Chapter 33: Let’s Make a Deal
I was halfway through typing up the report he’d asked for─okay, procrastinating by staring at the blinking pointer when the intercom buzzed on my desk.
His voice came through, smooth but firm.
"Isabella. My office. Now."
I sighed and pushed back my chair. It was barely noon and I was already on edge. That man was a master at turning oxygen into pressure.
I quickly checked myself in the mirror my heart pounding hard in my chest and walked down the hall to his door. As I approached, I noticed that it was opened a little bit but I still knocked softly.
He called out, "come in." I took a deep breath and walked inside, trying to keep my hands still and appear composed under his gaze. He looked... composed. Too composed. Which only made me more nervous.
"You called?" I asked, my voice calm despite the way my stomach flipped.
Adrien leaned back in his chair, fingers under his chin, his eyes watching me like I was some puzzle he hadn’t quite solved yet.
"Yes," he said finally. "Close the door."
Oh God.
Was this about the coffee? Did I bring the wrong milk? The wrong cup? Did I offend the sacred ritual of Adrien’s Caffeine Hour? I technically did by coming late but still.