I concede quietness to overpower the two of us while we are in the elevator.

I can't believe Harry handed things over to Logan, I can't believe they're brothers, I can't believe I was never informed. I wonder what else he has kept a secret from me. There has perpetually been a side to him that he doesn't talk about very often, a side that has mystery that I have yet to unravel. I have always given him his space and not force him to tell me the things that he doesn't want to, but now, now I feel as though I don't know him as well as I thought I did..

How did he manage to keep Logan a secret and tell anyone after all these years? I have so many questions yet so little answers.

Harry doesn't say a word as my eyes watch the numbers declining in the elevator, eventually leaving us on the lobby floor.

"Harry, you just handed him your pride and joy," I break the silence between us as the elevator door opens and we step into the lobby,

"I'm aware." He nods coolly, not seeming too concerned, I don't know how.

His business is/was everything to him, this business has been his baby essentially, it has been his life since he started it up, he has never mentioned giving it up, selling it, or anything, minus the few occasions he was exhausted and jokingly commenting how he wants to sell it and move somewhere far away.

"Harry, that's everything you've ever worked for and you're giving it straight to him." ... "no, that's not right." I shake my head stepping away from Harry and advancing towards the elevator, ready to leap into action with my feet hammering the marbled floor so I can give Logan a piece of my mind, but I'm stymied by Harry's hand wrapping around my wrist.

I turn to face him and he shakes his head, "I can fight my own battles, let it be, Elle. If he destroys the business, let him. I don't have the energy to continue to fight him on every fucking thing. I have everything that I need." His voice is low and relaxed, something that doesn't put me at ease. He is far too calm for my liking.

"And what's that, Harry?" I question, confused as to how he can give everything up to his brother so easily.

I know if I was him, I would be on the verge of wanting to strangle my brother if he ever thought to ruin me. Then again, I am sure Harry has already thought of that and decided being on trial for murder wasn't something worth attempting.

He stares at me and gives me a small smile, "everything I need is right in front of me," he gestures towards me and causes me to slightly blush, after all these years he still makes me bush and my heart flutter at his thoughtful remarks.

"Harry, that's sweet, but we don't have an endless supply of money to live off of. Everything primarily comes from this business."

Harry releases his hand from my wrist and slumps his shoulders into a shrug, "Elise, end of conversation." Harry narrows his eyes onto me, giving me his 'CEO' glare, the one that makes his employers run for the hills, frightened of what he may say next if they do not obey what he has to say. But, it doesn't bother me. I challenge him all the time with his glare. It doesn't phase me and I don't see why he bothers trying to use it on me, he isn't going to get his own way.

I shake my head "No, you said this was our company, which means I get a say in this and this is bullshit." I bluntly voice my opinion, finding it ludicrous that Harry is ready to allow Logan to destroy him.

"Elise, enough." Harry mutters grimly, "now are you coming home with me or not?"

"No, you're being a prick." I cross my arms and narrow my eyes onto him.

His body stiffens at the remark, offended and outraged. He heavily huffs and shakes his head before composing himself, "Elise, just trust my judgment, damn, five minutes into the business world and suddenly you're the genius." He grumbles, my brows knitting into a frown, more than ready to fight back on his laughable remark. I was thrown into his business, thanks to him. "Fuck, I'm sorry, look... just trust me on this. I'm not trying to be an asshole but just trust me, okay?"

"It's not like I have a choice,"I murmur lamentably, holding my tongue and not giving him a piece of my mind.

He inhales a deep breath and blows out moderately, "are we going to fight over this?"

"Yes, yes we are." I nod, "you want to stand here and pretty much say that I get no say in this business but it was good enough for me to have a say in taking control of it when you were dying on me. You didn't even tell me about your will, it just got fucking thrown at me. Make up your fucking mind Harry, am I in this with you or not?"

He threads a hand through his hair, "Elise," he groans, "yes, I want you apart of this, you're my wife-" he begins and I cut him off with my hands clapped on my hips, arms crooked like sugar bowl handles.

