Chapter12
1429 Words
LUCAS’ POV
I read the same sentence four times.
It still didn’t make sense.
The contract sat open on my desk, waiting for my signature, but my eyes kept drifting to the glass wall separating my office from Natalie’s. She was typing away on her laptop, occasionally stopping to answer a phone call or jot something down in the notebook she carried everywhere.
She’d settled into the job faster than I’d expected.
Tom couldn’t stop praising her. Emily said she’d already organized half the mess I’d been ignoring for months. Even Ethan, who enjoyed finding something wrong with everyone, admitted she was doing well.
None of it surprised me.
The woman I’d met five years ago had been just as organized. She laughed at how chaotic my apartment looked after insisting on making breakfast before she left.
Then she just disappeared.
Five years later, she walked into my company as if I’d imagined the entire night.
I leaned back in my chair and rubbed a hand over my face.
Maybe Ethan was right. Maybe I needed to let it go.
Especially since she pretended not to remember me. The thought should’ve made moving on easier.
Instead, it made absolutely no sense.
She knew exactly who I was. And ever since she saw me, she had done everything possible to avoid being alone with me.
I wasn’t imagining that either.
Every conversation stayed painfully professional. Every time I walked into her office, she somehow found another document to stare at instead of looking at me.
It was deliberate.
The question was…
Why?
I turned my chair toward the window, hoping the skyline would distract me.
It didn’t.
My eyes drifted back toward her office again.
She laughed quietly at something Emily had said before handing over a file.
I found myself smiling. It was the exact same laugh, five years hadn’t changed it.
I closed my eyes.
This was ridiculous.
I was thirty-two years old, running one of the largest companies in the country, yet I couldn’t focus on a single meeting because of a woman I’d spent one night with half a decade ago.
I told myself I wouldn’t ask and she worked for me now. I needed to respect her boundaries and learn to never cross the line she had obviously already drawn out for me.
Whatever had happened between us belonged in the past. If she wanted to pretend we’d never met, then maybe I should do the same.
I looked toward her office one last time.
She happened to look up at the exact same moment.
Our eyes met through the glass.
She froze for less than a second. Then she looked away.
That was the sign I was silently hoping for.
I pushed my chair back and stood up.
I was done pretending.
One conversation..... That was all I wanted.
If she told me to forget about that night, I’d do exactly that.
But first…
I needed to know why she’d disappeared.
I walked into her office without knocking.
She instantly stood up. “Good morning, Mr. King. I was just about to-”
“Natalie,” I cut in.
She cleared her throat. “Yes, sir?”
“Why are you doing this?”
She took a slight step back, obviously confused. “Sorry?”
“We’ve been pretending for over a week now. I’d rather we stop.”
She looked down at the table. Once again, avoiding eye contact with me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I sighed. “Why did you disappear?”
“Mr. King, I-”
“Natalie. It’s been over a week. It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, but at least stop making me feel like I’m crazy for recognizing you.”
She tried to speak, but she couldn’t form the words.
“All I’m asking is for you to tell me why.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Mr. King”
I took a step forward. “Don’t do that.” I held her gaze. “Don’t pretend you don’t remember me. I know it’s you.”
She closed her eyes briefly before letting out a slow breath.
“I remember you.”
I slowly shook my head. “Why were you pretending not to know who I was?”
“I wasn’t pretending not to. I didn’t think there was much to say.”
I scoffed. “You spent a night in my apartment.”
Her eyes widened. “Lucas!” She looked around to make sure no one was looking at us.
That was the first time I heard her call my name. I never thought I’d hear her say it.
“You can’t say that here.”
“Where can I say it then?” I took another step closer.
I could notice her breath getting shaky with each step I took. But she had finally admitted to something I had been struggling to figure out, and I didn’t know how else to react to it.
“You disappeared. And then you show up to my company as a personal assistant out of nowhere. How did you expect me to react?”
“I didn’t expect a reaction,” she said quietly. “I came here to work, Mr. King. Nothing else.” She was finally looking at me in the eyes.
“What?”
Suddenly, her phone starts to ring.
She didn’t wait a second to pick it up.
“Hello?”
She was quiet for a few seconds. Then,
“I’m on my way.”
She hung up and looked back at me.
“I’m sorry, Mr. King, I have to go. Everything on your schedule has already been arranged for today, and it seems we’re both free for the day. If you don’t mind, I’d like to leave for a few hours.”
“What, is Ava okay?”
I don’t know why I assumed Ava was the problem, but she was her only family….
She hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“Her caretaker says she’s coming up with a cold. I just want to make sure everything’s fine.”
“Do you need a ride there?”
She paused.
“What? We’re both free for the day aren’t we?”
She cleared her throat. “Thank you for offering, but I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
She stepped back. “Yes. Can I please go now?”
I put my hands back in my pocket and reluctantly nodded.
She started packing up her things. “I’ll send all the documents you need to sign via email.”
She didn’t even look at me once.
“Thank you.”
Then she walked out.
For a few seconds, I just stood there trying to understand what I was feeling.
I wasn’t sure if I was more hurt about her dismissive tone or the fact that she pretended not to notice the tension between us.
Eventually, I left the office.
Ethan walked in shortly after.
“I saw you and Natalie,” he said before sitting.
“And?”
“What was that about?”
“I confronted her.”
“You what?”
“I asked her why she pretended not to know who I was.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Ethan looked disappointed, but his opinions never made sense, so I didn’t care.
“She’s your assistant, Lucas.”
“She’s my assistant. Seeing her every day and pretending none of it happened wasn’t sustainable.”
“Asking her is weird!”
I rolled my eyes and went back to reading and signing.
“What did she say?”
“She admitted to recognizing me.”
“And?”
“That was it. She had to leave to see her daughter.”
“Ava? The one who gave you that drawing you have refused to throw away?”
“Is there another daughter I don’t know of?”
“Lucas…”
“I don’t want to hear it, okay?”
“Okay fine.” Ethan raised his hands up in defeat.
He stood up again to leave but stopped.
“She’s had an effect on you since she walked in. Imagine what’ll happen if you rekindle whatever it is you had with her. Rejection or acceptance would do just as much damage.”
Then, he left.
Ethan usually said stupid things for jokes, but this time, as much as I hated to admit it….
He was right.
- Writer
