CHAPTER SEVEN: JEALOUSY
663 Words
Damien entered the office carrying several files before immediately grinning at Serena.
“Well,” he said dramatically, “you’re still alive. Impressive.”
Serena sighed. “People keep saying that like he’s a serial killer.”
Damien glanced at Adrian. “I mean… legally, no.”
Adrian didn’t even look up from his documents. “Do you enjoy being annoying?”
“Very much.”
Serena fought back a smile.
That was another surprising thing she had discovered — Damien was somehow the only person unafraid of Adrian Knight.
“Board meeting starts in thirty minutes,” Damien continued. “And Vanessa is already in a terrible mood.”
Adrian closed the file in front of him. “When is she ever not?”
“She saw Serena leaving your office yesterday.”
Silence.
Serena looked up slowly. “Why does she care so much?”
Damien opened his mouth immediately.
“She’s in lo—”
“Damien,” Adrian warned coldly.
Damien raised both hands innocently. “Right. I enjoy breathing.”
Serena narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
A few minutes later, Serena followed Adrian into the executive boardroom carrying documents against her chest.
The conversation inside immediately died.
Several executives stared openly at her.
Others looked nervous.
Vanessa looked furious.
“She’s attending the meeting?” Vanessa asked sharply.
“She works for me,” Adrian replied calmly while taking his seat at the head of the table.
Vanessa’s jaw tightened.
Serena quietly sat beside Adrian, pretending not to notice the tension filling the room.
Unfortunately, ignoring Adrian Knight in a room full of people was impossible.
Especially when his attention kept returning to her.
Throughout the meeting, Serena noticed how different Adrian became during business discussions.
Colder.
Sharper.
Ruthless.
One executive nervously presented disappointing numbers from an overseas project.
Adrian listened silently before speaking.
“You lost the company twelve million dollars in one quarter.”
Sweat appeared on the man’s forehead immediately.
“We can recover the losses—”
“You already said that last month.”
The room became painfully quiet.
Adrian’s voice never rose.
That somehow made it worse.
“I don’t reward incompetence,” he continued calmly. “You’re fired.”
The man’s face went pale.
Just like that.
Serena stared at Adrian differently after that.
This wasn’t reputation anymore.
This was real power.
After the meeting ended, executives rushed out nervously.
Only Vanessa remained behind.
The second the doors closed, her eyes landed on Serena again.
“You’re enjoying the attention, aren’t you?”
Serena blinked. “Excuse me?”
Vanessa stepped closer in her heels confidently.
“Girls like you always think men like Adrian will save them.”
Before Serena could respond, Adrian’s voice cut through the room sharply.
“Enough.”
Vanessa looked at him in disbelief. “You’re defending her?”
“I’m warning you.”
The atmosphere turned dangerously tense.
For a moment, Serena thought Vanessa might actually argue.
Instead, she laughed bitterly.
“You’re becoming distracted, Adrian.”
His expression darkened instantly.
“And you’re becoming disrespectful.”
Vanessa’s face hardened before she grabbed her purse and stormed out.
The door slammed behind her.
Silence followed.
Serena exhaled slowly. “Your workplace is terrifying.”
To her surprise, Adrian looked amused again.
“You handled her well.”
“She looked seconds away from murdering me.”
“She doesn’t scare you either.”
Serena crossed her arms. “Should she?”
Adrian stepped closer slowly.
“Most people in my world should.”
Their eyes locked.
That dangerous tension returned immediately.
The kind Serena was starting to fear more than she wanted to admit.
Then Adrian reached out suddenly.
Serena froze as his fingers brushed gently against a strand of hair near her face.
Her heartbeat stumbled.
“You missed a pin,” he said quietly.
But neither of them moved away.
And somehow…
That felt far more dangerous than the touch itself.
- Writer
