AREN’T YOU GOING TO LET ME IN?

SALEM’S POV

“Girl, I still can’t stop thinking about what happened Friday,” Rejoice said.

I ran a hand through my hair. “Me too, I was so shocked,” I said.

For a number of reasons.

First, there was the one that I could not even tell anyone. Atlas almost kissed me in the office… until we were interrupted, but still.

I had to place my hand on my chest to calm my heart.

Even now, just thinking about it made me feel like my ceiling was spinning.

Maybe I was just in my head about it all… I mean, he did not really like me like that, so why was he going to kiss me in the first place?

Maybe he had only gotten close because he wanted to say something and I had completely misunderstood the situation.

Yes.

That had to be it.

Because what other explanation was there?

I was probably just thinking too deeply about things.

But that was not the most shocking part of it all. After Michael knocked on the office door, he handed us the flash drive with the evidence.

It was Benjamin who tampered with my laptop.

He tried to deny it, but Atlas was not hearing it. He made Benjamin apologize to me in front of everyone, and then suspended him for a week, as well as giving a very notable slash to his monthly salary…

And that was Atlas going easy on him after I pleaded for him.

Atlas wanted to fire him on the spot.

But hey, I knew how tough the employment market was these days, and even if Ben was an asshole, he did not deserve to be a jobless asshole.

Me and my big heart, I know.

Rejoice laughed. “Well, you are married to the big boss now; I would not have expected anything less.”

“Rejoice, I already told you, it is not like that between him and me.”

“Whatever.”

Ever since I told Rejoice about Atlas and me, she has had this fairytale cooked up in her head about this harsh boss who is only soft with his lover, and one day he claims her in front of everyone—blah, blah, blah, you know how the rest of the story goes.

But she was wrong for a multitude of reasons.

For one, Atlas Knight was not in love with me. Hell, I think that he could barely even tolerate me, and to think that he married me because he was somehow smitten with me all of a sudden was not true.

I was his debtor, and until I could pay him back, he just had to put up with me.

That was all there was to it.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

Rejoice scoffed. “You really think that he would have married you without feeling anything?”

 “Well, I don’t even know…”

“Exactly! You don’t know.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Rejoice, you are making something out of nothing.”

“Am I really?”

“Yes.”

“You are literally married to him.”

“I know that.”

Like I couldn’t be any more aware about it…. I was literally the one who signed the papers and sealed my fate.

I stopped talking when I heard the sound of the doorbell.

My face scrunched up in confusion.

I was home alone today.

My mother was still at the hospital with my dad. His surgery was successful, but she refused to leave his side until he was ready to come back. And I definitely was not expecting any visitors.

I sat upright instantly.

Who on earth was at the door?

“… Salem, are you even listening to what I am saying?”

“Rejoice, I’ll call you back in a minute,” I said.

“Wait…”

“Seriously, I will call you back,” I said and hung up.

Goosebumps appeared all over my body, and the hairs on my skin were all suddenly at attention.

My heart was beating at a pace that was far too fast to be considered normal.

“W-who is it?” I asked shakily.

The only reply I got was louder knocking.

Whoever was at the other side of the door had some sort of attitude problem, at least that much was sure. And there was only a handful of people that I knew that acted like they always had an enormous stick lodged up their ass.

It was not even dark yet, so why was I so scared?

No, fear was not the right word to use; I was nervous… the kind that settled into your spinal cord and made me feel like I was having shocks with each step that I took in the direction of the door.

I swallowed hard.

There was another knock on the door.

This one was louder.

“Coming!” I called out, although my voice came out with a slight crack that made me sound more of a mouse than anything.

I was not a fan.

The second I opened the door, my mouth dropped open.

There he was standing in front of the door in a crisp black three- piece suit even though it was a weekend, with temperature way too hot for this many layers.

I had a feeling, but of all people in the world…. Why did it have to be him?

Right now, when I had bed head and I was dressed in a baggy raggedy shirt that I dug out of my dad’s old clothes pile, and a pair short shorts?

This was so embarrassing.

“Y-You…”

He arched his brow at me.

“Aren’t you going to let me in?”