Chapter 4: Jelous?
1903 Words
Rowan Carter had seen his fair share of chaos—courtrooms filled with tension, business negotiations where millions were at stake, and clients who thought their money could bend the law in their favor. He had handled all of it with calculated precision, never letting emotions interfere. But dealing with a certain drafter girl? That was a different kind of challenge.
The morning had started like any other. His office was bathed in the golden hue of the rising sun, stacks of case files neatly arranged on his desk. His assistant, Claire, had already prepared his schedule, which was packed as usual. Meetings, contract reviews, a lunch appointment with a potential client, and—his jaw clenched slightly—the matter concerning Lancaster & Co. Construction.
It wasn’t that he disliked working with Lancaster & Co. The company was reliable, efficient, and a valuable business partner. What annoyed him, however, was the fact that their lead drafter, Sienna Smith, seemed to have an aversion to him.
And it wasn’t subtle.
Every interaction they had was laced with an unspoken challenge. She wasn’t rude, but she had a way of making it clear that she found him irritating. Most people went out of their way to impress him, to gain his approval. Sienna? She seemed to go out of her way to do the opposite.
And for some reason, he found that amusing.
Rowan leaned back in his leather chair, drumming his fingers against the polished surface of his desk. His phone buzzed, and Claire’s voice came through the intercom.
“Mr. Carter, you have a meeting at Lancaster & Co. in an hour.”
“Noted,” he replied, sighing.
An hour later, he arrived at Lancaster & Co.'s headquarters, walking through the modern glass doors with his usual composed stride. The receptionist greeted him with a polite smile, and he was led to the conference room where the meeting was set to take place.
And of course, Sienna was there.
She was seated at the far end of the table, flipping through a set of blueprints, her brows furrowed in concentration. He noted the way her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, her fingers tapping absently against the paper as she thought.
When she finally looked up and saw him, he caught the briefest flicker of annoyance in her eyes before she masked it with professionalism.
“Mr. Carter,” she greeted, her voice even.
“Sienna,” he responded, smirking slightly.
The meeting went as expected—discussions about contracts, construction plans, and deadlines. Rowan was focused, but a part of him was aware of Sienna’s presence, of the way she avoided looking at him unless absolutely necessary.
Halfway through, he made a comment about a design adjustment, and she exhaled sharply. Not loud enough to be disrespectful, but enough for him to notice.
His smirk widened.
When the meeting ended, Rowan lingered behind as Sienna gathered her things.
“You always this thrilled to see me?” he asked casually.
She shot him a look. “You’re not exactly my favorite person to deal with.”
“Now that hurts.” He placed a hand over his chest mockingly.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m just here to do my job, Carter. If you don’t like my attitude, feel free to file a complaint.”
Oh, she was feisty. And he liked it.
Before he could respond, one of her colleagues approached her, and just like that, her demeanor changed. She smiled—genuinely this time—laughing softly at something the man said. Rowan’s amusement vanished.
Why the hell did that bother him?
He wasn’t the type to care about trivial things, but watching Sienna smile at someone else while she only gave him looks of irritation? It sparked something possessive in him.
So, instead of acknowledging her again, he walked past her—brushing against her slightly, just enough to make her stumble a step.
“Watch it,” she muttered.
He didn’t respond.
But when he glanced back, she was rolling her eyes again, clearly exasperated.
For some reason, that made him smirk.
Rowan Carter had seen his fair share of chaos—courtrooms filled with tension, business negotiations where millions were at stake, and clients who thought their money could bend the law in their favor. He had handled all of it with calculated precision, never letting emotions interfere. But dealing with a certain drafter girl? That was a different kind of challenge.
The morning had started like any other. His office was bathed in the golden hue of the rising sun, stacks of case files neatly arranged on his desk. His assistant, Claire, had already prepared his schedule, which was packed as usual. Meetings, contract reviews, a lunch appointment with a potential client, and—his jaw clenched slightly—the matter concerning Lancaster & Co. Construction.
It wasn’t that he disliked working with Lancaster & Co. The company was reliable, efficient, and a valuable business partner. What annoyed him, however, was the fact that their lead drafter, Sienna Smith, seemed to have an aversion to him.
And it wasn’t subtle.
Every interaction they had was laced with an unspoken challenge. She wasn’t rude, but she had a way of making it clear that she found him irritating. Most people went out of their way to impress him, to gain his approval. Sienna? She seemed to go out of her way to do the opposite.
And for some reason, he found that amusing.
Rowan leaned back in his leather chair, drumming his fingers against the polished surface of his desk. His phone buzzed, and Claire’s voice came through the intercom.
