"She was just trying to take her mind off of you," Cassie said gently to Tyrson, her voice soft and comforting. "Let's give her some space, all right?"

Tyrson nodded, his eyes downcast. Cassie led Iris into Meryl's bedroom, where she carefully placed her on the bed. Michelle rushed in behind them, her eyes filled with worry.

"Mom!" she called out in a worried tone, but Cassie hushed her.

"Shh, we don't want to wake her up," Cassie said, trying to calm Michelle's fears. The little girl's eyes were wide with worry, and tears were starting to well up.

"It's nothing serious, honey," Cassie said, kneeling down in front of her. "Your mom's just tired. She's not sick."

Michelle's eyes were still full of concern. "But why was she so tired?" she asked, her voice small and timid.

Cassie paused for a moment, trying to think of the best way to explain. "Sometimes, people get tired when they have a lot of things going on in their life," Cassie continued. "Your mom has been working really hard, and she just needs some time to rest."

Michelle's brow furrowed as she thought about what Cassie had said. "Is it because I got angry with her?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Is it my fault that she's so tired?"

Cassie shook her head, trying to reassure the girl. "No, no, it's not your fault at all," she said, her voice gentle. "I promise, it has nothing to do with you" she assured her.

"And who is he?"

"He's a friend of your mom's from work," Cassie explained. Michelle just stared at him for a moment, her expression unreadable.

"You can trust him," Cassie added. "He's a good person, and he cares about your mom."

Iris smiled at Cassie, grateful for her reassurance. He could see that Michelle was still wary, but he hoped that she would come to trust him in time.

"Hello," he said, looking down at the little girl. "My name is Iris. It's nice to meet you."

Michelle looked up at him with a slightly curious expression. She still looked a little wary, but there was something about Iris's smile that made her feel a bit more at ease.

"Hi," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm Michelle."

Iris nodded, continuing to smile. "Michelle is a lovely name," he said.

There was a brief moment of silence, and then Michelle spoke again. "Do you work with my mom?" she asked, her voice still a little shy.

"Hmmm," he nodded, and the girl gave him a small smile in return. Iris looked at her and something clicked.

Could this girl be Tyrson's daughter? It was certainly possible, given the resemblance between them. Iris felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought. He forced himself to focus on the moment, taking a deep breath.

From the way things were, Iris could tell that Tyrson didn't know about the child's existence. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, as the last thing he wanted was for them to get back together. It would only lead to more heartache and pain.

"I should get going," he said, trying to sound casual. He didn't want to overstay his welcome. Cassie stood up and walked him to the door.

As he drove away, Cassie watched him go, her mind racing. She wasn't sure what to make of him. On one hand, he seemed genuinely concerned for Meryl.

On the other hand, there was something about him that made her uneasy. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a sense of unease that she couldn't shake.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

There was no use worrying about something that might not even be true. She would just have to wait and see how things played out.

******
THE NEXT MORNING....

Meryl arrived at the office feeling slightly hungover from the night before. She had a resignation letter in hand, ready to turn in her notice.

She felt a sense of relief as she walked through the doors, knowing that she was taking a big step in her life. But there was also a sense of nervousness, as she didn't know what her future held.

She walked up to Tyrson's office and knocked on the door. "Come in," she heard his voice from the other side. She took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping inside. He was sitting at his desk.

Tyrson was absorbed in his work when he heard a knock at the door. He looked up from his desk, his mind still focused on the task at hand.

But when he saw Meryl standing in the doorway, his heart skipped a beat. He stood up quickly, a smile spreading across his face.

"Meryl!" he said, his voice warm and welcoming. He couldn't help but feel a rush of relief at seeing her again. Before she could say anything, he pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead.

"I'm so glad you're back," he said, his voice filled with emotion.

"I'm not back," she said, her voice flat and emotionless. Tyrson's face fell as he slowly pulled away from her.

"What do you mean? Why are you here then?" he asked, his voice full of confusion and hurt.

"I came here to drop this off," she said, holding out the letter. Tyrson took it from her, He looked down at the letter, not wanting to believe what it might say. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he saw the words 'resignation' written on the front.

Tyrson's jaw clenched as he looked up at Meryl. "You can't just resign like that," he said, his voice tight. "We can talk about this. I'm not giving up on us."

Meryl's eyes were cold as she looked back at him. "There's nothing to talk about. I've made up my mind," she said, her voice void of emotion. "We're done."

Tyrson felt like he had been punched in the gut. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You can't just walk away like this," he said.

"Even after everything that's happened, we can't be together," she said, her voice tight with frustration. "You're engaged to another woman."

