the next when the current one lost its shine. I loved him. God, I hated admitting it even to myself. He was rich beyond reason, emotionally unavailable, and completely blind to the curvy, brown-haired assistant who kept his entire life running. I remembered every late night we had worked together. But to him, I was just reliable and invisible. Inside the office, Elena’s voice rose. “I’m keeping it. You can’t just write me a check and make this disappear.” A long pause. Then Alexander spoke in a low and controlled voice “We’ll discuss this privately. Not in my office ” Suddenly the door flew open. Elena’s mascara was running, but she still looked like she belonged on a magazine cover. She glared at me as she passed, like I was part of the problem. I kept my head down, typing nonsense into the calendar. “Daisy.” Alexander’s voice snapped out. I jumped up and stepped inside, closing the door softly. He stood by the windows his hands in the pockets of his tailored trousers. His dark hair was slightly messy, like he had run his fingers through it. I wanted to fix it. I wanted to scream. “Cancel my dinner with the Japanese investors,” he said without turning around. “And get my lawyer on the phone. Tell him it’s urgent.” “Yes, sir.” My voice came out steady. Thank God for small miracles. “Do you… need anything else?” He finally looked at me. Those stormy gray eyes scanned my face for half a second. “You okay? You look pale.” *Because I’m breaking, Alexander. Because every time another woman gets close to you, I die a little more.* “I’m fine,” I lied, smiling again. “Just a long day.” He nodded, already moving on. “Order something for yourself too. You skipped lunch again.” My chest tightened. He noticed things like that. I got back to my desk and sank into my chair. My phone buzzed, it was my best friend Mia. Mia: How’s the hot boss today? Still clueless? I typed back quickly: A pregnant girlfriend just showed up. Send help or ice cream. Mia: WTF. You need to quit that job, babe. You can't continue like that. You are literally getting emotionally drained. He's slowly killing you. I couldn’t quit. The salary paid for my mom’s medical bills and my tiny apartment. And the pathetic truth? Leaving Alexander felt like ripping out my own heart. Even if he never loved me back. The rest of the afternoon blurred. I rescheduled his meetings, called the lawyer, and quietly moved Elena’s name from “Personal” to a private folder I had created months ago. The list of Alexander’s women. It was getting long. At six-thirty, the office had mostly emptied. I was packing my bag when Alexander’s door opened again. “Daisy, my place. Now.” I blinked. “Sir?” He was shrugging on his black coat, looking every inch the powerful CEO. “I need someone to bounce ideas off. Elena’s situation… it’s complicated. You’re the only one who knows how to keep things straight.” My stomach flipped. Going to his penthouse? Alone? I had been there before for work emergencies, but never like this. “Okay,” I said, grabbing my coat. “I’ll call the car.” The ride in his sleek black Maybach was quiet. Alexander stared out the window. I sat across from him, trying not to stare at the way his long fingers tapped his knee. The rain started pattering against the windows, turning the city into streaks of light. At his penthouse, there were three floors of glass and luxury on top of the tallest building downtown,he poured himself a whiskey and offered me sparkling water without asking. He remembered I didn’t drink much. I guess “Sit,” he said, gesturing to the massive leather couch. I perched on the edge, my thighs pressing together under my skirt. The place smelled like him, like cedar and something expensive. I loved it and hated it at the same time. Alexander loosened his tie and dropped into the chair across from me. “She wants money. A lot of it. Or she’ll go to the press.” I nodded, pulling out my tablet like the good assistant I was. “We can draft a confidentiality agreement. Your lawyer has already sent the basics. But… if it’s really your baby..” “It might be,” he cut in. His voice was flat. “We were together for three months.” Three months. Longer than most. My heart cracked a little more. I pictured a tiny baby with Alexander’s gray eyes and felt sick, it would tie him to Elena forever. While I stayed on the sidelines, organizing his chaos. “What do you want to do?” I asked softly. He looked at me then. “I don’t know. I really don’t have a plan.” The honesty in his voice surprised me. Alexander King always had a plan. He built a tech empire from nothing. He dated supermodels. I set the tablet down. “Then take a breath. You don’t have to decide tonight. But whatever you choose, I’ve got your back. Like always.” He smiled, “What would I do without you, Daisy?” "Love me instead, I wanted to scream. Instead, I said, “You will survive. You always do.” We worked for another hour. I took notes while he paced. At one point he stopped behind the couch and rested a hand on my shoulder. Warm. Heavy. I froze. “You’re tense,” he murmured. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this.” “It’s my job,” I whispered. His fingers squeezed gently. “Thank you ” By nine o’clock my stomach growled loud enough for both of us to hear. Alexander frowned. “I told you to eat.” “I forgot.” He grabbed his phone. “Pizza? Your usual”, I laughed despite everything. “You remember my pizza order?” “You're my assistant, of course i know your usual. .” He said casually, like it was nothing. But my pulse raced anyway. While we waited for the food, I kicked off my heels and curled my feet under me on the couch. Alexander loosened another button on his shirt. The sight of his collarbone made my cheeks burn. I looked away fast. “You ever think about leaving this job?” he asked suddenly. I nearly choked. “What? No. Why?” He shrugged. “You’re brilliant. You could run your own company. Or travel. Do something for yourself instead of fixing my messes.” Because fixing your messes keeps me close to you. “I like it here,” I said quietly. “With you.” He studied me for a long moment. The rain was heavier now, drumming against the glass. Lightning flashed, lighting up his face. My phone rang. My Mom’s name flashed on the screen. I silenced it, but Alexander noticed. “Take it,” he said. I stepped into the kitchen area. Mom’s voice was tired but cheerful. “Just checking in, sweetheart. How’s work?” “Busy,” I whispered. “But good. I’ll send more money this week, okay?” “You’re too good to me. Love you.” “Love you too, mom.” When I came back, Alexander was standing by the windows again, staring at the storm. “Everything alright?” “Yeah. Just Mom.” He turned. “You take care of everyone, don’t you? Even me.” I walked closer without thinking. Close enough to smell his cologne. “Someone has to.” The air between us felt electric. My heart stopped. Then his phone buzzed on the coffee table. Elena’s name lit up the screen. He sighed and picked it up. “I have to take this.” Just like that, the moment shattered.