I'm In Love With My Bestfriend's Billionaire Fiance!
Chapter 87: Secrets and Thoughts...

Chapter 87: Secrets and Thoughts...

(Casey’s POV)

_________

Everything felt different—quieter, yet laced with a kind of silent anticipation. Jace and I lay tangled beneath the sheets, the sunlight spilling across our skin like golden silk. The warmth of his body beside mine made it difficult to move, but eventually, we knew the day couldn’t wait for us forever. We shared slow kisses, the kind that promised we’d find our way back to each other, no matter where the hours led us.

We spoke softly as we decided how the rest of the day would unfold. Responsibilities called us to separate places—him to one part of the city, me to another. With a reluctant sigh, he reached for his phone and dialed Ethan, asking him to swing by and pick him up. Meanwhile, I would head straight to my office.

Now, Jace sat across the room, lounging on the couch in front of the television, the flicker of the morning news dancing across his face. One hand gripped his coffee, and the other moved quickly over his phone. But there was a focused intensity in his expression that made my heart skip. He wasn’t just scrolling—he was organizing, and instructing.

I watched as his thumbs typed out messages with precision. He was texting Lena, laying out a plan for the day, sending her instructions with a level of care and command that only made him more irresistible to me. He looked up briefly, caught my gaze, and smirked. This was the kind of look he gave me that always made me feel warm and gooey all over.

I slipped a big, soft polo over my bare skin, its fabric brushing like a whisper against the warmth still lingering from earlier. An hour had passed since we left the bed, but my body still hummed with lazy, delicious energy. My limbs felt weightless, as though gravity had loosened its grip on me. I was light, untethered—like I could float into the sky if I dared to try.

The way he touched me... the way he looked at me like I was the only thing anchoring his world—it had left a kind of magic in my veins. Every breath felt sweeter, every moment sharper. I wandered barefoot through the quiet house, his scent clinging to my skin like a secret.

I smiled to myself, cheeks flushing at the memory of his hands, his voice murmuring promises against my neck. This freedom I felt—it wasn’t just physical. It was emotional, intoxicating. And I knew with certainty... I craved more of it. More of him.

But at that moment, there wasn’t much I could do—not with the weight of the day already creeping in around us, reminding me that time never stops, even for stolen mornings filled with warmth and whispered promises.

Still, despite everything waiting for us outside, I found myself drawn to him again. I moved across the room and lowered myself onto the couch beside Jace, my thigh brushing against his. The soft glow of the TV lit his profile, and I watched as the subtle crease in his brow deepened while he scrolled through his phone.

"What’s that?" I asked softly, tilting my head.

He didn’t look up at first, but his fingers stilled. "I have to get back to work," he said with a hint of reluctance. "There were a few things I was supposed to handle yesterday... things I really should’ve done myself. Today, I can’t put them off."

My heart sank a little, even as I nodded in understanding. "Things like what?"

He turned to me, studying my face for a long moment—his expression unreadable, layered with thought. Finally, he shrugged lightly. "First on my list? Seeing Leo."

I blinked. "Kira’s uncle? Why on earth do you need to see him?"

Jace exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "It’s about the contract. The one that nearly lit Kira on fire during that dinner. I’ve been thinking... it wasn’t just business for her. There’s more going on beneath that anger. If I’m going to fix this, I have to find a balance. Something fair. I’m trying to come to an impasse—something that will work out for everyone involved."

There was something deeper in his voice. Something weighted with more than just business. And suddenly, I knew—this wasn’t just about fixing a contract. It was about fixing what was broken, about protecting the people he cared about.

Was it really about taking care of the people he cared about? Or was he simply looking out for his interest? I knew that despite the fact that they were getting married, their respective companies were still rivals and one would definitely love to do anything that would place them in a better position. Was that what I was currently witnessing?

Was I simply being paranoid?

I opened my mouth to speak, a question on the tip of my tongue—but something made me stop. The words hung there, suspended in the silence between us, and I slowly closed my lips, letting the moment pass.

Because suddenly, I remembered.

It hit me like a whisper from the past—last night after the doctor had examined me and deemed everything fine, I had climbed into the car beside Jace. The low hum of the engine, the streetlights casting flickers of gold on his face. But what stood out now—what gnawed

at me—was the way he had cradled his phone close, tilting it away from my line of sight.

At the time, I hadn’t thought much of it. I was exhausted and emotionally frayed, and all I wanted was to get home and have a good time with him. But now... now that I replayed it in my mind, it felt different. Calculated.

He hadn’t just been texting or scrolling casually. It was the way he angled the screen, the slight shift in his posture, like he was guarding something. Hiding something.

My heart beat a little faster.

Could that moment be connected to now? Could whatever he was doing—whatever secret errand he was chasing down today with Leo—be linked to whatever had been on that phone screen?

The timing was too clean, too coincidental to ignore.

And yet... if it was something important, why not just tell me? Why keep me in the dark, especially after everything we’ve been through?

Unless... he didn’t want me to know.

Not yet.

Or maybe not ever.

And that thought? That whisper of doubt? It settled over me like a storm cloud, low and heavy with things unsaid.

"So, does she know?" I asked, my voice a careful whisper, the tension in my chest rising like a tide.

Jace leaned back slowly, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular as he shook his head. "She knows I’m seeing Leo, yes. But as for the real reason behind it? No, not yet. I’ve kept that part from her."

My brows drew together. "Why?"

His jaw clenched slightly, a flicker of unease in his eyes. "Because I don’t want to promise her something I may not be able to deliver. Leo... he’s unpredictable. If things go south, I don’t want to be the one who gave her false hope."

I swallowed, a strange chill threading down my spine. "So... what are these updates you’re working on?"

Jace turned his head and stared directly into my eyes. But instead of answering, he simply said, "I can’t tell you either. Not yet."

My heart skipped. My spine stiffened.

"You’re kidding me?" I asked, stunned. "You can’t be serious."

His expression didn’t change. "I’m dead serious. I’m doing this to protect you. The less you know, the better. If you’re ever questioned, you’ll be clean. No knowledge means no liability."

"Liability?" I echoed, my voice barely audible now, breath catching in my throat. "What the hell are you planning, Jace?"

There was a pause—too long to be comfortable. Then, he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "That’s exactly why I’m not telling you. Just trust me. Everything I’m doing... it’s for you. And for Kira. But mostly for you!"

That’s when I knew—deep in my bones—that something far bigger than a contract revision was happening. Jace wasn’t just being secretive. He was being strategic. Calculated. Something was going on, something different and the fact that he was being hesitant to tell me was so damn scary.

I sat still, too still, every sense in me on high alert. Was he working to protect us... or dragging us into something darker? What could it possibly be? I didn’t want him making issues worse for us when we had barely dealt with Maven as it stood.

He leaned forward, his hand brushing over mine, grounding me, or maybe warning me. "Some things are better left unsaid until the right time. Until then, I need you to trust that I’m doing what has to be done. For Kira, for you, and me. For us, Casey."

My pulse thundered in my ears, loud enough to drown out the silence. I studied him—his calm exterior, his carefully chosen words, the way he avoided saying too much. Jace was hiding something dangerous. And it wasn’t just for our benefit. It was survival.

"What if the right time never comes?" I asked quietly.

"It will," he said without hesitation, standing to his feet. "But when it does... every other thing will make sense and you’ll understand why I had to keep it from you."

The chill that settled in the room wasn’t from the draft.

Something was coming.

And we were already in too deep.

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