“Mr. Carter, you have a meeting at Lancaster & Co. in an hour.”
“Noted,” he replied, sighing.
An hour later, he arrived at Lancaster & Co.'s headquarters, walking through the modern glass doors with his usual composed stride. The receptionist greeted him with a polite smile, and he was led to the conference room where the meeting was set to take place.
And of course, Sienna was there.
She was seated at the far end of the table, flipping through a set of blueprints, her brows furrowed in concentration. He noted the way her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, her fingers tapping absently against the paper as she thought.
When she finally looked up and saw him, he caught the briefest flicker of annoyance in her eyes before she masked it with professionalism.
“Mr. Carter,” she greeted, her voice even.
“Sienna,” he responded, smirking slightly.
The meeting went as expected—discussions about contracts, construction plans, and deadlines. Rowan was focused, but a part of him was aware of Sienna’s presence, of the way she avoided looking at him unless absolutely necessary.
Halfway through, he made a comment about a design adjustment, and she exhaled sharply. Not loud enough to be disrespectful, but enough for him to notice.
His smirk widened.
When the meeting ended, Rowan lingered behind as Sienna gathered her things.
“You always this thrilled to see me?” he asked casually.
She shot him a look. “You’re not exactly my favorite person to deal with.”
“Now that hurts.” He placed a hand over his chest mockingly.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m just here to do my job, Carter. If you don’t like my attitude, feel free to file a complaint.”
Oh, she was feisty. And he liked it.
Before he could respond, one of her colleagues approached her, and just like that, her demeanor changed. She smiled—genuinely this time—laughing softly at something the man said. Rowan’s amusement vanished.
Why the hell did that bother him?
He wasn’t the type to care about trivial things, but watching Sienna smile at someone else while she only gave him looks of irritation? It sparked something possessive in him.
So, instead of acknowledging her again, he walked past her—brushing against her slightly, just enough to make her stumble a step.
“Watch it,” she muttered.
He didn’t respond.
But when he glanced back, she was rolling her eyes again, clearly exasperated.
For some reason, that made him smirk.
______
Sienna had dealt with a lot of difficult people in her career—stubborn architects, impatient contractors, and demanding clients who thought changing an entire blueprint overnight was no big deal. But Rowan Carter? He was a different breed of frustrating.
The man knew exactly how to get under her skin.
She exhaled sharply as she walked down the hallway, gripping the strap of her bag a little too tightly. The meeting had gone about as well as she’d expected—professional but suffocating, mostly because Rowan had been in the room.
It wasn’t just the way he spoke, all smooth and calculated, like he was always a step ahead. It was the way he looked at her, like he enjoyed her irritation. And the worst part? He never did anything outright rude, nothing she could actually call him out on.
Except for what had just happened.
She still felt the ghost of his shoulder brushing against hers as he walked past, making her stumble. It had been subtle, just enough to seem accidental. But she knew better.
“Asshole,” she muttered under her breath.
“You talking to yourself again, Smith?”
She glanced up to see Liam, one of the junior engineers, smirking at her.
She scoffed, shaking her head. “No. Just… dealing with something irritating.”
Liam fell into step beside her, hands tucked into his pockets. “Let me guess—Carter?”
She sighed dramatically. “Bingo.”
He chuckled. “Can’t blame you. The guy’s intense.”
That was one way to put it.
They reached the lobby, and Sienna finally relaxed a little. It was a rare moment of peace in a job that constantly demanded her attention.
Liam said something funny—something about their boss mixing up blueprints again—and she laughed. A real, genuine laugh, the kind that didn’t come often these days.
Then, just as the moment settled, she felt it.
That familiar presence.
Her stomach tightened, and she glanced over—only to meet Rowan’s gaze from across the lobby. He was standing near the entrance, his jaw set, eyes dark as he watched her.
Her laughter faded.
What the hell was his problem?
She squared her shoulders, refusing to let him ruin her mood. If he wanted to stare, fine. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
But then, just as she turned away, he walked past her again—deliberately close.
And this time, she swore it was on purpose.
She stumbled, catching herself before she could actually fall.
Her irritation spiked. “Seriously?”
Rowan didn’t even look at her. Didn’t say a word. Just kept walking like she wasn’t even there.
Oh, he was so full of himself.
Rolling her eyes, she muttered, “Unbelievable.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she huffed, shaking her head. “I just hate lawyers.”
He laughed. “Noted.”
Sienna let out a slow breath, forcing herself to push the irritation aside. Rowan Carter was not worth her energy.
At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.
- Writer
