CHAPTER ELEVEN

Aurora's pov

“I'm glad that you finally decided to make time for me in your busy schedule, Mr Quin,” Mr Gregor said followed by a drawn-out laugh.

Then his beady eyes shifted over to me and my eyes were once again assaulted with the glint that came from his golden tooth as he smiled.

“I never would have guessed over the phone how pretty your new secretary is,”

I felt like recoiling into a hole when I got that compliment, it was the lecherous look that he barely veiled beneath his eyes that made my skin really crawl.

“I thought you came to discuss business with me, Mr Gregor, not flirt with my secretary,”

Mr Quin came at him sharply, Mr Gregor mumbled an apology awkwardly.

“Mr Quin, it was only a harmless joke, but I apologize nevertheless.” he said in a tone that made it clear he just wanted to brush the matter under the carpet rather than actually feeling remorseful.

Mr Gregor bounced from one pointless topic to the other, straying quickly without pause.

I watched as Mr Quin's face gradually grew more and more irritated with every syllable that slipped past the older male’s golden tooth, Mr Gregor either couldn't read the room or pretended not to as he breezingly spluttered more nonsense.

Finally, Mr Quin's patience had run thin.

“Mr Gregor, I don't think I have to tell you that I'm a busy man. So if there is a point to everything that you have been saying I hope you get to it right now because I have that obligations to attend to today.”

Mr Gregor looked genuinely flabbergasted that the other man across from him had not been even slightly amused by his roundabout speech.

“Don't mind me, you know despite you being the CEO you're like a son I never had,”

“I'll try to take that as a compliment, Mr Gregor.”

Finally beginning to sense how awkward the atmosphere was because of him Mr Gregor adjusted his tie using his fingers to fiddle with it as he spoke again.

“Well, even though I don't have any sons I've been blessed with the most dashing daughters any man could ever wish for! My youngest recently came of age, her name is Claire, isn't that such a lovely name?”

He kept speaking when he got to no response from Mr Quin, trying to breach over that awkward moment of silence were he was hoping for reassurance and didn't get it.

“She's as lovely as her name, and very obedient too I might add. You might get to meet her when you come for my wedding anniversary party,”

“When?” Mr Quin asked, an eyebrow rising. “Not ‘if’?”

Mr Gregor nodded confidently, “that's the reassurance that I got from your father, I've already given him an invitation and of course your entire family too because I would love to have such good friends grace a wonderful occasion like that,”

I thought I was going to be sick, an uneasy feelings spawned around and my stomach and twisted it.

This man was using his daughter that had barely come of age to further cement his place in this company by handing her off as a bride to Mr Quin–how disgusting!

My eyes found Mr Quins over the sitting older male's shoulder, I don't know why I wanted to look at him at that moment, to have him stare back at me. Maybe I wanted to see his reaction to what Mr Gregor was offering.

But he didn't look at me, not even for a second and the walls of the office seem to close around me, suddenly the air felt too thick to inhale.

I wrapped my fingers with each other and squeezed them tight, taking slow intentional breaths.

Why did I feel so…disappointed?

There would be a huge penalty for Mr Quin if he chose to break off our contract early and I could leave with a lot of money, enough that I wouldn't have to worry about being improvised–No, far from it I would be leaving very comfortably in the luscious lap of luxury.

So I should be happy–right?

Then what's up with this sinking feeling in my chest?

“Why does a lovely lady like you have her head so high up in the clouds?”

A cold on comfortable shiver ran from my head down to my toes when I heard Mr gregor's words address that me, I raised my head up and met him with eye level, the lecherous look on his face was barely veiled and he looked like he was about to start licking his lips just staring at me.

“I'm sorry, Sir. My mind–”

“It's fine! it's fine!!” He repeated, the hungry look in His eyes causing me to shift on my feet.

He must have finished his conversation with Mr Quin so why wasn't he leaving.

“I should get to going now, it looks like I've taken too much of your time,” he said the words that were floating in my mind even though he remained still standing in front of me, lingering.

“Mr Gregor!” Mr Quin finally snapped.

His golden tooth shone as he awkwardly apologized; “oh! it looks like I have really overstayed my welcome,” he admitted walking out of the office.

As soon as he left it felt like a huge weight had been taken off of my chest, and I sighed, “Ugh, finally…”

Mr Quin walked up to me and my senses embraced the overwhelming scent of his cologne, musky and fresh.

His broad shoulders tensed up, “Aurora about the party…” he paused, he must be thinking of how to tell me that he's changed his mind about us-err the contract.

Tears gathered up in the corner of my eyes but I denied myself the relief of shedding them.

“I already understand, you don't have to worry.” I said forcing the most natural smile I could manage. “There's no problem at all, but can we discuss the details later?”

He looked so visibly relieved that I wasn't making a fuss out of him choosing another woman at the drop of a hat. I quickly got up, excused myself and left the office.