Billionaire's Disastrous Fling

I grit my teeth as the noise from upstairs makes my temples ache. The building is supposed to be soundproof, at least from what the agent told me when I came for the apartment tour, but now I'm sure he lied. They always do—that's how they hook you in. But who, in their right mind, would have a party going on until one am on a weeknight? In a high-rise building where other people live? No consideration for the neighbors, geez. The level of noise and the hours they have been going at it—the stomping and the shouting, would put the best clubs in the city to shame. Unfortunately, I'm the one bearing the brunt of it. I was looking forward to getting all my stuff arranged and situated after working the entire day with the moving company. And now I can't think straight with all the noise, this is ridiculous. I exhale, rubbing my temples and abandoning the DIY wall decor I've been trying to install for the last thirty minutes. "Someone has got to do something, does no one else hear the

"You trust me, don't you?" Ken says as he pulls back the chair and sits down, crossing his legs."I do," I reply, skimming through the pages of the document in front of me. "But you have to be certain that the person you decide on isn't someone I have to put a leash on because they don't understand what an NDA is."He laughs. "I understand, but you have a hard time trusting anybody, Connor. Everyone thinks you are this fun-loving, light-hearted man, but you are just a grumpy thirty-year-old who thinks nothing will go according to plan if he isn't the one making the plan.""Then you don't communicate why you want to do things a particular way, leaving me in the dark and left scrambling to cover for you."I shrug, losing interest in the content of the document. I make a mental note to rewrite the things that don't sit well with me before giving Ken my full attention."Why should I give anyone an explanation? It's my company, isn't it? And I make changes as I see fit. Either they trust th

I should have known, from the moment I saw him walk into the conference room, that this might be a big mistake. Knowing he is my neighbor who seems a bit immature with the loud parties, and then not willing to keep things quiet after a certain hour should have been the first couple of red flags, But I need the job. Not because of the money. I mean...the money is really good, but the project was what called out to me. The intricacies of it, the benefits to society and the environment when unveiled, and the potential for upgrading after it launches. My job might be to make sure that StoneTech's information doesn't get into the wrong hands, but my interest lies with the project as a whole. I am looking to work with a company that will consider my suggestions and input and be open-minded. But, Connor Everest is the furthest thing from open-minded. In the one week that has passed since I started working here, I have gone home with a brewing migraine. Even now, as I pinch the bridge

"Sir," she says as she walks into my office, carrying a file.I ignore her greeting, keeping up my pretense of typing on my laptop while I figure out how to repay her for this morning."Sir," she gets to my desk and drops the file. "This is the summary of the protocols currently under simulation for the sensor systems."I count to five Mississippi, and then I close my laptop screen, staring at her with implied boredom and disinterest on my face."I see. I'll go through them. Thank you."There is no trace of the earlier cheekiness on her face, and if anyone were to walk in, they'd think, with her power suit, well-styled hair, and high heels, that she's an excellent employee.That Evelyn Lockhart isn't an undercover menace.She nods. "Okay."I wait for her to get to the door, flipping the pages loud enough they make noise before I call her name. She stops and turns."You need me to approve this, right?""That is correct, sir."That is correct? Who speaks like that in this day and age?To

"I'm going to lose it," I mutter as I drag my sofa, trying to reposition the furniture in the living room to make it work. I've already dealt with the kitchen, fixing the wallpaper I purchased a while ago, but I had no time to set it up. I fixed the bookshelf in the spare room and did a few things in the bathroom. Not because I'm the twenty-something-year-old woman who arranges her apartment at night. No. The reason why, at midnight, I am putting my back to work instead of sleeping or relaxing in bed is because of the noise coming from the floor above mine. The sound of music and people competing to see who can talk the loudest kept me from sleeping. "I'm going to lose it, and I'm going to take someone with me," I mutter, abandoning the sofa when my strength fails and plopping it down. "And I know who I'm taking down." Because Connor Everest is a stubborn, flightless bird. At home, he acts like he's the only one living in this building, and at work, he drags his feet so slowly I