Chapter10
1609 Words
NATALIE’S POV
The document Lucas sent the night before had taken forever to finish. By the time I submitted the revised version, it was almost two in the morning.
Then I spent another hour staring at the ceiling.
Thinking about Jason and the money I didn't have.
Thinking about why Lucas King had suddenly become interested in whether my daughter was feeling better. I wondered if he knew the truth and it made me worry.
He couldn't have known. Except his mother told him which I doubt considering she did everything to get rid of me.
The more I thought of him, the more confused I got.
Thankfully, work gave me little time to think.
The moment I stepped into King’s Corporation, Mia handed me a tablet and three sticky notes.
“Good morning to you too.”
She grinned.
“Conference call at ten. Budget review at eleven. Lucas wants last month’s reports on his desk before noon.”
I stared at her.
“He said he wasn't going to put pressure on me today. Men and their lies."
She looked at me confused. "What?"
I sighed. "It's nothing."
I took the tablet from her and headed to my office.
The morning passed quickly.
I didn't get to see Lucas that morning and I was glad I didn't. Not seeing his face kept me restrained from yelling in his face.
By lunchtime, I was already buried in work.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
A call from Carla.
A small smile appeared on my face.
It disappeared the second I answered.
“Natalie?”
Her tone told me something was wrong.
Immediately, I sat up straighter.
“What happened?”
“Nothing happened to Ava.”
The relief was instant.
Then Carla continued.
“But I have an emergency.”
My stomach tightened again.
“My sister was just admitted to the hospital. I need to leave immediately.”
“Oh.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I had another option.”
“No, no. It’s okay.”
I stood up and began pacing.
“How long?”
“Maybe an hour. Two at most.”
I closed my eyes.
“Can I bring her to you?” Carla asked.
I looked around my office.
Absolutely not.
Lucas would kill me.
“Uhm, just give me a few minutes."
After ending the call, I immediately called Mia.
“Too busy to come downstairs?”
“Carla has an emergency.”
“Is Ava okay?”
“She’s fine.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I have nobody to watch her.”
There was a brief pause.
Then, “Bring her here.”
I almost laughed.
“Mia.”
“I’m serious.”
“To work?”
“Where else?”
I rubbed my forehead.
“Lucas already thinks I’m unprofessional.”
“He literally sent you home early yesterday.”
“That’s different.”
“It literally isn’t. Besides, she can stay with me. Everyone here loves kids."
I sighed. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t have a choice, Natalie.”
Unfortunately, she was right.
An hour later, I was standing outside Carla's apartment.
Ava smiled the second she saw me.
“Mommy!”
I picked her up immediately.
“Hey, baby.”
“Why are you here?”
“Because you’re spending the afternoon with me.”
Her eyes widened.
“Really?”
I nodded. “Really.”
Five minutes later she was sitting beside me in a cab, kicking her feet excitedly.
“I get to see your office?”
“Yes.”
“And your boss?”
I nearly choked. “Hopefully not.”
She giggled.
The second we arrived, I took her straight to Mia.
My best friend immediately abandoned everything she was doing.
“Oh my God.”
Ava laughed as Mia scooped her up.
“I missed you.”
“I saw you two days ago.”
“That’s a long time.”
I shook my head.
“You two are ridiculous.”
“We know.”
Mia grabbed some papers and crayons from somewhere.
“Go save your corporate career. I’ll watch her.”
I kissed Ava’s forehead.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.”
For the next hour, I tried focusing on work.
Because every ten minutes I found myself wondering what Ava was doing.
Eventually, I gave up and went looking for her.
I found her sitting on the floor near Mia’s desk.
Papers were scattered everywhere.
Crayons too.
She was completely focused on a drawing.
I smiled.
“There you are.”
She looked up.
“Mommy!”
I sat beside her.
“What are you drawing?”
She proudly handed me a paper.
I immediately burst out laughing.
A stick figure stood in the center.
The eyebrows took up half the face.
Above it were large, crooked letters.