"Yes, I'm your wife, but you can't treat me like your wife with this business, in this business we are equal partners."

He cocks his head left and rolls his eyes to right corner of the ceiling clearly frustrated with me and this argument. "It's a bit hard when I'm literally sleeping with my partner," Harry forks his fingers through his hair for the third time, not knowing what else to do with his frustrated hands.

"This isn't a joke, you know what. Fuck it. I don't care." I grunt, shaking my head as I march past him and make my way out of his building.

I push the heavy, gold trimmed door and expose myself to the crisp air of the late July night. I step down the grey steps and give a faked, polite smile to Harry's driver as he opens the door for me.

Harry slides in beside me and the door closes, for a moment there is silence as his driver gets in the front and Harry gestures for the driver to put up the private divide. "Elise, Elise look at me for a second." Harry requests as he squares an ankle over one knee.

"Fuck off, Harry."

Harry's body stiffens at the remark before he inhales a sharp breath, "Elise, if Logan does what he needs with what he has, then so be it, I can't continue to fight him and manage my business." He informs me with a calm voice, his hand reaching over for mine but I move it from his. I don't want to lace my fingers with his.

Maybe I am being too problematic and melodramatic, but I don't think he should just give up because now, things are too obstinate. I don't think he should be keeping secrets from me; God only knows how many other secrets he has managed to keep in the closet.

"But you can manage to keep your family a secret from me? You allowed me to work for your brother and didn't tell me. You have a brother, Harry. Are there any other skeletons in the closet I don't know about? Another sister? A mistress maybe?"

"For Christ sake, nobody knows about him, he's the hidden secret and that's all he deserves to be... let me handle this, I know what I'm doing."

"Again, do what you want. At this point, I don't care. It's your business, it's your decision, you made that clear. And I hope you realise Logan is a human who has feelings." I mutter, already exhausted of this argument, he of all people, should know better than to treat people like shit, especially family. Despite Logan's nonsense, he is still Harry's brother, it isn't on his accountability he was the love child, yet Harry is punishing him for the broken issues.

"He didn't have feelings when he left me after the accident, don't recall him visiting either."

"I'm not having this argument with you, I'm tired and quite frankly, I don't care if you run the business to the ground right now."

"Okay, Elise." ... "I love you."

"Fuck off."

"I love you, Elise. Even though you're pissed with me, just know I do."

"That isn't going to make anything better," I mutter, my eyes focusing out the window as precipitation slithers its way down the glass, leaving imperfect strokes.

I hear Harry sigh for what is probably the hundredth time before his voice distracts me, "This isn't just about the business, is it?" he questions as his hand presses to my knee and I draw my eyes from their relentless stare of the window. "Didn't think so," he rubs a hand over his dark stubble. Harry inhales a deep breath and blows out gradually, buying time to find words, his subconscious rattling with thoughts. He grows quiet and I rest my head against the window, my eyes closing and taking me away from reality.

***

My eyes gradually open, the sound of the doorbell ringing, the blurry outline of the fireplace and television coming into focus as a few moments go by. I stretch myself on the couch as I rub my eyes, Harry's voice distracting me, "Hey go back to sleep," he murmurs as I see him appear from the corner of my eyes standing from the loveseat and walking out of the living room towards the hallway. I sit up and look around, confused as to the events that have happened since I fell asleep in the car. I don't remember coming inside to the living room. I rub my eyes again and take a glimpse towards the time, squinting to make sure I am reading it correctly, four-fifteen.

I force myself to my feet and make my way down the hallway, far too curious to find out who the hell is at the house this early in the morning. The familiar voice of Logan makes my heart skip a beat as I wander closer to Harry, his body in the doorway as Logan speaks from the outside. I thoroughly caress my hand to Harry's back, letting him know I am right here as I take his side and he immediately puts his arm around me.

"Harry, will you just let me in?"

"No, you're not coming into my house. What do you want at this fucking hour?" Harry interrogates with an annoyed tone.

Logan holds the same file Harry gave him in front of the two of us. Before Harry can react, I press my hands to the file, "and the keys?" I narrow my eyes towards Logan, his deadpan expression is enough to tell me he wasn't expecting me to say a word.

"It's inside the file." He gestures towards the continents gripped between the tips of my fingers.

"And what's to say you're not trying to double cross him?"

"Elle—,"

"Elise." Harry instantly corrects his brother.

Harry despises when anybody else outside of family calls me Elle, and Logan isn't included in the 'family' right now.

"I'm not double-crossing the two of you. It's your company and it's my mess that I'm in, I'll deal with it. Just-, just be careful, okay?" His voice is softer than I've ever heard it before, there's something about it that makes me wonder what's going through his mind.

"What do you mean by be careful? What did you do?" Harry immediately challenges and I notice Logan's eyes dart between me and Harry.

"Elle, can you go inside for a minute?" Harry clears his throat a clear indication he wants to get rid of me, but he's not going to keep more secrets from me, not right now.

I shake my head and stand my ground, a sigh falling from Harry's lips, "shoot it straight with me, don't be an irritating twat."

"Charles Taylor, he is watching you and me."

"Then I suggest you stay away from me," Harry grumbles, "I'll talk to you at a more decent hour, Logan." Harry instantly dismisses the conversation as a whole and Logan nods, not challenging Harry.

Harry closes the door and saunters down the hallway with ease, "Harry, you forgot something." I call and he turns on his heel.

He nods with a small grin and comes back towards me.

"Sorry, I'm heading to bed, goodnight." He kisses my cheek and I frown, my brows knitting. I was not referring to a kiss, I was referring to the remains of his business seized between my fingers.

"Harry, I mean this." I hold up his file and the key, information that can slaughter him.

"You want apart of the business, don't you?"

"I guess." My shoulders rise and fall into a shrug. It isn't like I have options right now.

"There you go. Keep that safe fo' me." He comments as he wanders down the hallway, his voice bouncing off the walls.

He's troubling me, he's so fucking calm with this file. It should be clasped between his fingers and guarded with his life.

"Harry, what if he made copies of this? Or he took the parts he needed?"

"He didn't."

"How do you know?" I ask, trailing behind him as he walks towards the staircase.

He places his hand on the railing as he turns to wait for me to catch up to him, "When I gave it to him, it was sealed and stamped. It's in perfect condition. He didn't play me, surprisingly. Are you coming to bed with me or not?" He challenges, his eyes staring at me as he awaits my response. I still have no idea how he isn't worried or scrambling for answers to the so many questions that need answers.

What is the reason behind Logan needing the business?

Who is going to be so relentless to continue to watch Logan?

"What does he mean by Charles is watching you? That's really disturbing."

Harry sighs, "don't worry, I have it handled. I haven't slept yet so I need to get to bed. You should do the same." ... "First day of fucking work and I get bombarded with Logan's monstrosity," Harry murmurs lamentably as he surmounts the stairs my hand pressed to his back out of habit. He is still working on his strength and physical therapy and these stairs make me skittish whenever he is going up and down them.

***

It's nothing new for me to wake up abandoned in the bed between cold sheets that haven't been accompanied by Harry in quite a while, it is usually once a week he ends up leaving me once I fall asleep to go back down to his office, but I had hoped after his accident his CEO tendencies wouldn't be so bad. I had hoped he'd spend a little less time working and a little more time enjoying his life. I sigh to myself and attempt to go back to sleep, but I just can't. I don't admire sleeping without him, it might sound clingy, but I prefer to know he is sleeping beside me than wrecking his brain over work.

I launch the covers off of my body and I swing my legs over the edge to enable my feet to pad against the floorboards of the bedroom. I make my way down the hallway and tailgate the dim light from downstairs. I know exactly where he is, there is only one place he goes to at this hour of the morning. His office.

"Harry, come back upstairs," I sigh as I step into his office and I see him amongst scattered files and papers, a mess all around him. He shakes his head without even looking up at me.

