UNEXPECTED REACTIONS
926 Words
By her third day at Sterling Dynamics, Olivia had learned two things.
First, Adrian Lawson expected perfection.
Second, he somehow noticed every mistake.
Unfortunately for him, she hadn't made many.
The morning passed quickly.
Emails.
Meetings.
Schedules.
Documents.
By noon, Olivia was reviewing a presentation in Adrian's office.
"The figures on page seven don't match the projections from page three," she said.
Adrian looked up from his laptop.
"They should."
"They don't."
He frowned and reached for the report.
Olivia leaned forward at the same time.
For a brief moment, they found themselves much closer than either intended.
Close enough for Olivia to notice the faint scent of his cologne.
Close enough for Adrian to notice the tiny crease that appeared between her brows whenever she concentrated.
Both immediately leaned back.
Professional.
Composed.
Unbothered.
Or at least pretending to be.
Olivia pointed to the document.
"There."
Adrian followed her finger.
A second later, he sighed.
"You were right."
A smile tugged at her lips.
"Again."
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"Don't make it a habit."
"I'll try."
The smile he gave her was small.
Rare.
And entirely too distracting.
---
That afternoon, the company hosted a networking luncheon for several investors and business partners.
Olivia had assumed she would remain in the office.
Instead, Adrian informed her otherwise.
"You're coming."
She blinked.
"Me?"
"You handle my schedule."
"That's true."
"Then you're coming."
Simple as that.
---
The ballroom buzzed with conversation.
Executives moved from table to table.
Investors exchanged handshakes.
Reporters lingered near the entrance.
Olivia stayed close to Adrian while trying not to appear as though she was staying close to Adrian.
It was a difficult balance.
Then the atmosphere changed.
People began turning toward the entrance.
Whispers spread across the room.
A tall man entered.
Confident.
Charismatic.
Effortlessly relaxed.
The kind of man who smiled as though the world already belonged to him.
Damien Cole.
Even Olivia recognized him immediately.
The CEO of Vanguard Holdings.
The man newspapers seemed obsessed with.
Damien shook hands with several guests before his gaze landed on Adrian.
A grin appeared.
"Lawson."
Adrian's expression remained neutral.
"Cole."
Olivia immediately sensed the tension.
Not hostility.
Competition.
The kind built over years.
Damien's gaze shifted toward her.
Curious.
Interested.
"You're new."
Olivia nodded politely.
"Olivia Adeyemi."
The grin widened.
"Pleasure to meet you."
Something about the way he said it made her suspicious.
As though he found everything amusing.
Including her.
---
Before another word could be exchanged, a new voice interrupted.
"Adrian."
Olivia turned.
And immediately understood.
The woman approaching them was stunning.
Elegant.
Sophisticated.
The kind of beauty that turned heads without trying.
She walked directly to Adrian.
Before anyone could react, she placed a light kiss on his cheek.
Familiar.
Casual.
Possessive.
Olivia immediately looked away.
It wasn't her business.
Why would it be?
The strange feeling that settled in her chest annoyed her.
She ignored it.
Or tried to.
---
"Amelia," Adrian said.
His voice revealed nothing.
The woman smiled.
Then her attention shifted to Olivia.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The way one might examine an unexpected guest.
"And who is this?"
"My secretary."
Olivia offered a polite smile.
"Olivia Adeyemi."
Amelia returned the smile.
It looked friendly.
It didn't feel friendly.
"How lovely."
Something about the way she said it suggested the opposite.
---
A few minutes later, Adrian was pulled away by a group of investors.
Olivia welcomed the temporary escape.
The luncheon had become more exhausting than she expected.
"You're handling this better than most."
She turned.
Damien Cole stood beside her, a glass of water in one hand.
Olivia raised an eyebrow.
"Handling what?"
"Corporate politics."
His smile widened.
"Most people spend these events trying desperately to impress someone."
"And?"
"You seem more interested in observing."
Olivia folded her arms.
"Maybe I'm just doing my job."
"Maybe."
The amusement in his voice suggested otherwise.
For a moment, silence settled between them.
Then Damien glanced across the room.
Toward Adrian.
Toward Amelia.
Then back to Olivia.
"You looked uncomfortable when she arrived."
Olivia frowned.
"I was fine."
"Of course you were."
The smile remained.
Infuriatingly.
Before she could respond, another guest approached Damien.
He straightened immediately.
"Duty calls."
Olivia couldn't hide her relief.
Damien laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Then he offered a small nod.
"It was nice meeting you, Olivia."
"You too."
As he walked away, Olivia found herself watching him for a moment.
Damien Cole was dangerous.
Not because he was rude.
Not because he was arrogant.
Because he noticed things.
---
The luncheon ended later that afternoon.
Back at Sterling Dynamics, Olivia was organizing Adrian's schedule when a thought escaped before she could stop it.
"Who was she?"
Adrian glanced up from his laptop.
"Amelia."
Olivia resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Obviously.
"I figured that much."
For a moment, Adrian returned his attention to the screen.
Then:
"She was my fiancée."
Olivia froze.
Only briefly.
A second.
Maybe less.
Long enough for Adrian to notice.
Not long enough for him to comment.
"I see."
Her voice sounded perfectly normal.
Which was impressive considering the sudden disappointment she refused to acknowledge.
Of course they had been engaged.
Look at her.
Someone like Amelia belonged beside someone like Adrian.
Not a secretary.
Certainly not her.
---
As Olivia left the office that evening, she found herself replaying the events of the day.
Damien.
Amelia.
The kiss.
The engagement.
Too many thoughts.
Too many questions.
And for reasons she refused to examine, one question lingered longer than the others.
Why had it bothered her so much?
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD