CHAPTER SIX: AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT
1558 Words
He stood there in the flesh.
Her chest tightened as his deep black eyes locked with hers.
He stared at her. He didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch. His face was neutral as he continued the call.
And that made her red with rage. Here she was losing her mind and her body trembling while he didn’t even look the least bothered about seeing her. Like she was someone he had never met. Someone he didn’t use.
She turned on her heel and walked away as fast as she could. Completely ignoring the elevator she found the stairs. She rushed to the 50th dropping the file and going back to her floor.
“Everything okay?” Myra asked, eyebrows raised.
Alina nodded too quickly hurriedly stuffing her possessions into her hand bag.
“Are you sure? You look a little…”
“I’m just tired. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She didn’t wait to hear a goodnight. She tapped out on the time system, grabbed her bag, and left.
The train ride home was a blur. She stared out the window, watching the city pass in streaks of blue and gold, but her reflection stared back with wide, scared eyes. She felt exposed.
Wolfe & Troame LLP
How did she miss that?
She had tried so much to be someone new that she burnt all memories of that night along with her past self.
Alina tapped her head on the window repeatedly. Wow. She was such an i***t.
That man. The reason her brother lived. The reason she still sometimes hated herself stood less than 10 feet away from her.
And now… now he was her boss.
Was the universe just having fun with her?
She got home, dropped her bag by the door, and locked herself in the bathroom. She splashed the ice cold water on her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Her green eyes had just started to sparkle again. Her black hair was still long but it had luster and style now. She looked better. Stronger. Happier.
She wasn’t the same girl from 6 months ago and she wasn’t going back because of that creep.
She couldn’t let this affect her. She wouldn’t.
Alina showed up the next morning like she hadn’t spent the entire night pacing, stress-eating ice cream, and bargaining with the universe.
She wore her most neutral blazer. Tied her hair back. Made her stance a little straighter.
Do not stand out. That was the plan.
Cel was waiting by her desk, looking better than ever and a coffee cup in each hand.
“Good morning”, she smiled, handing her a cup.
“Good morning, Cel. How was the date.”
Cel rolled her eyes in annoyance and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Disappointing.”
Suddenly Percy’s voice echoed across the bullpen before she could explain further.
“Interns! Conference Room D, now. Line up. And be quiet.”
Everyone scrambled into position, brushing down suits, adjusting their ties and checking their lipstick in their phone cameras.
Alina moved to the edge of the line. Furthest to the left. Safest place to avoid eye contact.
The doors opened.
And there he was.
Cassian Wolfe walked in like he was trying to make sure everyone knew he owned the building. Wearing black on black, from his Armani tailored suit to the Rolex on his wrist. No tie. Not a single wrinkle on his clothes. Not a single trace of emotion on his face.
Nobody dared to release a breath.
Even Percy straightened like a nervous school girl.
“Mr. Wolfe, thank you for making time.”
He barely nodded looking disinterested. “Let’s keep it short. My name is Cassian Wolfe, I want to welcome you and I wish you the best in your internship.”
He finished speaking and the room erupted in applause.
Alina rolled her eyes internally. Why on earth were they clapping? He called us in here just to say 2 sentences. Pompous prick.
Cassian then began moving down the line, shaking hands. One after the other.
Celeste whispered, “Oh my God, he smells amazing.”
Cassian reached her hand. He shook her hand. “Celeste Korede,” she said, with a perfect smile.
He moved on.
Alina’s stomach twisted. She began fidgeting with her clothes.
Her palms were already sweating by the time he reached her.
He stopped.
I looked right at her.
Something flickered in his eyes, just for a second.
Then he extended his hand like it meant nothing.
Alina took it. Her grip was calm, steady.
“Alina Moore,” she said with a controlled smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
He tilted his head to the side ever so slightly.
“Is it?”
His voice was smooth. Deeper than she remembered. Still calm.
Then he let go, and moved to the next person like it never happened.
Celeste leaned in as soon as he was out of earshot.
“You didn’t even blink,” she whispered. “Are you a robot?”
Alina smiled tightly.
But she could feel the heat of his gaze still lingering.
It made her uncomfortable.
Once Cassian finally stepped out the whole room buzzed with side talk.
“I cannot believe he actually came to meet the interns.”
“I heard no one has seen him in months.”
“He’s so fine.”
Cel turned to Alina, “It was nice of him to greet the interns, right?”
Alina forced a shrug, “I guess.”
“And to bless us with that gorgeous view of his face”, Cel smiled to herself twirling one of her twists with a finger.
Alina’s upper lip curled and she almost gagged.
“Oh please, the whole icy, broody, loner image is so annoying and cliche. The man has zero emotions. No one acts like that.”
Cel blinked and then focused her gaze on Alina.
“Lina, you sound way too serious about a man you just met. When it's not like he did something to you.”
Alina quickly darted her eyes away, “Obviously not. I was just talking in accordance with the rumors.”
Cel narrowed her eyes, keeping quiet for a minute, then shrugged. “You're right. The whole ghost icy boss image is kinda cringe.That’s why I like my men, golden retrievers. But even you can't deny that Cassian Wolfe is a beautiful man.”
Cassian sat at the edge of his desk holding a glass of whiskey but not drinking it, the cold numbing his fingers.
He had seen her name weeks ago.
The moment her name ended up on his desk his mind became disoriented.
He read every word, thrice. Law school standing. GPA. Hobbies. Internship application. Her picture, smart, clean and collected. She was exactly what they looked for in an intern.
But to him, she was a mistake.
One he’d buried six months ago.
Cassian hadn’t stepped foot into the building since. He found reasons to work remotely. Took meetings online. Let the board handle things. He told himself he was busy, too busy. But the truth was simpler.
He had made her a promise never to see her again.
Not because he couldn’t. But because he shouldn’t. He wouldn’t.
He did.
For no good reason, he came.
Somewhere between waking up and signing his first email, he told his secretary he was coming into the office. She was surprised, he hadn’t been on-site since February. But he didn’t explain. He just got in the car.
He told himself it wasn’t about her.
He was here on business.
He hadn't planned on seeing her. That’s why he stayed cooped up in his office knowing there was no way she would be allowed up there.
So why was she standing there,
Straighter. More composed. Prettier. Her hair tied back, her eyes sharper. That fire in her, it hadn’t died. If anything, it had settled into something more dangerous.
Cassian watched from a distance.
She didn’t see him. Not right away. But when she did…
The look on her face twisted something inside him.
Regret?
No.
Longing?
No.
It was hatred. Controlled, but pure. She turned and ran before he could say anything. Vanished down the stairwell like he was her nightmare resurfacing.
She had every right to hate him.
He hated himself for what he did to her.
He should let her go.
He didn’t.
He called Percy the next day and told him to gather the interns. He said he wanted to welcome them personally.
He’d never done that before.
Not once.
Not in eight years of running Wolfe & Troame.
But today, he made an exception.
For her.
When he walked into that room and saw her in the corner of the room trying not to be noticed, trying so hard to pretend like she didn’t know him… it almost made him smile.
Almost.
Then she took his hand.
Cool. Calm. Like he was no one.
“Alina Moore,” she said in a dry tone, although her green eyes were laced with pure hatred.
Pretty green eyes.
“Is it?”
He let her go.
But the feel of her skin lingered on his.
And he knew then,
He was in trouble all over again.
- Writer
