Chapter 16

Elena’s POV

I was standing outside the project office, reviewing some documents on my tablet, when I heard someone walking towards my table.

It was none other than lady glitter sparkles, Lisa.

She walked up with the same annoying smile she always wore, the annoying part is it never reached her eyes. She was like a joker or what is the name of that movie character i saw recently uhmmm penny it or penny wise. Whatever the fact is, I can see pure evil in her smile.

“Elena,” she said, her tone friendly but with an edge I couldn’t quite place. “Do you have a minute?”

I looked up from my tablet. “Sure. What do you need?”

She glanced around, making sure we were alone, then turned back to me finally dropping her smile..

“I just wanted to give you some… advice,” she said. “Woman to woman.”

I waited, saying nothing.

“Jonathan is a difficult man to work with,” she continued. “I’ve known him for a long time, and I’ve seen how many women misunderstand him. He’s brilliant, obviously, but he doesn’t mix business with personal feelings. Ever. So if you’re hoping for… well, anything beyond a professional relationship, you should probably adjust your expectations.”

I stared at her, trying to figure out if this was a warning or a threat.

“I’m not sure what you’re implying,” I said evenly.

“I’m not implying anything,” she said, her smile widening. “I’m just saying that sometimes people…especially younger women in positions close to him…can get the wrong idea about what that closeness means.”

The way she emphasized “younger women” made my jaw tighten.

“Thanks for the advice,” I said flatly. “But I’m perfectly clear on what my role is.”

“Good,” she said. “I’m glad we understand each other.”

She walked away, leaving me standing there with a knot of anger twisting in my stomach.

Was she warning me to stay away from Jonathan? Or was she staking some kind of claim?

Either way, I didn’t like it.

The next afternoon, we were in the conference room reviewing updated project timelines with Lisa’s team. Jonathan sat at the head of the table, flipping through documents, while I sat to his right, taking notes.

Lisa was across from us, leaning back in her chair with the same confidence she always had around Jonathan.

“These numbers look good,” Jonathan said, nodding as he scanned the page. “Elena, what do you think about the Q2 projections?”

Before I could answer, Lisa spoke up.

“Elena, would you mind getting us some coffee?” she asked, her tone was sweet and completely unbothered. “I think we could all use a caffeine boost.”

I froze, my pen hovering over my notepad.

Coffee. She wanted me to get coffee. My eyelids twitched as I tried to control my anger.

I wasn’t a secretary. I wasn’t an assistant. I was Jonathan’s Personal Manager, and getting coffee for a room full of people was not part of my job description.

I opened my mouth to say exactly that when I caught Jonathan’s eye. Something about the way he looked at me made me shut up.

I set my pen down and stood. “Of course. How does everyone take theirs?”

“Black for me,” Lisa said, not even looking up from her papers. “And Jonathan likes his the same way.”

“I know how Jonathan takes his coffee,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

That got her attention. She looked up, raising an eyebrow.

I walked out before anyone could say anything else, heading toward the small kitchen area down the hall.

I made the coffee in silence, gripping the counter hard enough that my knuckles turned white.

This was ridiculous. I was letting her get to me, and I hated it.

When I came back with a tray of cups, Lisa was in the middle of explaining something to Jonathan, her hand resting on the edge of the table near his.

I set the tray down, maybe a little harder than necessary.

“Here you go,” I said. “Coffee for everyone.”

“Thank you, Elena,” Lisa said, picking up her cup and taking a sip. “You know, you’d make an excellent assistant. Very efficient.”

The room went quiet.

Jonathan’s eyes flicked to me, then to Lisa, his face remained as blank as a white board.

I smiled, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m not an assistant. I’m a Personal Manager.”

Lisa’s smile didn’t waver. “Of course. My mistake.”

“And just so we’re clear,” I continued, my voice calm but firm, “my job is to manage Jonathan’s professional life, optimize his schedule, and ensure the success of projects like this one. Not to fetch coffee for people who should be capable of getting it themselves.”

The silence in the room was deafening.

Jonathan cleared his throat. “Let’s get back to the project.”

Lisa’s smile finally faltered, just slightly, and I felt a surge of satisfaction.

I wasn’t going to let her push me around. Not now, not ever.

Afterwards, we did a walkthrough of the construction site. It was just the three of us…me, Jonathan, and Lisa.

Lisa walked beside Jonathan, pointing out different sections of the building, explaining the progress in that overly familiar way she had. Her hand kept brushing his arm, lingering just a little too long.

I walked a few steps behind them, pretending to take notes on my tablet while actually seething.

“This section is going to house the main server room,” Lisa was saying, gesturing to a large open space. “We’ve already reinforced the flooring to handle the weight.”

“Smart,” Jonathan said, nodding. “What about ventilation?”

“Already accounted for. We’re installing…”

I stopped listening.

Instead, I walked past them, heading toward the far end of the site where the framework for the next building was being assembled.

I wasn’t paying attention to where I was stepping…too focused on putting distance between myself and the nauseating display happening behind me.

My foot caught on a loose piece of rebar, and I stumbled forward, my arms flailing as I tried to catch my balance.

Before I could hit the ground, a strong hand grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

Jonathan.

His other hand went to my waist, steadying me, and for a moment we were standing so close I could smell his cologne, feel the warmth radiating from him.

My heart was pounding…not from the near fall, but from the way he was looking at me.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice low.

I stepped back quickly, pulling out of his grip. “I’m fine. I can handle myself.”

“Clearly,” he said, but there was something in his tone…concern, maybe, or frustration.

“Jonathan, you’re acting like a bodyguard,” Lisa said, appearing beside us with that same knowing smile. “She’s fine. Just a little clumsy.”

I shot her a look that could have melted steel, but she just laughed.

“Let’s keep moving,” Jonathan said, his jaw tight.

I fell back into step behind them, my anger simmering just below the surface.

This was getting out of hand.

And I needed to figure out how to deal with it before I did something I’d regret.