A Signature That Bound Us

Chapter Ten

Aurelia’s POV

I had seen David Vale countless times on television, business interviews, award ceremonies, charity galas, and magazine covers. He was the kind of man whose name could command attention without his presence in the room, even when other executives spoke, cameras often returned to him, waiting for his reaction but seeing a man on television was different from standing a few feet away from him. I was about to discover just how different, “keep up, Miss Laurent.” Lior’s sharp voice pulled me from my thoughts, he was walking ahead of me through the private corridor leading to the chairman’s office, his long strides making it difficult to keep pace without practically jogging.

“I’m keeping up, Mr. Vale,” I replied.

“Then stop looking around,” I pressed my lips together, I hadn’t realized that observing my surroundings was now an offence. We passed two employees who immediately straightened when they saw him. One greeted him, but Lior barely acknowledged the greeting, the other stepped aside so quickly that I felt sorry for him. I was beginning to understand why people at Vale Enterprises seemed to hold their breath whenever Lior walked past, he didn’t simply expect people to obey him. He carried himself as though obedience were the most natural thing in the world, perhaps he had inherited that from his father. The thought had barely formed when we got to the chairman’s reception area. It was more luxurious than anything I had seen inside the company so far, dark wood covered the walls, a large abstract painting hung above a low console, and a carefully arranged collection of books and awards occupied one side of the room. Even the chairs looked expensive enough to discourage anyone from sitting carelessly.

Behind the reception desk sat a middle-aged man in a charcoal suit, he rose immediately when he saw Lior. “Good evening sir.”

“Where is my father?”

The man hesitated, “the chairman is in his office.”

“I can see that, is he alone?”

“He’s resting at the moment, sir.”

Lior stopped, “resting?”

“Yes, sir. The chairman asked not to be disturbed for a little while.”

A muscle moved in Lior’s jaw, “I don’t care.”

The assistant’s expression tightened. “Mr. Vale, perhaps I could inform him that…”

“No,” Lior walked past the desk. “I need to see him now.”

“Sir, the chairman is taking a nap.”

“And I said I don’t care,” he continued toward the double doors at the end of the reception area. I exchanged an uncomfortable glance with the assistant before hurrying after him.

“Mr. Vale,” the man called, rising from his chair. “Please, let me announce you first.” Lior didn’t slow down, he pushed the doors open and walked straight into his father’s office. I followed a step behind, uncertain whether I was supposed to remain outside or accompany him. Before I could decide, the doors swung shut behind us. The office was enormous, with tall windows overlooking the city. A broad desk stood near the windows, its polished surface almost entirely clear apart from a laptop, a few documents, and a crystal decanter.

David Vale sat in a leather armchair beside a small table, holding a glass of wine, he wasn’t asleep. He appeared perfectly comfortable, dressed in a dark shirt and tailored trousers, with one leg crossed over the other. A book lay open beside him, and soft lighting illuminated the expensive furnishings.

He looked like a man who had spent his entire life in rooms where nobody dared tell him no, he looked at

Lior, then he placed his glass on the table. “Lior,” his voice was calm, but the displeasure beneath it was unmistakable. “Why are you barging into my office like this?”

“Father, we need to talk.”

“Clearly,” David glanced toward the closed door, “but have you forgotten how to knock?”

“I don’t have time for this father.”

“Then perhaps you should learn to manage your time better,” Lior’s expression darkened, I remained near the door, silently wishing I could disappear into the expensive carpet. The resemblance between them was remarkable, it wasn’t merely their dark hair, strong features, or the way they held themselves. It was the authority in their eyes, the impatience in their expressions, and their shared ability to make a simple conversation feel like a confrontation. He had certainly inherited his father’s intimidating presence and unfortunately,

he seemed to have inherited the man’s manners too. David’s gaze shifted to me, it travelled from my face to my blouse, then down to my skirt and shoes before returning to my face. He didn’t bother disguising his assessment, his expression changed almost imperceptibly, but the slight tightening around his mouth told me enough.

I knew that look, it was the look of someone who had already decided what I was worth before I had opened my mouth. “Good evening, sir,” I greeted politely.

He didn’t answer, for a moment, I wondered whether he hadn’t heard me. Then he turned back to his son as though I were an insignificant object someone had left in his office, “and who is this?”

I kept my expression composed, Lior look at me before answering. “She works for me.”

“Your employee? And you brought her into my office?”

“She’s working on the acquisition review,” he answered.

David gave a short, humourless laugh, “Lior, if you have something to discuss with me, you can do so without bringing members of your staff into it.”

“She needs to be here.”

“Does she?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Then you have misunderstood the situation, whatever you have to say, you will say it to me privately.” I felt my eyebrows draw together, the conversation they are about to have concerned the documents I had been reviewing, my presence made sense. Apparently, David Vale disagreed, he

turned toward me. “You may step outside.”

I stared at him for a second, “sir?”

“You heard me, wait outside.” The dismissive tone irritated me more than the instruction itself, I turned to Lior, expecting him to explain that I was there at his request or at least acknowledge that his father was speaking to his employee in front of him.

