UNWELCOME ATTENTION
706 Words
Olivia spent the entire weekend convincing herself she didn't care.
About Amelia.
About the kiss.
About the engagement.
By Monday morning, she had almost succeeded.
Almost.
---
The executive floor was unusually busy when she arrived.
Several meetings had been moved.
Two investors had requested emergency briefings.
And Adrian's schedule looked like a battlefield.
Olivia had barely settled at her desk when Adrian emerged from his office.
"Good morning."
The greeting surprised her.
It was the first time he had initiated one.
"Good morning, sir."
He glanced at the tablet in her hands.
"You're here early."
"So are you."
A dangerous response.
Olivia immediately regretted it.
To her surprise, Adrian simply nodded.
"Fair point."
Then he disappeared into his office.
For some reason, the exchange left her smiling.
---
An hour later, the smile vanished.
The receptionist approached her desk.
"Miss Amelia Reed is here to see Mr. Lawson."
Olivia looked up.
Of course she was.
The receptionist lowered her voice.
"She says she doesn't have an appointment."
Olivia checked Adrian's calendar.
"No appointment."
"Should I send her away?"
Olivia hesitated.
Professional.
Be professional.
"Let Mr. Lawson decide."
---
Unfortunately, Amelia decided for herself.
She walked straight onto the executive floor as though she owned it.
Elegant.
Confident.
Perfectly dressed.
Olivia hated how effortlessly beautiful she looked.
Amelia stopped beside her desk.
A smile appeared.
The same smile from the luncheon.
Polite.
Cold.
"Olivia, isn't it?"
"Miss Reed."
Amelia's eyes flickered briefly.
She had expected friendliness.
Instead she received professionalism.
"Is Adrian available?"
"I'll check."
Before Olivia could reach for the phone, Adrian's office door opened.
"Amelia."
The older woman smiled immediately.
"There you are."
And just like that, Olivia became invisible.
---
The meeting lasted nearly forty minutes.
Forty extremely irritating minutes.
Not that Olivia was counting.
She absolutely was.
When Amelia finally emerged, she paused beside Olivia's desk.
"You're doing well here."
The compliment felt strange.
Artificial.
"Thank you."
Amelia's smile widened.
"Though executive positions can be difficult."
Olivia's fingers paused over the keyboard.
"How so?"
"Oh, nothing."
The answer came too quickly.
"Sometimes people forget where they belong."
Then she walked away.
---
For several moments, Olivia simply stared after her.
The message had been clear.
Painfully clear.
---
"Ignore her."
Olivia nearly jumped.
Adrian stood beside her desk.
She hadn't heard him approach.
"I'm sorry?"
"Amelia."
His expression remained neutral.
"She enjoys getting reactions from people."
Olivia looked away.
"I wasn't reacting."
"No."
A pause.
"You were trying very hard not to."
Heat rushed to her cheeks.
To her relief, Adrian returned to his office before she could embarrass herself further.
---
The rest of the afternoon passed quietly.
Until a file arrived.
A simple request from the archives department.
Routine.
Forgettable.
Except for one thing.
The name printed across the top.
HAROLD ADEYEMI.
Olivia froze.
Her father's name.
For a moment, she wondered if she was imagining it.
Slowly, she opened the folder.
Inside was only a routing sheet.
The actual contents were missing.
Removed.
Transferred.
Authorized by:
WILLIAM LAWSON.
Olivia stared at the page.
Confusion quickly gave way to unease.
Why would William Lawson have access to her father's records?
More importantly—
Why was he looking at them now?
---
Elsewhere in the building, William sat alone in his office.
The complete file rested open before him.
Years of secrets.
Years of mistakes.
Years of consequences.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
The door opened.
A senior executive stepped inside.
Nervous.
William noticed immediately.
"Well?"
The man swallowed.
"She found the routing request."
William's gaze hardened.
"And?"
"She knows someone accessed the file."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
The executive shifted uncomfortably.
"Should we be concerned?"
William closed the folder.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Deliberately.
Then he looked up.
"Not yet."
The answer should have been reassuring.
Instead, it sounded like a warning.
---
Back on the executive floor, Olivia stared once more at the routing sheet hidden beneath her desk.
A thousand questions filled her mind.
Questions nobody seemed willing to answer.
For the first time since joining Sterling Dynamics, she stopped thinking about Adrian.
Stopped thinking about Amelia.
Stopped thinking about everything else.
Because one thought had taken their place.
What exactly had her father discovered before he died?
- Writer