"Harry, what's going on?" I softly question, his eyes glued to his laptop screen as he runs his fingers through his hair. Usually, when I encounter him in his office at the early hours of a morning, he's habitually calm and just re-reading over clients files, preparing for meetings or preparing for business events. But right now, there's a look to him I can't wholly understand. He looks pissed, stressed, and anxious all in one.

"Elise, just—, for fuck's sake," he mutters lamentably, "go to bed." He instructs, throwing a file to the wall with force before shoving everything off his desk, forcing it to the floor.

I stare at him for a moment, unaware of what to do. I have never seen him express such outrage, I have heard about times he has launched things around his office out of frustration, but I have never witnessed it for myself.

"Harry, what's going on?" I challenge again, taking my chances and stepping closer, stepping around everything now on the floor as I press my hand to his shoulder.

"Elise, Leave me alone." He grumbles through his teeth, "damnit, why can't you just listen? You're damn annoying." He huffs as I don't listen to his commands and go back upstairs.

I take a breath and try not to take what he has to say to heart, he doesn't mean it, I hope. He is just frustrated, stressed, and bitter, something I didn't want to happen so early on in him taking back control of his business.

My hand stays pressed against his shoulder, "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

He shakes his head, his face crimson with fury. "No, not really. It's my problem."

"Maybe I can help."

His lips purse like he'd been chewing a lemon rind, frustrated and appalled. "Do you know how to stop money from flowing from our accounts into a business that is going downhill? Maybe you know how to unfreeze the business assets and know how to fix the fact my business is entirely fucked right now."

"What do you mean?"

He opens a page on his laptop and gestures towards it. "In the last hour, there has been a downfall so grave that has fucked us, our accounts are about as good as dead." He rubs a hand over his dark stubble.

I inhale a deep breath and blow out slowly, buying time to find words, "So, what you're telling me is that we are fucked?" I question as he stares at his laptop, one hand running through his hair as he takes a heavy breath.

I feel my heart and stomach instantly sink. Surely this can't be happening.

His eyes flick towards me, drumming his fingers on the desk, "don't worry about it, go to bed." He mutters, an attempt to dismiss me, but it doesn't work.

How can I go to bed when his business is going to hell?

I don't know what this all means, but from his expressions and frustration, it doesn't seem too great.

His eyes look up to meet mine, "Elise—," he begins, "hey, are you okay? You look pale." He questions, instantly standing up and coming to my side.

"What are we going to do?" I demand for what feels like the hundredth time.

I just need answers even though deep down, I know he doesn't have them. As much as he's wrecking his brain to find them, he can't muster up answers to assure me of stability.

"We are going to do our best."

"What about the baby?" I summon and he instantly presses his finger under my chin, urging me to look at him. I stare into his eyes and I see the concern in them, I see they're dark and tired already, they are striving so hard to show me some sort of reassurance but they're failing. "I'm pregnant and we don't even know what's going on"

"Elise, I promise you, you and the little one will be fine and have everything you both need."

"And what about you? What about your needs?"

He shakes his head, "don't worry about me. I'll make sure you and the little one have everything you need. I'll do what it takes, so don't worry about that." ... "hey, everything's going to be okay, alright?" He whispers, the pad of his thumb wiping away a few tears, "please, don't cry. It'll be okay, we will get through this, I promise."

"For richer or for poorer, right?" I sniffle, trying to discover something positive in all this mess, no matter what happens, at least we still have each other.

"And in sickness and in health," he nods, continuing to wipe away the tears that I can't manage to halt from cascading down my cheeks, "I know I've put you through hell the last two months, I'm sorry," he wraps his arms and me and draws me into him, enabling me to sob into him. "I know," he sighs, his hand stroking through my hair, "hey, it could be worse, my love. It'll all be okay, we will get through this like we have gotten through everything else we have had to deal with in the past." He whispers in an attempt to soothe me and make me feel better about everything. "For richer or for poorer," Harry repeats my line as his hand strokes through the soft strands of my hair.