Chapter 004

Chapter 004

----A BAD DAY----

GABBIE

The next morning was all I needed to get everything off my chest. It wasn’t that deep, I kept convincing myself to believe it. We didn’t even do anything.

I just needed to avoid him at work and stay invisible like always. Keep my job, Keep my identity and pretend last night never existed but luck wasn't on my side.

“Take this to the Vice President’s office and get him to sign it. Don’t come back without the signed papers.” The team leader shoved a folder into my hands.

I froze mid turn when I realized what he said, “Did you say the Vice President’s office? As in… Mr. Vaughn?”

The entire team looked at me like I’d grown two heads. “Did I stutter?”

“No, sir. Sorry, sir.” I shot off toward the elevator.

Behind me someone whispered, “She really thinks she’s relevant now just because we gave her a place to sit?”

I ignored it, I'd forgotten my place for a while.

The elevator was empty for once, which only meant one thing, more space to think myself into cardiac arrest. Maybe going to the bar last night was the worst decision of my life.

No need to panic, Gabbie... He won’t recognize you. A mask changes everything and besides… men like him forget women like me. The elevator chimed, opening to the highest floor.

I walked down the silent hallway, every click of my heels sounding like a countdown to disaster. I caught a glimpse of him through the glass walls of his office.

Busy, composed and perfectly put together like last night never had an effect on him.

The ring sat on his finger and I realized I wasn't even wrong.

God, how close I’d come to letting things go too far. How stupid.

I knocked lightly, He pressed a button and the door slid open.

He didn’t look up even once, Perfect.

“These are the drafted sketches for the new designs,” I said, keeping my voice steady and making sure to sound different from how I spoke before.

He continued signing papers.

Good. Good. Perfect, things are going well.

“Drop them and leave.”

My stomach tightened, I needed his signature or I’d be the one paying for it later with my salary.

What do i do? So I just stood there waiting for him to change his mind and After a moment, he noticed.

He finally looked up, our eyes met. I dropped my gaze instantly, staring at the floor like it could save me.

“What are you still doing here?” Voice sounded so cold now. “and why are you looking down while I’m speaking?”

Crap. I was pushing it.

Slowly, very slowly, I lifted my head and met his eyes.

His eyes were cold and so different from last night. Last night he looked at me like I was air, temptation, relief. Now I was nothing, nothing to him.

“The team leader said...”

“Did you always have freckles on your face?” he asked suddenly and my heart slammed against my ribs.

“And that mole on your chin." He said and the world tilted around me.

Makeup, Fuck. I must’ve forgotten to fully conceal them last night. My lips parted, but no sound came out.

His eyes didn’t shift. Not once. They stayed exactly on my face, tracing details like he was gaining some new knowledge.

There's no way he'd notice, not unless he’d been looking too closely. “Your name,” he said quietly.

My breath caught.Oh God.

He wasn’t asking like a boss, he was asking like a man confirming a suspicion.

“What’s your name?” he repeated, his voice softer yet deeper, almost dangerous.

I forced a swallow, my voice barely steady.

“Gabriella… Brooks.” I made sure the Ella in it was silent.

He whispered it like he was testing the shape of it. “Gabriella Brooks.”

Hearing my real name in his mouth made something twist violently inside my chest. I didn’t know if it was fear or something worse.

“Right,” he murmured, leaning back slightly. “Of course.”

But the tone... That tone didn’t believe a single word I’d said.

I shouldn't let him put the pieces together, not now.

He looked back at his files then spoke.

“Leave now.”

My chest tightened.

“I… I can’t, sir. The team leader said I have to make sure you sign it or...”

I swallowed hard. “or I could lose my job.”

Nothing, he didn't even a blink.

“You think I care about that?” he asked without a single emotion in his tone, still flipping through papers.

“I’m begging you,” I said quietly, stepping closer. “Please, Mr. Vaughn… just sign it.”

He looked up again but this time, he seemed angry but in that exact second, I made a mistake.

I panicked and I touched him, my hand wrapped around his wrist lightly. It was a pleading gesture but I realized that wasn't even appropriate, why did I do that?

He jerked away like my touch burned him and I froze, my heart thumping loud in my chest.

“I...I’m sorry,” I whispered immediately, stepping back. “I shouldn’t have... I’m so sorry sir.”

His mouth parted like he was about to say something, then his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and I saw it too, “Wife.”

This term slapped the air out of my lungs.

He didn't even hesitate to answer and only glared at me as he brought the phone closer to his ear.

“Hey.” His voice softened instantly. Too instantly. he gave me a warning stare before he turned slightly away.

“No, I’m fine,” he said quietly, tension smoothing out of his shoulders. “I told you, I’m handling everything. You don’t need to worry about me.”

He sounded warm and gentle. The opposite of the man trembling in that bar last night, the cheater.

A twisted ache coiled in my stomach. “Yes… I’ll be home later,” he murmured. “Mm. Yeah. I miss you too.”

My throat closed and his eyes slid back to me mid call, and the tenderness in his voice turned icy.

Even at that moment, I couldn't deny it. The jealousy that burned in my lungs, why did I feel this way towards him?

“As I said,” he said into the phone, glaring straight at me, “I’ll see you soon. You don’t need to wait up.”

"Love you bye."

He wouldn't speak to me like this, not in this lifetime. He wasn't attracted to me, he just loved by curves.

Every word felt pointed and Directed to me but that wasn't possible, he doesn't even know me.

My chest tightened in a way I didn’t want to acknowledge. This was stupid and I had no right to feel anything.

When he ended the call, the silence between us was suffocating.

“Bring the file.”

I stepped forward stiffly, handing it to him like my hands weren’t shaking. He opened it and paused.

His brows drew together slightly as he looked up at me, “You think this is going to turn into a good product when it’s finished?”

The question sounded almost genuine, too genuine for a man who’d nearly ripped my identity open ten minutes ago.

It had nothing to do with me, what do I know about designs? I graduated college just to end up a mere messenger masked as the assistant designer while all I do is get sent on errands.

I forced a breath. “The team is great at what they do, sir.”

He held my gaze a second longer, then he signed and handed the papers back without a word.

I didn’t wait, didn’t breathe yet. I walked out of his office as fast as my legs could carry me, closing the glass door behind me before the tears I refused to let fall could betray me.

My pulse hammered in my ears, I could still hear him saying, “I miss you too. Love you.”

I hated how much it broke me, I'll never get to hear those words, because when everyone finds out what kind of job I do, who would love me? They're all after my body.

and worse, I hated how badly, selfishly, shamefully I still wanted him.