Tyrson's grip on her shoulders tightened. He pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. She didn't push him away, and he took that as a sign of hope.

"I'll do whatever it takes to protect you," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you. Just please don't leave me."

She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You don't understand," she said.

She knew the risk she would be taking if she continued to be with him.

If anyone found out about her, it could put her daughter's life in danger. She couldn't risk that.

She looked into his eyes, unable to look away. Something about him drew her in, and she felt herself getting lost in his gaze.

Her eyes drifted down to his lips, and she had to force herself to look away. This was dangerous territory, and she needed to keep her guard up.

"I can't do this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She shouldn't be doing this! She wanted to pull away but he pulled her back and crashed his lips on her and she responded immediately.

As much as she wanted to resist, she couldn't help but respond to his kiss. He pulled her close, and she felt her body relax against his. He lifted her up, placing her on his desk, and their kiss deepened.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and a part of her wanted to push him away, to break free from his embrace. But another part of her wanted to stay, to let herself get lost in his touch. She didn't know what to do, what to feel.

Her hand found its way to his hair as she ran her fingers through it. He groaned in approval, and she felt herself getting lost in the moment.

His hands found their way to her waist and around to her ass, and she gasped as he pulled her closer.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, she came to her senses.

The headache that had been lingering in the background came back with a vengeance, and she realized what she was doing. She pulled away from him, breaking the kiss.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, worry evident in his voice. She shook her head, unable to speak.

"Did you take any painkillers before coming here?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

She shook her head again, feeling a headache building behind her eyes. "I'll take you to my place," he said, his voice gentle. "I'll make you some soup. It'll make you feel better."

but she couldn't help but miss the soup he used to make for her. Maybe it would bring her some comfort.

Was this the right decision? She had come here to cut all ties with him, and now here she was, unable to stay away from him. She didn't know what to do.

"How do I get out without anyone seeing me?" she found herself asking. His face broke into a mischievous grin.

"That's easy," he said. "All you have to do is trust me."

*****

Meryl couldn't help but laugh. "That's crazy," she said, her voice filled with disbelief. "No one else knows the place?"

Tyrson shook his head as he drove. "Just me and Manson," he said, referring to his former bodyguard. "It's a secret place, known only to the two of us."

They pulled up to his house, and he got out of the car, walking around to open the door for Meryl. She looked up at the mansion in front of her, her eyes wide. "You live here... alone?" she asked.

"I do," Tyrson said, a hint of pride in his voice. "It's a bit much for one person, but I like having the space. I like my privacy."

She stepped out of the car, taking in the grandeur of the house before her. "It's beautiful," she said, a bit breathlessly.

The entire building is painted white and black, which has always been Tyrson's favorite color combination. "Do you want to come live with me?"

Meryl laughed, caught off guard by the sudden question. "What?" she asked, her eyes wide. "You're joking, right?"

"I'm not," he said, his voice serious. "I'd like to have you here with me. What do you say?"

She was tempted, she couldn't deny that. But she also knew that it was a dangerous idea. "I'm not sure," she said, her voice hesitant.

"I had everyone leave so you wouldn't feel uncomfortable," he said, and she looked at him in shock.

"Why would you do that? They live here!" she protested.

"No, they work here," he corrected. "This is my private home. I don't allow anyone to live here."

Before she could respond, he leaned in and kissed her. She was caught off guard, but after a moment, she found herself kissing him back. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer.

*****

Julia's car pulled over, and she stormed out, her face red with anger. She began kicking the tire and screaming, her voice full of rage.

It was clear that she had been planning to take advantage of Meryl's absence to try to get close to him. But now, with Meryl here, her plans had been foiled.

She continued to scream and yell, she actually went to his place earlier and she saw them making out outside.

Tyrson had never allowed Julia into his home. This must have come as a shock to Julia, and it was clear that she felt betrayed.

Her mind was racing, trying to come up with a plan to get back at Meryl.

She felt a seething rage, and she knew she had to do something to make her pay. But what? She couldn't think straight, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

All she knew was that she had to do something to ruin Meryl's life, to put her in her place forever.

"Tsk tsk," came a voice from behind her. She turned to see Ludovic Hans standing there, a smug smile on his face.

"Ludovic?" she said, her voice full of surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, just following a lead," he said with a wink. "It seems we have a common goal."

She looked past him to see his car parked a few feet away. "How did you find me?" she asked, her voice wary.

"Oh, that would be telling," he said with a smirk.

"Does it matter?" he asked, his voice confident.
She hesitated, unsure if this was a good idea.

But the thought of Meryl out of the way was too tempting to resist. "I'm in," she said, a smug smile spreading across her face.

"Excellent," he said, a glint in his eye.

Tbc