Chapter 31

Diane's POV

Is it only me, or is Conrad's scandal fading already?

With the scandal handled by his PR team, none of the trouble falls on him, and it's been fading away as quickly as it spread. Conrad would love it. It's all he ever wanted.

The scandal fading away means an end is coming to our contract sooner than I expected. I haven't gotten attached to him, only to all the things he has to offer me in return for accepting to do this with him.

"Are you even with me?" Conrad's voice echoes.

"Yes. Yes, I'm with you." I reply, batting my eyelashes. I didn't mean to be carried away with my thoughts.

I'm worried for myself. The contract ending means I'll go back to being a stripper in one of the most patronized clubs in the city. That isn't me saying I'm not used to that life anymore.

Conrad pays me so well, and I've gotten comfortable with being paid so well. To get the amount he pays me, I'd have to work in the club all night for nothing less than four months. And the thought of the pole again makes my skin crawl a little.

"What do you think about what Ward said?" Conrad's hoarse voice brings me back to my senses again.

"I agree with him." I smile sheepishly for a second and then utter. The smile isn't necessary, I realize.

"You're clearly not with us. Is there a problem?" Ward looks in my direction before asking.

"I'm okay." I assure him.

"Why have you been finding it hard to concentrate, then?" Conrad questions.

"It could be that time of the month. Go easy on her."

"When did you start telling me how to treat my staff?" He demands an answer from Ward. That statement of Ward's obviously gets him pissed.

"Can you take a deep breath?"

"We've come to the end of this meeting. You both can carry on with the act." He replies to Ward.

I've gotten used to Conrad being paranoid. Ward shouldn't have defended me the way he did. I didn't appreciate it. I might find it hard to focus for the rest of the day, since I'm not well put together.

I still have four more hours before the end of work for today. I know I'll manage to push through. It seems I'm having a meltdown, but Conrad isn't one to understand.

He calls off the meeting, and I don't bother to pester him into changing his mind today. I take a deep breath. That's me preparing to leave his office for mine so I can get some work done.

"You don't have to leave now." Ward says while I'm packing the documents scattered on Conrad's table. I brought them into his office earlier.

Before I came in, he was offering Conrad legal advice, and he should just continue with that. I don't know if he's trying to help me get more comfortable around Conrad or if he's doing this for himself.

Conrad refuses to look in my direction. His forehead is tightly squeezed. I don't give a response to Ward's words because I'm not interested in staying back with him and his best friend.

"Have you been getting texts from..."

"No, this isn't about the texts." I interrupt Ward. He makes me do it.

"I'm glad you agree that there's a problem." He says.

I didn't lie when I said this isn't about the texts from an unknown source. It's been days since I changed my contact. I'm guessing the culprit doesn't have my new number yet.

Ward wants me to speak to him. How am I supposed to tell him I'm worried for myself? It would be rude to walk out on my bosses, and it would be better if Conrad asked me to leave.

"What is it between you two? Is there something you both aren't telling me?"

At this point, Ward is doing way too much. I expect Conrad to respond to that question, but he listens with his deaf ear, or maybe his mind isn't here either. His eyes are on the window, and his jaw is working like he's chewing on something he can't swallow.

Successfully, Ward makes things awkward for everyone in the room. He's digging a little about me and Conrad's relationship, and this is the best way he thinks he can go about it.

It's weird that Conrad doesn't stop him from engaging me in conversation. I expect him to inform Ward that I have to get back to work, because working hours clearly aren't over.

"Can I leave now?"

"Yes." Conrad responds. He has definitely been waiting for me to ask that question.

"I'll see you later." Ward mentions.

***

Ward wants something from me. It's glaring at this point, but what exactly he wants isn't. If he wants any of my services, he could have said it to my face a long time ago.

He asked me out on a date some days ago, but I didn't give him a response. If I give him a positive response and we eventually go on a date, I might be able to find out what exactly he wants from me.

"You have something that I desperately need. I want us to be partners."

He said those words to me the last time he was at my house, but he didn't tell me what it was that he needed. I step out of Conrad's office, and I don't forget to leave with the documents I came with.

If I go on a date with him and Conrad finds out, how will he feel about it?

"We're not in love, so I don't owe him loyalty." I tell myself.

"A parcel came in for you not long ago." A colleague informs me after walking up to me.

I walk to my table and pick up the parcel.

"Oh, no!" I scream.