Falling for My boss

chapter 7

Miranda had always carried herself with an air of authority that made even the most confident employees tread carefully around her. As the Operations Manager, she was known for her sharp tongue, unforgiving nature, and an almost unnatural ability to spot mistakes—especially when Aria was the one making them.

She walked through the office with a poised elegance, her high heels clicking against the polished floor, a sound that often signaled trouble for anyone caught in her path. Miranda had a habit of narrowing her gaze at employees as if searching for flaws, and when it came to Aria, she never had to look too hard.

Aria had tried her best to stay out of Miranda’s way, focusing on her tasks, keeping her head down, and—most importantly—avoiding Adrian Sinclair. But it seemed Miranda had taken notice.

Today, Miranda had the perfect opportunity. With Aria so preoccupied avoiding Adrian, minor oversights had started slipping through the cracks. And Miranda, of course, wasted no time in escalating the issue straight to Adrian.

Seated in Adrian’s office, Miranda crossed her legs and leaned forward slightly, a knowing smirk playing at the edges of her lips.

"Mr. Sinclair, I believe we have a problem," she said smoothly. "It’s about Aria."

Adrian’s expression remained unreadable, but his grip on his pen tightened. "Go on."

Miranda sighed dramatically. "She’s been distracted lately. Making mistakes. Missing important details. Just today, I caught an error in the monthly report that could have been disastrous. If I hadn’t double-checked, it would have cost the company a lot. I’m concerned she’s losing focus."

She paused for effect before adding, "And I’ve also noticed she’s been… avoiding you. Perhaps she’s too caught up in something else?"

Adrian’s eyes darkened at the last remark.

"Bring me the report," he said, his voice clipped.

Miranda smiled, knowing she had successfully planted the seed of doubt.

As soon as Miranda left, Adrian leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers against his desk. He wasn’t one to take complaints lightly, but something about Miranda’s words didn’t sit right with him.

Aria avoiding him? That much was true. But losing focus? Making costly mistakes? That didn’t sound like her.

With a sigh, he pulled up the monthly report on his screen, his sharp eyes scanning for the supposed "disaster" Miranda had mentioned. It didn’t take long to find the error—a minor miscalculation, nothing severe—yet Miranda had blown it out of proportion.

Still, he needed to address this.

Reaching for his phone, he pressed the intercom button. "Aria, in my office. Now.

Aria froze at her desk when she heard his voice. She had spent days avoiding Adrian, and now she was being summoned like a schoolgirl caught in trouble. Her heart pounded as she stood, ignoring the knowing glances from her colleagues.

She forced herself to remain composed as she stepped into Adrian’s office. He sat behind his desk, expression unreadable, but his piercing gaze locked onto her the moment she entered.

"Close the door," he instructed.

Aria did as told, gripping her hands together. "You wanted to see me?"

Adrian leaned forward. "Care to explain this?" He turned his screen toward her, highlighting the error in the report. "Miranda claims this was a serious mistake. Says you’ve been distracted."

Aria swallowed, heat creeping up her neck. So this was Miranda’s doing.

"It was a small error, and I caught it before submission," she said, keeping her tone professional. "It wouldn’t have caused any damage."

Adrian studied her, his jaw tightening. "And the distraction? The avoidance?"

Her breath hitched. So he noticed.

She forced a casual shrug. "I’ve just been busy."

Adrian exhaled sharply, clearly not buying it. "Don’t lie to me, Aria. You’ve been avoiding me. I want to know why."

She looked away. "It’s nothing personal."

Adrian’s patience was thinning. He stood up, moving around his desk until he was standing directly in front of her. Too close.

"Look at me and say that again," he challenged.

Aria hesitated before finally meeting his gaze. Big mistake. His eyes held a mix of frustration and something else—something deeper.

The air between them grew thick with unspoken words.

Aria's lips parted, but no words came out.

Adrian’s voice dropped to a low murmur. "You weren’t avoiding me before. What changed?"

Aria’s throat went dry. Adrian stood so close she could feel the warmth radiating off him, his piercing gaze locked onto hers, demanding answers she wasn’t ready to give.

"Nothing changed," she murmured, though even she didn’t believe her own words.

Adrian tilted his head slightly, studying her like he could see right through her lie. Then, with deliberate slowness, he reached out—his fingers grazing a loose strand of her hair, tucking it behind her ear.

"Are you sure about that?" His voice was softer now, but it held the same intensity.

Aria’s pulse skyrocketed. She could feel the tension crackling in the air, suffocating and inescapable. If she didn’t leave now, she wasn’t sure what would happen next.

She took a step back, forcing some distance between them. "I really need to get back to work, Mr. Sinclair."

Adrian’s jaw tightened at the formal address. "That’s what you’re going with? Work?"

"Yes," she said quickly, gripping the doorknob. "If that’s all, I should go."

For a moment, he didn’t say anything. He just watched her, his expression unreadable, his eyes filled with something she couldn’t quite decipher.

Then, just when she thought he would let her leave, he spoke again.

"You can run all you want, Aria. But this conversation isn’t over."

His words sent a shiver down her spine.

Without another word, she slipped out of his office, her heart pounding against her ribcage. She needed to get a grip, to focus, but how could she when every nerve in her body was still reeling from being so close to him?

As she hurried back to her desk, Miranda’s smug gaze followed her.

"I hope your meeting was productive," Miranda said sweetly, though the glint in her eyes was anything but.

Aria ignored her, sinking into her chair.

She had managed to escape—for now. But deep down, she knew Adrian wasn’t the type to let things go so easily.

And that scared her more than anything.

Aria barely had time to settle at her desk before she noticed a neatly folded envelope resting on top of her files. Her name was printed in bold letters.

Frowning, she picked it up and carefully tore it open. As soon as she read the first few lines, her stomach dropped.

She was being queried.

Her fingers clenched around the paper as she read through the formal accusations—"Negligence," "repeated mistakes," "lack of focus." It was everything Miranda had exaggerated to Adrian, now in writing, demanding an explanation.

A shadow loomed over her desk.

Aria slowly looked up to see Miranda, arms folded, a smug expression on her face.

"You have an issue with the letter?" Miranda asked, her voice laced with mock concern.

Aria swallowed her frustration. "I just don’t think this was necessary," she said calmly. "I already corrected the report before submission. The mistake didn’t cause any harm."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Necessary or not, it’s policy. Every mistake must be documented. Unless, of course, you think you’re above company rules?"

Aria bit her tongue. She knew Miranda was baiting her, waiting for an outburst she could use against her.

Instead, Aria took a deep breath, straightened her back, and said, "Understood."

Miranda’s smirk faltered, like she had expected more resistance. "Good. I expect your response on my desk within the hour."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and walked away, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

Aria exhaled slowly. She wanted to fight back, to march into Adrian’s office and tell him the truth, but she knew it wouldn’t change anything. Miranda had already twisted the situation in her favor.

So instead, she quietly typed up her response, addressing the allegations one by one, keeping it professional and neutral. No emotions. No frustration. Just facts.

By the time she finished, her hands were steady again.

She printed the document, signed it, and walked over to Miranda’s office, slipping it onto her desk without a word.

As she turned to leave, she could feel Miranda’s gaze burning into her back, but she didn’t stop.

Aria had handled this the right way.

But deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over yet.

And neither was Adrian.