"Did Nelly ask for more than the usual three days off?" Rose's voice broke through the silence as she handed me my bag.
I tried to sound casual, even though I'd been wondering the same thing. "Why?"
"She's just… taking more time than she was supposed to. Young people these days," she muttered, her tone sharp.
I chuckled,. "You hired her, though."
Rose raised an eyebrow. "I expected her to be different from the rest, given how she presented herself. But no, she's just like everyone else—she won't follow the rules."
I leaned back against the doorframe, keeping my tone light. "Maybe it's time you became a little flexible with your rules."
The instant Rose's eyes met mine, I felt the weight of her gaze like daggers. I quickly added, "I'm just concerned you're raising your blood pressure too much. That's not good for you."
"What's not good for me is a tyrant employee." Her voice hardened. "I should issue her a warning."
"She hasn't been out there for almost a month," I pointed out.
"A job is a job," she snapped.
I raised an eyebrow. "When's the last time you got your health checked?"
"Not long ago," Rose replied, avoiding my gaze.
"Not this year," I pressed, my tone shifting from teasing to serious. "Take some time off and get checked. CooperOak won't collapse without you."
Rose's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that. You've got an employee who's not ready to resume—"
"I can handle that," I cut in, brushing past her. "Take the time off, Rose. Today. That's an order."
I shut the door behind me, but as I stepped onto the porch, I still didn't have Nelly's number.
I cursed under my breath, swallowed my pride, and walked back inside without thinking. "Rose," I called out, pushing the door open.
She was on the stairs, her voice distant. "Yeah?"
I found her standing at the top, looking down at me. "You in my room? We talked about privacy."
"Just gathering clothes, boss." She flashed a warm, mocking smile. "Why'd you call?"
I almost chickened out but pushed forward. "Do I have the updated employee records?"
"No, I haven't updated Nelly's file yet," she said, her tone still light.
"Please do. I'll have Jack get them later today."
"I will," she replied with a nod.
"And Rose," I added, giving her a teasing look, "I'm hiding things in that room you shouldn't see."
She smirked, then turned to leave. I sighed, remembering that I'd given my driver the day off a month ago, and Jack was occupied with something else. I didn't have time to waste.
I got into the Cullinan, revved the engine, and navigated out of the estate. Just as I pulled onto the main road, my phone rang. I groaned at the ID before answering.
As I swiped to answer the call, Jake's voice filled the car.
"You've really got a lot of time on your hands, huh? Four days of constant calls. For someone running a company, that's a lot of free time." i responded as i maneuvered the car into the busy street, glancing at the road ahead.
Jake's chuckle rumbled through the line. "I'm like your dad, aren't I?"
"That's not funny."
"Well, it was supposed to be, but you seriously lack social skills."
"What do you want, Jake?"
He hesitated for a second, then asked, "Can I badmouth you and steal your client?"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't you dare."
Jake laughed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Stop being such a killjoy."
"I mean it. Stop calling my phone."
"Why? You got a new girl?"
"Everything isn't about women, Jake. I'm not like my dad."
He let out a low chuckle. "You'll be surprised at how much you're like him. You've got that whole 'respectful argument' thing down. Saw it myself."
"No, I—" I started, but he cut me off.
"I asked her friend. She wouldn't say much. Maybe she doesn't know, or maybe she's just playing it cool. But, man, you seemed pretty engaged with whatever was going on."
"Get off my phone, Jake," I snapped.
He mocked a sigh. "Gladly." The line went dead.
I exhaled sharply, finally pulling into the office parking lot. Just as I settled back, trying to clear my head, my phone lit up again. Jack's name flashed across the screen.
"You done?"
"Yes, but I think we need to plan a get-together at your place, sir."
"Why?" I answered, parking the car.
"Mr Zayn wants to see your house. Apparently, you mentioned a get-together when you met. He wants an invite."
"My house?" I repeated, confused.
"Yeah. The team's been using your place as a reference on the extra buildings. Apparently, Zayn wants something like that down the road, too."
"What?" I frowned, more baffled by the minute.
" He's not being pushy. He said it's only if you're up for it."
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "What choice do we have anyway. Organize the get-together. But leave my employees out of it."
"Okay, sir."
I dropped my phone into the cupholder. Honestly, I was already over the corporate network talk. Once Zayn's contract was sorted, the other departments could handle everything else. I just wanted to be more involved in operations.
I stepped out of the car, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife. The whole office still felt off—different departments clearly hadn't gotten their act together yet.
I stepped into the elevator, aware of the intentional delay in everyone's gait as they hesitated to ride with me. It didn't matter. All I cared about was results.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. The screen flashed with Ms. Victoria's name. I sigh and picked up, already bracing myself for whatever she had to say.
"Hey, son," her voice chirped, and a flicker of unease gnawed at me. This couldn't be good. "I'm coming for a visit!"
"No, you're not."
"I'll be there in a week," she pressed, ignoring my interruption.
"I'm not interested."
"I said I'm coming to see you."
"Since when is it about seeing me, Ms. Victoria? We're well past that. Don't come here hoping to dig up information and keep tabs on me. I've got enough on my plate right now. Trust me, you don't want to piss me off." My voice grew sharper than I intended.
"And you have the audaci—"
"Audacity," I cut in, my patience thin. "I have things to do. Now, if you'll excuse me."
I ended the call with a click and let out a slow breath as I walked toward my office. The tension from the phone call still sat heavy on my shoulders when a knock came at the door.