Chapter Three

Anna’s POV

Fixing errors in a report that I hadn’t seen before was one thing, but staying in the office all day just because our new CEO had refused to show up was another. It was almost 9 pm. Four hours after the company’s official closing hour, yet the second Archer son had decided to be a jackass.

“Are you sure he’s still coming today?” I questioned, turning to Alex, who had taken to playing mobile games. It was great that he could find something to distract himself with. I couldn’t.

“I don’t know, Anna,” he replied. “Grace has instructed us to wait, and as long as you are not willing to walk into her office and ask her that question, then we have no choice but to wait.”

“Urghhh!” I groaned, slouching into my seat. I had planned on going home earlier today. The apartment was a mess because I’d been working here late into the night. I needed to put it in order, not to mention the fact that I still had to stop by Luke’s to get my things.

“So disrespectful.”

“What?”

“The new CEO.” I sat up again, my eyes straying to the clock hanging above the door. 9:05 pm. “I know he doesn’t know a thing about being a CEO, but courtesy demands that he doesn’t keep people waiting. The least he could have done was to call Grace to reschedule rather than keep us here.”

“Yeah,” Alex sighed. “But…”

“You can’t excuse it,” I continued, leaning forward. “He is ill-mannered, and I don’t know what the Archer family teaches their children…”

“Anna…”

“…but he needs to learn respect and value for people’s time. We all have something to do. I mean, how more rude could a person get?”

“Anna!”

Maybe it was the sudden silence of the office, or the fact that Alex was suddenly staring so hard at me, the veins on his forehead threatening to pop. But I stopped talking. And then, I heard it.

The footsteps came to a halt right behind me. The sudden change in the air, almost like there was a certain charge I couldn’t touch. But I knew it was there.

I turned around slowly, my heart suddenly thudding hard against my chest, as if it knew. I sucked in a sharp breath when my eyes fell on him.

Of all the nights I chose to insult the CEO, it had to be the one where he was standing right behind me.

He was standing right there, hands in his pocket, an amused look on his face. One that didn’t reach his eyes. And that dark hair, falling across his forehead. Those eyes….

Where did I…

Shit!

“That’s a great question,” he murmured, angling his head. “How rude could I get?”

“Mr. Archer…”

“Oh, stop.” He waved his hands in the air dismissively. “We both know the last thing you want to do is accord me even the tinniest bit of respect, especially after I kept you waiting for hours.”

“I…” I was on my feet now, my lips pressed together. This was it. I was as good as gone. “I didn’t mean it that way. I was just telling Alex…”

“…about how rude I am.”

Oh no.

“Sir….”

“Carson!” Grace’s door swung open. “It is… quite late. I thought you weren’t coming in today.”

“It was a last-minute thing,” he drawled, pushing away from my desk. “I had to… You know what? Let’s not bore you with the details. I don’t think you’ll be a fan.”

If Grace was curious about what he meant, she didn’t show it. Instead, she stretched out a hand. “Welcome, Mr. Archer. The team is pleased to have you fill in your father’s shoes.”

A smile splayed on his face, and his chest quivered in silent laughter. “Not you too, Grace?”

She arched a brow. “What?”

“You don’t want me here. It’s fine to admit it.”

“I…”

“Let’s start the meeting.”

“Yes, Sir,” Grace quipped. “I’ll just send an email to everyone so they can…”

“No,” he cut in, shaking his head. “Just you. The rest of them can go home. I kept them here long enough already. God forbid someone thinks I’m rude.”

My cheeks burned immediately, and I wished the ground could open up and swallow me. Grace’s eyes moved slowly, from Mr. Archer to me, still standing in front of him, my hands laced. I saw the question in her eye, but strangely, she asked nothing. I gathered it was going to be another query.

“Mr. Archer, I….”

“Go home, Anna,” Grace interrupted. “The rest of you should do the same.” And then, she brought her gaze back to mine. “Don’t be late again.”

***

Luke was at the door before my knuckles even touched it. He stepped out of the way, a small smile on his face like nothing had changed.

“I’m just getting my things,” I reiterated, just like I had done throughout the day, moving into the cozy space that I used to spend my evenings, curled up in front of the fireplace with a good book.

“I know, Anna. It’s all you’ve been saying.”

Ignoring him, I walked to the bedroom, expecting to find a box on the floor. But Luke came up behind me, sighing. “They’re in the closet. You are going to have to put them together.”

I turned to face him. “Luke, I am really not in the mood for this. I have had a long and horrible day and…”

“Don’t you think I’ve had a horrible day too?”

“What are you saying, Luke?”

“I’m saying I don’t like what we have become, Anna. We used to be… You used to adore me. What happened to that?”

“It wasn’t reciprocated.” I headed towards the closet. “And I am not talking about this.”

“But I want to.” One of the things I loved about Luke was his ability to never give up. It was what I hated now. “And you are wrong. I adored you, too, Anna. I still do.”

“But that is the thing!” I snapped, turning to face him. “You thought you adored me. I can’t explain it, Luke, but I needed you in ways that you didn’t understand. And when I tried to tell you, you said I was being selfish.

“All I needed was to be loved the way I wanted to be. Not the damn gifts, or the keys to your apartment. I needed you. I needed to be loved unconditionally. You didn’t even tell your friends you were seeing me.”

“Anna…”

I heard my phone from the living room.

“I have to get that.”

It was on the second ring when I got to it. I read the contact on the screen, and a frustrated sigh escaped my lips. I didn’t think the day could get any worse.

“Hi, Grace.”

“Anna, return to the office right away.”

What? It was almost midnight. I couldn’t possibly… who the fuck jinxed my day?

“Grace…”

“Mr. Archer said the report is all wrong.”