My secretary appeared out of nowhere. The temptation to cut her off before she even spoke was strong, but I held myself back, letting her get the words out.
"A manager from PR stopped by earlier," she said, her voice tentative. "He said there's been a slight adjustment."
My frustration with her report spiked, but I forced myself to stay calm. By the time she finished, I was already irritated beyond reason.
"Nelly, I thought I made it clear there's only one thing I'm interested in," I said, my tone low but firm.
The words barely left my mouth before I realized I'd said Nelly's name instead of Samantha's. I cleared my throat.
"Samatha."
She nodded, leaving without a word.
What the hell was that? It wasn't like Nelly had been on my mind—or that I'd seen her in nearly a week.
I opened Rose's email, my eyes darting straight to the list. Nelly's name was near the top. I clicked her profile without thinking, my stomach tightening.
Her phone number appeared first, followed by the photo. It was a passport shot—too close, too personal. Her eyes stared out from the screen, hazy and sharp, like she could see right through me. The same judgmental gaze from the nights before, only clearer now, sharper. But there was something else. Something familiar. Her eyes reminded me of when we first met—wide, curious, but not quite trusting. Like she was watching, but trying not to stare too much at the man in front of her.
I clicked my tongue, dragging my attention away from the photo. I typed in her number. My thumb hovered over the dial button.
What the hell was I going to say?
I should be angry. She had judged me, hadn't she? The way she spoke—like I was some kind of joke. But why the hell did it matter? She was just an employee. A woman who happened to live in my house for a while. And now, suddenly, she didn't seem interested in her job? Who cares?
I pulled my hand back, my finger retreating from the screen. There was no reason to call. The lines were already drawn. The days leading up to those three nights ago had been… complicated.
I shoved the phone away from me.
I swiped to social media, mindlessly searching for Zayn's account. Something to distract me from… whatever that was. But as I scrolled, a familiar face popped up under "People You May Know."
Nelly.
I clicked without thinking. There she was, smiling in vacation photos, every shot flawless. Bikinis, dresses—each picture seemed to be crafted to look perfect. She was everywhere, her smile, her pose, her effortless beauty. I couldn't stop scrolling. Each new photo felt like a punch, reminding me how easily I was drawn to her
The knock on the door broke the spell.
I slammed my phone off, stuffing it into my pocket, just as Sam's head appeared in the doorway.
"It's time for the meeting," she said, her voice clipped.
I nodded, barely hearing her. The tension in my chest hadn't loosened. I felt like I'd been caught—caught doing something I shouldn't have been engaged in. Caught in something that wasn't supposed to matter.
***
I collapsed onto the bed, releasing a deep sigh as the weight of the long day settled in. Small, insignificant tasks popped into my head, but I pushed them away, determined to empty my mind.
I closed my eyes, letting the stillness take over. But before I could drift off, a sudden beep from my phone snapped me awake. I groaned, annoyed. I could've sworn I turned it off.
The screen glowed from the edge of the bed. I reached for it, squinting at the name. Nelly. My eyes snapped open wider. Does she have my number?
I swiped to answer, the drowsiness still clinging to me.
"He really answered? I wasn't sure it was your number," Nelly's voice came through, slurred. She'd been drinking, that much was obvious.
"What is it, Nelly?" I repressed a yawn.
"Look at you, being rude again. I'm not sorry for making you mad again. Bye!" She hung up before I could respond.
I chuckled, tossing my phone aside, letting my head sink back into the pillow. But then, her voice came through again, distant but clear enough for me to catch her rant.
"See, I told you, he's so rude. I won't like him anymore! He's not even that handsome, you know? His abs aren't perfect, just a little perfect. A little handsome… not that much."
Her voice faded out as loud music blasted through the phone, followed by the muffled sounds of men talking. I groaned and snapped awake, irritation rising.
"Nelly, where are you?" I called into the phone, louder this time, hoping she'd hear me through the chaos on the other end.
There was no response, just the distant noise of male voices, too muffled to make out. I sat up, my nerves fraying.
I hung up and dialed her number again, the seconds ticking by as the phone rang and rang. Each second was making me more and more frantic.
Finally, her voice crackled back to life.
"Why are you calling me?" she asked, irritated but still slurring.
"Where are you?" I kept my tone steady, even though my mind was racing.
"Where is this?" she slurred back. "The club. The same one I saw you at. Why?"
"Show your friend's VIP pass to the bartender," I said, already moving to change my clothes. "Tell them to lead you to a private room. Right now."
"Why?"
"I said do it now," I barked, my voice sharper than I intended. "Nelly, if you don't do this right now, I promise you, my anger will surpass your expectations."
"Fine." Her response was laced with defiance, but I could hear her talking to the bartender in the background. "We're headed there. But what's there?"
"We? You and who?"
"Danielle."
"Your friend?"
"Yeah," she giggled, and I could hear Danielle's voice in the background, muffled by the noise.
"I'll be right there."
Before I could add anything else, she hung up, the line going dead.
I stared at my phone in disbelief for a moment, my frustration bubbling over. With a swift motion, I grabbed my keys and texted Hunter—my friend, the club owner. I told him to take care of them until I arrived.
without another thought, I headed for the door.