4- Nicole Santoro

“I'm not risky.” That's all I can say to try and defend myself because apparently, Valentin Salvatore knows me too well for my liking. The problem is that the words come out acidic as if to prove his point.

He gives a quick sideways smile, which is quite rare. He only uses it when he's not saying what he's thinking. It's usually in our healthy spats. I imagine it's something too bad to say out loud because he's not one to hold anything back. The man doesn't hesitate to fight and say how he likes things to happen around here.

“There's a lot more. I could spend the rest of the day here talking about your lack of professionalism, but I'll finish with the little gifts you receive more often than is appropriate for the workplace. Flowers, giant bears, serenades...”

“It's not my fault! It's not like I'm the one sending the gifts.”

“But you can make sure they're not delivered here, Miss Santoro, but to your home. Your personal life generates more gossip in this company than we've had in all the years it's been in existence.”

“If you didn't make me stay here until I decided to leave, maybe I'd have time to get everything delivered to my house. But I spend more time here than there, don't I?”

Valentin doesn't say anything, he just keeps measuring me carefully. I hate it when he does that. I feel like he thinks he's a superior being who doesn't have time to waste arguing with me. It's always like this, our clashes are acidic but quick. He doesn't spend more than five minutes demonstrating what an asshole he is. No, the powerful CEO Valentin Salvatore has better things to do than get into pointless arguments with his secretary. He says what's bothering him and hurries me off so I can get back to my business.

I smile when he returns to his chair, proving that it's not just him who knows a few things about me. I also know little facts about Valentin. Unfortunately, living together sucks and I have to. If it were up to me, he'd be erased from my life.

“Have you finished your sermon for the day? Can I leave now?”

His very dark eyes look at me again, and I feel safer because his height isn't so intimidating when he's sitting down. Even though he's still bigger than me. But that's beside the point.

I watch as Valentin opens one of the small drawers on his wooden desk and places a tablet on top, pushing it towards me.

“What's that?” I ask with a frown.

“Medicine for your headache.”

“How...? I'm not hungover, don't worry.”

“I know. I didn't say I was. Take it,” he says, bossily, as if I didn't have the choice to refuse.

Could it be that the wretch, as well as being a complete asshole, has the power to read minds? It's not possible! I know we've spent a considerable amount of time together every day since I started working here, but how can he know so many insignificant things about me? Or how can he know about a simple headache?

“You don't have to...”

“Take it. Don't argue with me, Santoro.”

It means he's about to lose his temper again.

I agree to avoid fatigue. To prevent the slight headache from turning into a terrible, hated migraine. I took advantage of the offer because I didn't remember to buy my medicine. I approach Valentin's desk and pick up the pill, seeing that it's the same one I usually take for what I call a pre-migraine. That's when I hope that the blessed one won't come, so I just need a weaker medicine that won't knock me over.

“Thank you,” I say with difficulty because I can't remember another time when I've been truly grateful to Valentin.

“Not at all, miss. Take a few minutes until you get better. I need you to accompany me to the four o'clock meeting. I want you to be attentive, without distractions.”

“Of course, sir. Excuse me.”

As soon as I leave his office, I sit down in my chair and throw my head back against the comfortable backrest. What the fuck was that? At the same time as he's eating my ass about his lack of professionalism, he's offering me a drug? I'm sure it was just so I'd be one hundred percent fit for later, but still. He could have let me turn around.

Valentin is too strange. I shouldn't waste my time trying to understand his attitude.

As he suggested, I take a few minutes in the restroom after taking my medicine. I turn off the lights and wait about twenty minutes for it to take effect, thankful that it hasn't got any worse. My mood is a little better when I return to my seat, seeing that some people have already started to arrive too.

I'm lucky that whenever my head feels bad, Valentin gives me a break. Not consciously, of course, but at least I have that comfort, because no one deserves to have a demanding man talking in their head when all they want to do is lie down.

As I predicted, work distracts me for the rest of the day. My head felt better, I got a lot done and Valentin didn't complain once. It was a victory. We went to the meeting, and he came away very happy to have closed a contract, so I was also happy that he was in a good mood because that always meant peace for me.

He even released me on time!

Excited to be getting home early for the first time this week, I start to pack my things but get stuck in place when I see a delivery man coming out of the elevator. When I look at the flowers in his hands, my body freezes as I remember Valentin's words.

“No, no, shit! Don't let them be for me, don't let them be for me...” I whisper a continuous prayer and I despair when the man asks my name, loud and clear. Livia, one of the employees, points in my direction and the man comes towards me.

“Miss Nicole Santoro? Sign here, please.”

I take the pen from his hand in a hurry, eager to get rid of the evidence of the crime quickly, before Valentin sees it. Only the unfortunate man has radar, he must. He chooses just that moment to leave your office. His sharp eyes look in my direction, then at the flowers.

My boss approaches in slow steps, while the delivery man turns around and heads for the elevator, away from me. Before the scolding comes to an end the atypically peaceful day, I step forward and hold out the bouquet towards him.

“For you!” I say hurriedly, and he looks at me in disbelief at my lame attempt to escape a scolding.

Valentin holds the flowers in one hand and picks up a bloody card with the other. He opens it and reads the contents, and I freeze, because I wonder who it's from and I'm scared of what's written there.

“I love you and I won't let you run away from the feeling out of fear” Valentin reads the sentence out loud, on purpose, attracting the attention of the curious. “I didn't know that what you felt for me was love, miss.”

The little smile is there, the blessedly indecipherable one.

To escape the embarrassment, I do the first thing I think of. A bad idea, I know.

I pretend to faint.