My Devil In A Suit

CHAPTER 4

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me down the crowded sidewalk, weaving through pedestrians while praying I would not miss my bus.

I had completely overslept. My alarm had been ringing for half an hour while I lay exhausted in bed, drained from the stress of the past few days. By the time I opened my eyes and scrambled out the door, I was already fighting against the clock.

To make matters worse, the bus could only take me as far as the central transit station three blocks away. Corporate city rules strictly prohibited heavy buses from entering the Korrigan building premises. I had no choice but to step off and sprint the remaining distance on foot in my heels.

My phone buzzed violently in my coat pocket. Again.

I did not even need to look at the screen to know who was calling me. I pulled out my phone for a fraction of a second to glance at the screen.

Fourteen missed calls. All from Koré.

Panic seized my chest. I burst through the front revolving doors of the Korrigan building and sprinted across the polished lobby floor. I practically threw myself into the elevator, tapping my foot furiously against the metal floor as the elevator carried me up to the executive floor.

I rushed down the hallway, my heart pounding right in my throat. I grabbed the heavy glass handle of the main conference room and pushed the door open.

The moment the door opened, the low hum of conversation stopped instantly. Every single eye in the room snapped directly onto me.

Over twenty senior designers, engineers, and department heads were seated around the massive mahogany table. Sitting right at the head of the table, looking cold and unreadable in a tailored black suit, was Damien.

"I'm sorry for coming late," I said, my voice trembling as I moved quickly toward an empty chair at the back of the room.

"Stand right there until the meeting ends," Damien said, his deep voice slicing through the room. He did not even bother looking up from the printed agenda in his hands.

My feet froze in place. My face burned with instant humiliation as heat rushed up my neck. I stood glued to the spot near the door, keeping my eyes locked firmly on the floor.

Damien continued going through the agenda as if nothing had happened, his tone smooth and professional. "Alright. Moving on to section two. I hope the structural engineering team is on track with the load calculations for the east wing project."

A quiet chuckle came from the middle of the table. I raised my head slightly and caught sight of Vanessa sitting in a prime seat near the front.

The moment our eyes met, Vanessa smirked at me. She leaned her chin on her hand and made a quick, mocking face, mouthing the word loser before smoothing her expression back out before anyone else could catch her.

I clenched my fists inside my coat pockets, swallowing the knot of anger in my throat.

Damien tapped his silver pen against the table, the sharp click echoing off the glass walls. "Hailee."

My heart did a painful flip. "Yes, sir?"

"Care to explain to the entire office why you think it is acceptable to walk into my meeting late on your very first week?”

I kept my eyes down, my chest heaving as everyone turned in their chairs to stare at me. "I overslept, sir. And the bus dropped me off at the main station since public transport isn't allowed on the company premises. I ran the rest of the way."

"Look at me when I am talking to you," he commanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low pitch.

I forced myself to lift my chin and look him straight in the eyes. His dark gaze was cold, calculating, and completely void of any mercy.

"I am sorry, sir," I whispered, holding my breath. "It won't happen again."

Damien stared at me in heavy silence for three agonizing seconds, letting the humiliation sink into my skin in front of all my new coworkers.

Then, he turned his head slowly toward his assistant.

"Koré."

"Sir?" Koré replied, standing at attention near his side with her tablet ready.

"You know what to do," Damien said flatly, looking back down at his papers.

Koré nodded once, her eyes flashing with quiet sympathy as she looked in my direction. "Understood, Mr. Korrigan. Her one-month probation period is extended until further notice."

My blood ran completely cold.