Chapter twelve
1248 Words
CHAPTER TWELVE
Look who finally decided to return,” Alexa’s voice called from the living room. She was curled up on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her legs, phone glowing faintly in her hands.
Emma groaned softly. “You’re still awake?”
“Obviously.” Alexa set her phone aside, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “Now, spill. How was the fancy dinner with the big bad boss?”
Emma sighed, dropping her purse on the table. “Exhausting. Everyone in that room looked like they owned half the city.”
Alexa’s eyes twinkled. “And your boss? Did he smile? Scowl? Declare his undying love under the chandelier?”
“Alexa,” Emma said, shaking her head but smiling despite herself. “It was work. Strictly professional.”
“Sure,” Alexa said, clearly unconvinced. “So, how was it really? I mean, the food, the people… him?”
Emma hesitated, her thoughts slipping back to the dinner — the elegant cruelty of the guests, the subtle games played through smiles, and Lucian’s sharp gaze cutting through it all.
“It was intimidating,” she admitted softly. “Everyone there had this… power about them. Like every word mattered. But…” she paused, glancing at Alexa, “Lucian was different. He didn’t let anyone talk down to me. When one of the executives got… inappropriate, he shut it down immediately.”
Alexa’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh? That’s something.”
Emma shrugged. “I guess. It’s strange — I thought he was just cold, but sometimes he feels almost… protective.”
“Uh-huh.” Alexa stretched and smiled. “Anyway, enough about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Unavailable. I want to hear about me. My modeling gig? You haven’t even asked!”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Oh my God — you’re right. I’m so sorry. I’ve been so buried in work I didn’t even think to ask. How did it go?”
Alexa waved her off. “Hey, don’t worry about it. It went great, actually. The shoot was intense but fun. I met some people who might help me land another campaign soon.”
“That’s amazing,” Emma said, genuine warmth in her voice. “You deserve it, Lex.”
Alexa smiled softly. “Thanks, babe.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the soft hum of the fridge filling the air. The night felt calm — safe.
“I’m proud of you, you know,” Alexa said, her voice gentler now. “You’re doing so well, even if you don’t see it.”
Emma smiled faintly. “You always say that.”
“Because it’s true,” Alexa replied simply.
********
The moment Emma stepped into the office that morning, she knew something was wrong.
Whispers floated through the air like smoke — faint, poisonous, impossible to ignore. Conversations that had once paused when Lucian entered now fell silent when she walked by. Heads turned subtly. Eyes darted. And every smile that met her was laced with something cruel.
By the time she reached her desk, her stomach had already tightened into knots.
“Morning,” said Harper, the receptionist, a little too sweetly. “Late night with the boss?”
Emma froze. “Excuse me?”
Harper’s grin widened. “Oh, come on, don’t act innocent. People talk. You went to that fancy dinner with Mr. Sinclair, didn’t you? Everyone saw the photos. You looked… cozy.”
Her heart thudded painfully. “It was business. I was taking notes.”
“Sure,” Harper said, her tone dripping with disbelief. “That’s what they all say.”
Emma didn’t bother replying. She just turned and walked away, trying to ignore the low laughter that followed her down the hall.
At her desk, she could feel the stares even when she didn’t look up — a hundred silent judgments pressing against her skin. Every sound felt amplified: the click of keyboards, the hum of printers, the faint whispers that carried her name like a curse.
Sinclair’s new toy.
No wonder she got promoted so fast.
Guess hard work really does pay off… in different ways.
Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for her mouse. The words on her screen blurred. She wanted to disappear — crawl into some quiet corner of the world where no one knew her name or her boss’s.
“Miss Cole.”
The sound of his voice snapped her out of her spiral.
Lucian stood in the doorway of his office, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable. The air seemed to shift instantly — whispers dying mid-sentence, eyes darting away.
“Yes, sir?” she said, standing quickly.
“My office.”
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
He didn’t speak at first. Just stood there, staring out the glass window overlooking the city. His reflection was sharp against the skyline — tall, composed, dangerous.
Emma tried to find her voice. “If this is about last night—”
“It’s about this morning,” he interrupted, finally turning. His gaze was cold, but not unkind. “You’ve heard the rumors.”
Her throat tightened. “Everyone has.”
He studied her for a moment. “Does it bother you?”
“Of course it does.” Her voice cracked slightly. “They think I slept my way here. That I—” She stopped, shaking her head. “I worked for this, Mr. Sinclair. I earned it. And now they’re—”
Lucian moved closer, his tone low but firm. “Listen to me.”
She blinked, startled by the quiet authority in his voice.
“You don’t owe them an explanation,” he said. “Let them talk. People like to fill silence with their own insecurities.”
Her breath hitched. “That’s easy for you to say. They don’t talk about you like that.”
His eyes darkened — not with anger, but something else. “You think I haven’t been the subject of rumors before? I built this company surrounded by vultures, Miss Cole. I learned to stop feeding them.”
She looked down, ashamed of the tears threatening to rise. “I just don’t want people to think I’m here for the wrong reasons.”
Lucian’s voice softened, barely above a whisper. “I know why you’re here.”
Her head lifted slowly. His gaze met hers, steady and unflinching. For a moment, the world outside the glass walls ceased to exist.
Then he looked away, the distance snapping back in place. “Now, get back to work. And if anyone has a problem, they can come to me.”
Emma hesitated. “Sir—”
“That’s an order, Miss Cole.”
She nodded, heart pounding. “Yes, sir.”
As she turned to leave, his voice stopped her again — quieter this time, almost reluctant.
“Emma.”
She froze. He rarely used her first name.
Lucian’s eyes softened for a fraction of a second. “You did well last night.”
The words were simple, but they hit deeper than they should have. She left the office with her pulse racing, torn between confusion and something dangerously close to warmth.
Back at her desk, the whispers hadn’t stopped — but something in her had shifted.
She no longer felt small.
Because behind those glass walls sat a man who could silence the entire floor with one look —
and he’d chosen to defend her.
- Writer
