chapter Twelve: A strange boss

Lily's Pov……..

Hangover is a bitch.

I know cause I'm going through it right now.

I woke up with a pounding headache and checked my alarm

9:00 am

My eyes bulged open

I'm two hours late.

Sophia was still sleeping on the floor , I groaned and rushed into the shower, I took the fastest shower of my life and wore a black dress which was knee length and packed my hair in a low bun.

I did my makeup hastily and grabbed my bag, I know I look like death.

____

The elevator doors to Sterling Enterprises opened with a polite ding, mocking me. My heels clacked too loudly against the marble floor as I made my way in.

“Lily!” Jenna’s voice came from behind the reception desk. She gaped at me like I had walked in with a unicorn. “Oh my God, girl—are you drunk?”

I groaned. “No. Just… half-dead.”

Jenna giggled. “Your makeup says otherwise. Want coffee?”

“I need coffee. Like, immediately. Preferably very hot.”

She handed me a paper cup and winked. “CEO’s already in. You’re in trouble.”

I froze mid-sip.

Oh no.

The elevator ride to the top floor felt like a death march. I stepped into Andrew Sterling’s office corridor just in time to see him walking out of a meeting room — sleeves rolled up, phone in hand, eyes sharp.

And he saw me.

For a heartbeat, the air between us felt like it crackled. He took in my messy hair, my lack of lipstick , and the fact that I was two hours late.

“Miss Hart,” his voice was calm, too calm. That dangerous calm that made your stomach twist. “You’re late.”

“I—uh—overslept. I’m sorry, Mr. Sterling.”

“Are you?” he said flatly, walking past me to his desk. “Because you don’t look sorry. You look hungover.”

I swallowed. “Just a mild headache, sir. It won’t affect my work.”

He didn’t look convinced. “We’ll see. There’s a proposal on my desk that needs formatting and proofreading. I want it back in two hours. Perfectly done.”

“Yes, sir.”

I took the papers from him and hurried to my desk, clutching the coffee cup like a lifeline. My fingers trembled slightly as I typed. The office was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioning and the occasional rustle of Andrew turning a page.

Halfway through the document, the pounding in my head returned with vengeance. I blinked hard, trying to focus on the screen, but the letters began to blur.

Just a five-minute rest, I thought. Just five minutes.

I leaned back, closed my eyes — and the next thing I knew, I was out cold.

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Andrew’s POV.......

I knew she would be late the moment I saw her last night.

I sat back in my chair, flipping through files that refused to hold my attention. The image of Lily Hart in that corset— laughing, dancing with a stranger, the faint smell of alcohol around her — had been playing on repeat in my head since I spotted her at the club.

I don't know what upset me more — that she was there, or that she looked like sin and innocence rolled into one.

And now, here she was, passed out at her desk in the middle of working hours.

I watched her from my office doorway — her head tilted slightly to the side, lips parted, a strand of hair falling across her face. Peaceful. Completely unaware of the storm she stirred inside me.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath.

Still, I found himself walking toward her desk. I noticed the half-drunk coffee, the untouched bottle of water, the dark circles under her eyes. Something inside me shifted — irritation tangled with something uncomfortably protective.

She shouldn’t drink that much. She shouldn’t look that fragile.

I exhaled sharply and turned away before I could think about it too much. I grabbed my car keys and headed out of the office, ignoring the questioning looks from a few employees.

I went to a pharmacy

“I'll like to get some painkillers and a hydration shot “ I said

The nurse nodded and brought it to me

I paid and walked out

Ten minutes later, I was back with a small paper bag in hand. I placed it on her desk — two painkillers and a hydration shot. Then, rapped my knuckles sharply against the wood.

Lily jerked awake, eyes wide. “Oh my God—what—what time is it?”

I folded my arms. “Time you stopped sleeping at work, Miss Hart.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I—I wasn’t—”

“You were,”i said dryly. “Take these.”

She looked at the pills on the desk, blinking. “Sir?”

“For your hangover,” I said. “Before you pretend you don’t have one.”

She hesitated, then took them, muttering a quiet thank-you.

I studied her for a long moment, then sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Take the day off.”

Her eyes widened. “What? But—”

“No arguments.” i snapped . “You’re useless to me like this. Go home, Miss Hart. Sleep it off.”

Lily opened her mouth to protest, but something in my expression stopped her. She nodded slowly, gathering her things.

As she walked away, I turned back toward the window, jaw tight.

she annoys me and gets under my skin, that's all there is

But when my eyes looked down at the empty coffee cup she left behind, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

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