“Her having strong feelings besides indifference for me isn’t something I considered. Hell, I never even wanted to think of it for a hundred reasons, but most of all because she’s the best assistant I’ve ever had. Losing her isn’t an option. Especially not when she is an essential part of my plan to take over my father’s position.”

Asher reveals Declan’s feelings for Iris early in the novel, as well as his attempts to ignore them. In fact, Declan seems to suspect his feelings, even if he doesn’t directly acknowledge them. Asher also foreshadows Iris’s resignation—both the one she takes back and the one Declan must accept.

“Sure, my relationship history isn’t the prettiest. I’m always the one to bow out before things get real because fear makes me act first and have regrets later. My patterns aren’t the healthiest, but they’ve prevented me from ever turning into my mother. Because while I love her, growing up witnessing her abusive marriage to my father turned me off from ever putting myself in that position. To love means to lose more than I’m willing to part with.”

Iris, like Declan, is upfront with people about the fact that she does not want to be in a serious relationship. Also, like Declan, Iris is aware of the reasons for that avoidance. In this moment, Asher sets up the personal belief that the plot will upend: “To love means to lose more than I’m willing to part with.”

“‘I don’t want any child to grow up thinking their parents don’t love them.’ […] You had to go and tie yourself to someone with more daddy issues than you.”

When Iris insists that Declan share custody of their future child, the scene reveals two important things about Iris’s character. First, she reveals Iris’s determination to make a child feel loved. Most importantly, it reveals Iris’s strength and determination, which help her overcome obstacles throughout the novel.