As a human being, as a leader. There were many instances where Derek was not alright and he carried on as though everything was fine and dandy. His mask firmly in place, not a single crack showing anywhere.
It was a learned skill, one that had taken him many years of trial and error to master. But he liked to think that he had finally managed it.
After all when his uncle had pulled his stunt with the solar power plant, Derek had kept his cool outwardly. The only person who'd had an inkling of how much the whole thing was weighing on him had been his PA.
But now the tables had turned, the person right after his mother, whom he could trust whenever he was feeling out of sorts. Was the very reason that Derek was feeling out of sorts. The very first thing that had come to mind when he had seen Emily on Monday morning had not been the good morning that had ended up leaving his lips.