Instead, he looked as though he was struggling to contain his anger, “Dad, she’s the one handling the acquisition review, she needs to be here.”

“Then perhaps you should have chosen a more appropriate time to discuss it,” he replied dismissively.

“This concerns the company Dad.”

“And I am the chairman of this company,” David’s voice remained quiet. “If you want me to listen to what you have to say, she needs to leave.”

The words settled heavily in the room, I had never met a man who could make a perfectly ordinary instruction sound like a declaration of ownership.

My first instinct was to object, I wanted to remind him that I hadn’t invited myself into his office, that his son had brought me here, and that I had no intention of standing around while two powerful men decided whether I was worthy of being present but I also had to be smart, my family didn’t have the luxury of allowing my pride to make financial decisions for us. I had worked hard to earn my position, and I wasn’t going to jeopardize it because David Vale had decided I didn’t belong in his office. I exhaled, “of course, sir.” I said, turning

toward the door.

“Miss Laurent,” Lior called, “you can wait outside.”

I stared at him, unable to believe he had just repeated what his father had said. Then why did you bring me here? The question burned on my tongue, instead, I gave him a restrained nod. “Certainly sir,” I left without another word. The chairman’s assistant was standing behind his desk when I returned to the reception area, he glanced at me, then toward the closed office doors.

“Would you like to sit down, Miss?”

“Yes, thank you.” I said, while he indicated one of the chairs near the window. I sat, placed my folder on my lap, and stared at the double doors. What kind of family was this? The father was rude, the son was rude, and somehow they both seemed convinced that everyone else was the problem, what a perfect combination. I rolled my eyes, I had spent the day trying to do my job properly, only to be dragged into an office where I wasn’t welcome. Worse, Lior had told me to come with him and he had to side with his father when he sent me away.

I could have been home by now, eating dinner with my family and listening to Justin complain about his day while Mia argued with him over something completely insignificant. Instead, I was sitting in a billionaire’s reception area, wondering why I had ever thought working for Lior Vale would be straightforward.

A few minutes passed, I checked the time on my phone again, fifteen minutes had gone by since I had left the office. I couldn’t hear the conversation clearly, but occasionally, a raised voice carried through the doors. Once, I heard what sounded like a chair scraping against the floor. After that, the voices dropped again. I tried not to speculate about what was happening inside, it wasn’t my business.

Still, I couldn’t help wondering what was in the further documentation that could make Lior so furious. Whatever it was, it had to be important, the

doors suddenly opened. Lior emerged, his jacket already on, his expression colder than before. He didn’t look toward the reception desk or acknowledge the assistant. He simply walked past me, I rose quickly and picked up my folder. “Mr. Vale?” I called but he continued walking, I followed him into the corridor. “Mr. Vale, are we going back to the office?”

“No.”

I waited for him to explain but he didn’t, “should I continue with the acquisition review tomorrow morning?”

He stopped so abruptly that I nearly walked into him, he turned, his eyes were hard. “Miss Laurent, do I need to explain every decision I make to you?”

“No, sir. I was asking about my assignment.”

“Then concern yourself with your assignment during working hours,” I stared at him, you brought me here, I swallowed the words. He checked his watch, “you can leave. We’ll see tomorrow,” with that being said, he turned and continued walking without looking back. I stood there for a moment, watching him disappear around the corner, not

a word about what had happened inside or acknowledgment that I had spent nearly half an hour waiting outside his father’s office, just an order to leave.

I exhaled slowly, “unbelievable.” I muttered, I wasn’t sure whether I meant Lior, his father, or the entire Vale family or probably all three. I collected my things and headed toward the elevators, I was tired, hungry, and more than ready to go home. Whatever had happened between Lior and his father was clearly none of my business, and I had no intention of volunteering for another round of their family drama. As the elevator doors closed, my phone vibrated, it was a message from Ava.

Ava: “Hey, girl, how was your day? Don’t tell me your arrogant boss has finally succeeded in driving you crazy. 😂”

I couldn’t help smiling, the tension in my shoulders eased. After dealing with Lior’s temper and his father’s obvious contempt, seeing Ava’s message felt unexpectedly comforting. At least someone remembered to check on me, I replied her. “Girl, you have no idea, your friend is working for the most difficult man on earth.

Her reply came almost immediately, “should I come and rescue you, or should I start looking for your replacement? 😂”

I laughed quietly inside the elevator, “neither, I need this job, remember? But remind me to tell you everything when we talk, you won’t believe the family I work for.

“Whenever you’re ready, don’t forget to eat something when you get home.” I stared at her message for a moment, smiling, it was such a simple thing, yet it meant more than she probably realized. The day had left me feeling like an outsider in a world where money and power determined who deserved respect, I typed a quick reply, promising to call her later, then slipped my phone into my bag. Tomorrow, I would return to work and deal with whatever Lior had planned.

Tonight, I just wanted to go home, eat dinner with my family, and enjoy the company of people who didn’t make me feel as though I had to earn the right to be treated decently and that would always be enough.