MR. SERIOUS FACE
“Oh my God.”
Ava giggled.
“What?”
“Who is this?”
She pointed behind me.
“That man.”
I turned around.
My smile disappeared.
Lucas standing near the elevators looking through documents.
My heart skipped.
“Ava—”
“There he is!”
Before I could stop her, she jumped up and ran.
Straight toward Lucas.
“Oh my God.”
Mia was already laughing.
I was not.
I hurried after her.
“Ava!”
Too late.
She had already reached him.
I froze where I was and had both hands on my mouth already thinking of what to write in my resignation letter.
Lucas looked down as she thrust the paper toward him.
For a second, he looked genuinely confused.
Then he accepted it.
I was mortified.
“Ava, honey—” I whispered.
“That’s you.”
Lucas looked at the drawing, then at Ava, then back at the drawing.
His expression remained completely blank.
I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.
Finally, he spoke.
“You made this?”
Ava nodded proudly.
“I did.”
Lucas studied the paper again.
“My eyebrows aren’t that big.”
Ava tilted her head.
“Yes they are.”
Silence.
Then, to my complete shock, Lucas smiled. Like a full smile that could pass as a laugh.
The sight completely transformed his face.
Ava grinned.
“I knew it.”
Lucas folded the paper carefully.
“You’re very confident.”
“I’m always right.”
That one made him laugh.
I stared, Mia stared, the receptionist stared. Hell, half the lobby stared.
Nobody had ever seen Lucas King laugh so easily.
Ava pointed at him.
“See?”
“See what?”
“You’re happier now. You looked grumpy before."
Something shifted briefly in his expression. His face softened.
He crouched slightly so he was eye level with her.
“You’re a better artist than whoever draws me in the newspapers.”
Ava gasped dramatically.
“I know. I'm gonna be an artist!"
Lucas shook his head and laughed again. Then he reached out and gently tucked one of her curls behind her ear.
My breathing stopped, literally.
The gesture was so natural....so gentle. And so unexpected.
Ava smiled brightly before running straight back to me.
I immediately wrapped my arms around her.
Mostly to stop her from saying anything else.
Lucas stood.
For a moment our eyes met.
Neither of us spoke.
Then he looked down at the folded paper in his hand and walked away with it.
The second he disappeared around the corner, Mia grabbed my arm.
“Did he just keep it?”
I stared after him.
“Apparently.”
Hours later, Mia texted saying Carla had picked up Ava.
I called Carla to make sure her and her sister were okay. She said it was a mild concussion from falling and I had nothing to worry about.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur.
By the time I was preparing to leave, Lucas called me into his office.
I immediately became nervous.
Lucas sat behind his desk reviewing documents.
Without looking up, he spoke.
“Your daughter seems pleasant.”
The comment caught me off guard.
“Thank you.”
He nodded once. Then finally looked at me.
“She’s also fearless. I guess she gets that from you?"
I laughed softly.
“That’s one way to describe her.”
A strange silence settled between us.
Then Lucas leaned back slightly.
“She looks just like you.”
My heart skipped.
His gaze lingered for a second too long. Like there was another question sitting behind his eyes. One he was refusing to ask.
I looked away first.
“Most people say that.”
“Hm.”
Again, it felt like he wanted to say something else.
But instead he simply picked up another file.
Professional. Just like always.
“You’re free to go.”
I nodded.
“Goodnight, Mr. King.”
“Goodnight, Miss Hart.”
I turned and headed for the door.
Then his voice stopped me.
“Natalie.”
I froze.
It was the first time he’d used my first name.
Slowly, I turned around.
“Yes?”
His expression remained unreadable.
“Your daughter is a sweet girl.”
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
Then he looked back down at his paperwork.
The moment was over.
“You should get her home.”
I nodded once.
Then quietly left his office.
But all the way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about the drawing or his amazing smile. Or the fact that Lucas King had kept it.
I didn't know how to feel about it.
He was confusing me too much.
- Writer
