Out Of His Reach

Roman's POV

"Where the hell is the revised chapter?" I yelled, staring at the scattered documents on my desk.

Daniel looked uncomfortable as he stood opposite me, his head lowered.

"Well, what do you need to tell me, Daniel?" I snapped. I had a feeling I wouldn't like whatever excuse was about to come out of his mouth.

"Mr Blakewood, the legal department is still reviewing the amendments," he finally said.

I felt my blood boil. "Still reviewing them? Are you for real?" I slapped my hand on my desk and almost spilt the coffee I had barely taken two sips of.

"They have raised a few concerns about the supplier's revised items, Mr Blakewood," Daniel continued.

"Then find out what those concerns are and get me an answer before the end of the day. The clock is ticking," I insisted.

Daniel nodded and turned to leave, but I called him back.

"Yes, Mr Blakewood?"

"I would appreciate it if everything were on my desk when I ask for it next time." I glared at him, and he nodded in acknowledgement before leaving me alone. The door clicked shut behind him, and I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair.

It was barely midday, and I had already had enough.

My phone screen lit up with Vanessa’s name for the countless time, and I sighed. She'd been driving me insane since I arrived at work. Every little thing, she wanted my opinion or asked what time I would be back because she was bored.

I declined the call and set my phone down, face-down on the desk. I was not about to let her dictate how I should spend my day.

My office door opened abruptly, startling me.

“Good afternoon, Mr Blakewood.” A woman stood in my doorway holding a tablet and folder. She was dressed in a grey skirt and grey blouse, with her red hair tied back from her face. I noticed how brown her eyes were, and she had a pretty smile on her face. She seemed young, around twenty or twenty-one years old.

“Who are you?” I frowned, wondering why this woman had burst into my office without prior warning and what the hell she wanted.

“Sienna Haynes, Mr Blakewood.” She rushed over to me and held out a hand as she clumsily placed her tablet and folder on my desk. “I am your new personal assistant.”

I did not shake her hand. I just stared at her and then at the clock.

“You are late,” I informed her, pointing at the time.

Most people would have apologised there and then, but apparently, she was not like most people. She opened her folder and skipped a few pages, making an annoying humming sound as she did so.

“I have reviewed your diary and reorganised your meeting this afternoon. I have also contacted the legal department regarding the outstanding contract, Mr Blakewood.”

I raised an eyebrow and tried not to look too impressed. “You have done that already?”

“I thought that it would be good to familiarise myself with your workload. You know, get to know things before getting started,” she said, handing me the folder with a smile.

I took the folder and opened it. I saw that, indeed, my meeting had been rearranged, two had been cancelled, and the supplier meeting that I had been chasing had been moved forward. I was surprised that, finally, something seemed to be going right today.

“Who authorised these changes?” I asked Sienna.

“You did.”

“I did?” I frowned, struggling to remember authorising anything.

“Yes, Mr Blakewood. Technically, you did, as your previous diary notes stated that these appointments were flexible.”

I sat forward and studied the papers in front of me before looking up at the woman standing in front of me. She was confident and clearly knew what she was doing. I liked that immediately and closed the folder.

“Thank you. I can see you will be a credit to our team.”

She shrugged as though it was no big deal. “I like to be organised, Mr Blakewood, and I intend to do my job well whilst I am here,” she said.

My phone began to vibrate on the table, forcing me to look and see Vanessa’s name once again.

I declined the call and turned back to Sienna.

Then my office phone rang.

Lauren from reception.

“Mr Blakewood, sir. Your fiancée is on the line. Shall I put her through?”

I swallowed hard and sighed.

This was not the time for Vanessa to be hounding me.

Sienna smirked and gathered up her folder and tablet.

“Put her through, Lauren.” I could not be bothered with Vanessa, but she needed to know that she could not keep bothering me while I was trying to work.

“Roman, why are you ignoring my calls?” Vanessa’s high-pitched voice shrilled through the phone, and I pulled my ear away from it.

“I will leave you to it,” Sienna said as she walked out of the room.

Vanessa went silent for a moment, and I heard her click her tongue. She always did that when she was unhappy about something.

“Who was that?” she demanded, refusing to give me a chance to even speak.

“Vanessa, you cannot ring me like this. I am working,” I hissed down the phone.

“Who was that?” she repeated.

I let out a sigh. “That is my new personal assistant, standing in for you while you have your much-needed maternity leave. Now, please, let me get on with my work.” I clenched my jaw and rubbed my forehead.

“But, Roman, what about the house? You told that bitch of an ex of yours that she could keep it. I don't want to be living somewhere that belongs to your ex-wife. I want to move to the villa across town. I'll be much more comfortable there.”

I closed my eyes and let out a frustrated breath.

“Vanessa, we have already discussed this. Ellena is entitled to the house, and I agreed she could keep it. I don't see why we're having this conversation again.”

“But I don't want to live in a house that belongs to another woman, Roman! I am pregnant with your child; I am your fiancée now.”

“Then move into the villa if that's what you want. Just stop making it sound like I'm refusing to give you somewhere to live.”

There was a brief silence.

“Really? You'll let me move?”

I rubbed my forehead. Honestly, I couldn't understand why everything had to become such a bloody ordeal.

“Yes, Vanessa. I'll arrange for someone to sort it out. Now, can I get back to work?”

“Thank you, darling. I knew you'd understand.”

I ended the call before she could find something else to complain about.

I had more important things to worry about than Vanessa's choice of accommodation.

The mention of Ellena’s name had sent my heart racing. She had still not read a single message that I had sent her since leaving the house we had shared for five years. Someone had come to collect her, and I still had no idea where she was or where she had gone.

It irritated me more than it should have.

I had expected her to be upset, perhaps even to call me once she had calmed down, but the silence was beginning to get under my skin.

Picking up my phone, I opened our messages again, but there was nothing.

Where the hell had she gone, and who was she staying with?

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