Valeria's pov
This man absolutely doesn't like being happy.
I balanced the tray, bringing the fourth cup of coffee. I was already mentally calculating the trajectory of the liquid if he rejected this one, too. I'd aim for the silk tie. It looked expensive enough to ruin his morning.
"I am looking for a missing file. The one about Quantix Enterprise," Alaric snapped.
I walked past him, reached into his top desk drawer, and pulled the folder out. I tapped the edge against his forehead.
"Focus, Boss. Your blood pressure is going to spike because you're looking for a fight, not a folder."
Alaric reached for the cup I set down, his fingers brushing mine for a fraction of a second. He pulled back as if burned.
"This isn't hot enough," he muttered.
"Maybe you should go and get it yourself next time," I said, already turning toward the door. I didn't wait for a rebuttal.
In the lobby, the elevator door opened and a group of men in suits stepped out. They radiated the kind of arrogance that only comes with old money and well..clean laundry
"We have an appointment with Mr. Alaric for 2:00 PM," the eldest said. His voice was gravel and unearned entitlement.
"Of course," I replied, "He's been waiting for you."
Ten minutes later, the intercom buzzed. Alaric's voice was tight, vibrating with a frequency that told me the meeting wasn't going well. "Valeria. In here."
I walked into the conference room. Alaric shoved a stack of documents toward me without a word.
"Photocopy these."
"And while you're at it, Miss Secretary," one of the men interrupted. Sebastian. He didn't look at me.
"Get me a cup of coffee. With something to go with it."
A few chuckles rippled around the table.
I wondered what it was about these men that made them think every woman in a blazer was a vending machine.
"Did you say something?" Sebastian asked, finally catching my gaze.
"Yeah. I don't work for you. If you want a cup of coffee and something with it, get it yourself."
I turned on my heel and walked out with the files before the explosion could happen. Behind me, I heard Sebastian's indignant hiss, "Alaric, are you really going to let an employee speak to a guest that way?"
I took my time at the copier. When I returned, Sebastian was swiping a map onto the wall-sized screen. He was mid-execution, trying to bury Kaelan's latest venture.
"Let's talk about your luxury hotel project." Sebastian zoomed in on the coordinates. "It's next to the airpot. Who would pay luxury prices to sleep beside a runway? It's a dead investment."
Another investor nodded, looking bored. "Tourists certainly won't."
Sebastian leaned back, a victor's smirk on his face. "So, Alaric. Explain to us why this isn't a disaster."
I stepped forward, my eyes scanning the map with clinical precision. The men frowned, their attention snapping to the secretary they'd tried to order around moments ago.
"It isn't built for tourists," I said, my voice cutting through their doubt. "At least, not only them."
I pointed to the terminal on the map. "Delayed flights. Cancelled routes. Business travelers who are suddenly stranded in the city."
"They could stay anywhere," one investor muttered.
I shook my head. "When people are stranded at midnight, they search for the closest bed."
Stunned silence.
I shrugged, the mask of the bored secretary sliding back into place. "But oh well. What do I know? I'm just a secretary."
I walked out. Behind the closed door, I could practically feel Kaelan's dark, possessive pride. He knew I was the smartest person in that room.
I retreated to my desk and pulled up TikTok. It was unprofessional, but I needed the brain rot to kill the adrenaline.
A shadow fell over my desk. It was the quietest investor from the meeting.
Julian Pierce.
"Hey. What's your name?"
"V. How can I help you? Do you need a coffee like your friend, or an ice cream?"
Julian laughed, a low sound. "You don't scare easily, do you?"
I just stared at him, my expression flat.
"My name is Julian Pierce. I own one of the biggest real estate company in the East."
"Okay??"
"You're pretty. Brainy, too." Julian leaned in, his smile widening. "How would you like to work in my company instead of this cage?"
"How would you like for your teeth to be knocked off?"
Alaric was suddenly there, his presence blocking Julian's view of me entirely. He looked ready to draw blood.
"Get out of my territory before I make this meeting very uncomfortable for you."
Julian held up his hands, laughing as he backed away. "Message received, Alaric"
The office cleared until it was just the two of us. Alaric turned on me, he stepped into my space, pinning me against the edge of the desk. My breath hitched.
"Are you trying to see how far you can push me?" he hissed.
I hated how much I liked his hands on me. The warmth of him sent a tingle through my skin that I couldn't explain.
"I'm just doing my job. Are you jealous, Boss? Or is that just your ego bruising?"
Alaric's eyes dropped, but not to my lips. He stared at the base of my throat. At the necklace hiding under my collar.
"That necklace." He reached out, his thumb grazing the gold. "Where did a broke med-school dropout get something that looks like it belongs in a museum?"
I shoved him back, my heart wasn't hammering from lust anymore—it was fear. My cover was thinning.
"Some things aren't always about money, Boss," I said, my voice steadying.
"You keep forgetting that I am the one who pays you."
"And i'm the only one getting the job done." I put my hands on my hips, forcing a smirk. "I fear you are turning me into you. Everything is so serious in this building."
Kaelan stared at me, suspicion burning in his gaze. I turned away, my mind racing.
I need to move the plan faster. Before I'm found out.