His Secretary

"Do you need anything, Mr. Parker?" Laila asked, her voice honey-sweet.

He didn't answer.

Instead, he turned his head.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

My breath caught.

For the first time since I'd started working at Parker Wines, Leonard Parker looked directly at me in front of everyone.

Our eyes met.

His expression was unreadable.

Then, almost imperceptibly, one corner of his mouth lifted.

Not a smile.

A victory.

"Good morning, Blair."

His voice was calm.

Warm.

As though greeting me had become the most natural thing in the world.

Before I could react, he opened the glass door and disappeared into his office.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Silence settled over the reception area.

I couldn't move.

Couldn't breathe.

He knew.

There was no doubt anymore.

The man outside the shower hadn't been a figment of my imagination.

It had been Leonard Parker.

And with four simple words, he'd made sure I knew that he knew.

Heat rushed to my face.

I stared at my computer screen without actually seeing it.

My pulse hammered in my ears.

Across from me, I felt Laila's eyes burning holes into my face.

She frowned.

"What was that about?"

I blinked, forcing myself back to reality.

"I..."

I had no answer.

Because I didn't understand it either.

Trying to appear as confused as she was, I lifted both hands in a helpless shrug.

"No idea."

She continued watching me for another moment before turning toward Mr. Parker's office.

I knew exactly what she was thinking.

In nearly two years, she'd never seen him acknowledge me.

Neither had I.

I'd been invisible.

Just another assistant sitting quietly behind a desk.

And I'd preferred it that way.

Invisible people didn't attract attention.

Invisible people didn't become office gossip.

Invisible people certainly didn't receive personal greetings from the CEO.

Not until last night.

I swallowed hard.

How was I supposed to work now?

His office was surrounded by glass.

From where he sat, he had a perfect view of my desk.

I'd never thought about it before.

Now it was impossible not to.

The sensation of being watched crawled beneath my skin.

"I'll... I'll be right back," I muttered.

Laila barely acknowledged me.

I hurried toward the ladies' room before she could ask another question.

The moment the door closed behind me, I gripped the edge of the sink.

My reflection looked as shaken as I felt.

I turned on the cold water and splashed my wrists, then my neck.

It didn't help.

My cheeks were still burning.

"This is ridiculous," I whispered.

It was barely nine in the morning.

How was I supposed to survive the rest of the day?

I dried my hands, took a deep breath and reached for my phone.

There was only one person I could talk to without being judged.

Jonathan.

Blair: Break at ten. Your floor. Urgent.

His reply arrived almost instantly.

Jonathan: Urgent as in "bring coffee"... or "bring rum disguised as coffee"?

Despite everything, I laughed.

Blair: Coffee. Seriously.

Jonathan: Now I'm worried.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket and looked at myself one last time.

Ten o'clock couldn't come soon enough.