Chapter 21

On the third day, Victor's business trip finally began drawing to a close.

The contract had been signed, the negotiations were complete, and the dinner celebrating the agreement had ended without incident.

By every reasonable measure, the trip had been a success.

Yet Victor was in no mood to celebrate.

He was looking forward to returning to Haulette Tower.

More specifically, he was looking forward to seeing Sevra.

The realization was impossible to ignore now.

He wanted to see her face when she greeted him in the morning. He wanted to hear her calm voice as she briefed him on his schedule. He wanted to watch the way she concentrated on her work, occasionally tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear when she thought no one was looking.

He remembered details he had no reason to remember.

The color of her blouse.

The way she held her coffee cup.

The faint smile she offered Danny before leaving the car.

Even the modest orange house hidden inside the alley where she lived had somehow lodged itself in his mind.

He knew exactly where it was.

He could probably find it again without assistance.

Victor looked out at the city lights from his hotel window.

Three days.

He had been away for only three days, and somehow, the office no longer seemed quite the same in his imagination.

His phone rang.

Michael.

Victor answered immediately. "Speaking."

"Good evening, Sir. I wanted to update you on tomorrow's schedule. Your first meeting has been moved to ten, and Ms. Monace has already prepared the revised itinerary."

"Anything else?" There was a brief pause.

"Nothing urgent, Sir." Michael replied.

Victor waited.

Michael seemed to be choosing his next words carefully.

"Ms. Monace also asked me to remind you to get some rest before your flight tomorrow morning."

For the first time that evening, Victor smiled.

It was a small, involuntary movement, gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

"She said that?" Victor asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Yes, Sir. She mentioned that you've had a packed schedule for the past few days."

Victor glanced at his watch.

"Is she still at the office?"

"No, Sir. She left at the usual time."

"Good." He ended the call, still wearing the faintest trace of a smile.

So Sevra had been paying attention.

Perhaps she was simply being considerate toward her employer. Perhaps she would have said the same thing to anyone whose schedule she managed.

It didn't matter.

For the first time in three days, the thought of returning to work felt genuinely pleasant.

And that, Victor decided, was a problem he would deal with later.

***

The following morning, I arrived at Haulette Tower carrying my usual cappuccino and croissant.

I'd barely settled behind my desk when the elevator doors opened.

Victor stepped out, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, his expression as composed and intimidating as ever. Michael followed a step behind him, a folder tucked beneath his arm.

I immediately rose to my feet.

"Good morning, Mr. Haulette. Welcome back," I greeted him with a professional smile.

Victor stopped in front of my desk. For a brief moment, he simply looked at me, his unreadable gaze lingering on my face.

"Good morning, Sevra," he replied, his voice calm and even.

"Did you have a pleasant few days, Sir?" I asked politely, straightening the papers in front of me.

"Productive ones," he answered, loosening his cufflinks slightly as he glanced toward his office.

"I'm glad to hear that." I reached for the folder containing his schedule. "I've prepared everything for today. Your first meeting is at ten, and the revised documents are ready in your office."

"Good." He nodded, seemingly ready to leave.

Yet, instead of continuing toward his office, his attention shifted to the breakfast beside my computer.

"Is that your breakfast?" he asked, his eyes settling on my cappuccino and croissant.

I followed his gaze, momentarily puzzled by the question.

"Yes, Sir. I picked it up on my way here."

"Just coffee and a croissant?" he pressed, raising one eyebrow.

I blinked at him, wondering whether I'd somehow missed a new company policy regarding breakfast.

"There's nothing wrong with a croissant," I pointed out, a hint of defensiveness creeping into my voice.

"I didn't say there was," Victor replied smoothly, his expression giving nothing away.

I tilted my head, unable to resist the urge to challenge him.

"Then why do you sound as though I've committed a crime?" I asked, the words slipping out before I could reconsider them.

Beside him, Michael abruptly lowered his gaze to the folder in his hands. His lips pressed together as though he were concentrating very hard on something written on the page.

I looked back at Victor.

For one uncomfortable second, I wondered if I'd just overstepped the line between secretary and employer.

Then I noticed the faint upward curve of his mouth.

"Perhaps I expected my secretary to have a more substantial breakfast," he remarked, his tone carrying the slightest hint of amusement.

I stared at him, caught off guard by the unexpected answer. Fighting back a smile, I pressed my lips together.

"Understood, Sir," I replied with exaggerated seriousness. "I'll make sure to have a more substantial breakfast tomorrow."

"See that you do," he said, the faint smile still lingering on his face.

Satisfied, he finally turned toward his office.

He had barely taken three steps when I remembered something and called after him.

"By the way, Sir, I hope you managed to get some rest during your trip."

Victor paused and glanced over his shoulder.

"I did," he answered without hesitation.

His response was so smooth that I had no reason to question it. Besides, he looked exactly as composed as he always did, without a trace of fatigue on his face.

"That's good to hear," I said warmly. "Welcome back."

"Thank you for asking, Sevra." His gaze met mine for another brief moment before he continued toward his office.

I watched him disappear behind the glass door, then returned to my chair.

Since when had my breakfast become a topic of discussion with my boss?

Suppressing a quiet laugh, I took a sip of my cappuccino and turned my attention to the day's schedule.