Chapter 5

Ilana had been given three days and three days only for her observation period.

Helene made sure to call her at the *ss crack of dawn on the fourth morning, reminding her that it was time for action now.

The call had only resulted in a cranky Ilana and in turn, a very off-character Rosie.

Helene had never bothered her like that before. She always let Ilana take control of the missions, trusting in her skills.

She did ask for biweekly reports but that was all.

Now, Ilana wondered what made this mission different from the others.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, a headache blooming through her temples.

She needed to be on her best for what she was about to do today.

To add to her worries, Calix Meyers was now on his fourth day in the office as well. 

She blew a breath, glancing out the glass walls of her unit.

It was one pm. Calix should be heading out soon. He came late and left too early.

Which was great for her. It made it easier for her to avoid him.

She glanced back towards the office she now knew to be Calix’s. The door opened and he stepped out as if her thoughts had conjured him.  

She couldn't draw her eyes away from that effortlessly messy look on his face. 

He brushed a stray brown strand from his forehead, the remnants of a smile in his eyes.

Ilana's heart skipped a beat.

He looked happy. Happier than Ilana had seen him at work. He looked like the man who had approached her at the bar two weeks ago.

She bit down on her lower lip, forcing herself to look away. This infatuation she had developed with him was absurd and a little creepy. She knew that. But she couldn't help it.

He was too beautiful to resist. 

And it wasn't just true for her. She saw other girls throw hungry looks at him whenever he passed. He always ignored the looks, blissfully unaware of the attention he garnered.

She had felt a thrill of giddiness when she'd first seen him ignore the girls. She’d remembered the day he’d approached her in the bar, with that flirtatious glint in his eyes. Then she had immediately chided herself at the thought.

The doors of the elevator closed behind him and then Ilana was free. The floor was all hers. The only obstacle in her path was Calix and now he was gone. It was time to act.

She got up from her desk and made her way out of the analyst unit. She allowed Rosie's unsurety and confusion to seep into her posture as she made her way towards Adam Meyer's office with small, hesitant steps.

She made sure to look scared, glancing over her shoulder every other minute. She dropped the file in her hand and they hit the floor with a clatter.

Suddenly all eyes were on her.

Good. The more people the better.

She needed the audience as proof. She stuttered out a loud apology as she bent down and scooped the file and the fluttering papers before hurrying towards the office.

She knocked twice. 

“Come in,” Adam Meyer's voice responded.

She exhaled before pushing the door open.

“Hello, Mr. Meyer,” she said, eyes gleaming excitedly. 

He looked up from his work, brown eyes so identical to Calix, it made her heart stop.

But they definitely didn't share Calix's kindness. They were hard and piercing.

His dark hair was gelled back, sitting tamely on his head. There were lines around his eyes and mouth, lines that pointed to the struggles he definitely would have faced to reach where he was today.

Despite it all, he carried an aura of power and elegance. His suit was crisp, the cufflinks around his wrists glinting in the light.

“Is there something I can help you with?” he asked and something about his words made her stand straighter, as if showing any weakness in his presence was going to cost her highly.

 “Yes. I.. um.. I'm sorry to disturb you but someone said you wanted to see me?”

He arched an eyebrow, fixing her with a withering look. It took all her willpower to not take a step back.

“Who sent you?” He asked.

“I don't know his name. I'm new.”

He seemed to consider her for a moment and she could feel the aristocratic supremacy in the way his eyes roved over her face, an eyebrow arched, looking for something to comment upon. A comment that was only going to be a thinly veiled insult at her daring to interrupt the CEO like this.

She bit back the inside of her cheek, suppressing an involuntary shiver. She wondered if Calix was anything like him. From that one interaction in the bar, she knew he couldn’t be but she could still very well be wrong.

“I did not call you,” he said finally and the atmosphere around them shifted as Adam Meyer’s eyes softened, his lips quirking up in an expression Ilana was unable to read.

“Oh,” she said, desperately trying to understand the change.

“What’s your name?” he asked softly and Ilana blinked.

Had she imagined the previous five minutes of his absolute annoyance?

“Uhh.. Rosie Mason. And I do apologize for wasting your time. This must have been a prank or something.”

“It's no worries,” he nodded. “Would you like to sit down?”

She tried her best to not frown. “I would like that. I’m such a huge fan.”

He smiled. She ignored it. Her mind ran a thousand miles per second as she tried to think of something to say. Anything at all. She needed to stay for a few more moments before she could excuse herself.