7

AUDREY
At first, my boss’s presence and his large frame intimidated me—so powerful and dominating, but my fear was altered by relief. I suddenly felt safe.
“And who are you?” Anton glared back and finally stepped back. “Who is this interloper who can’t fucking mind his own business?”
“I don’t fucking care about your business, but you are harassing a woman in a public place.”
Anton scowled. “Who the fuck is this, Audrey?”
“He’s my boss,” I muttered.
Anton let out a derisive laugh. “So your boss is just walking around the streets, meddling in his employees’ lives. What, are you fucking him, Audrey?”
Gabriel seethed under his breath and clenched Anton’s collar, slightly lifting him off the ground. “What did you just say?”
“Mr. Stark.” I held his hand. “Not here.”
“Look at me and tell that to my face again,” Gabriel said tightly.
Anton snickered, then he glared back at him. But abruptly, Anton’s expression changed into confusion. For the next few seconds, they just stood there, glowering at each other. None of them were saying a word.
“Liam?”
Gabriel’s expression remained stern and unaffected.
“Is that you?” Anton questioned in a low voice.
I wasn’t surprised that he would mistook him for Liam Cross. Gabriel did look similar.
“Who?” Stark frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Mr. Stark,” I called. I shouldn’t let him do this. He was a well-known businessman, and I didn’t want his face printed on the newspaper’s front page the next day, saying he picked a fight in front of a restaurant. I reached for his arm. “Please, just let go. It’s okay. I’m okay.”
“Get inside the restaurant, Audrey. Now.”
“But Mr. Stark…”
“Right now, I don’t want to tell you again,” he ordered firmly.
I nodded and followed anyway because I didn’t want to make things worse. I walked back inside the restaurant and ignored the people watching. Several minutes later, my boss came into the restaurant, pulled a chair, and sat across from me.
“Where is he?” I asked, but I didn’t bother to look at him. I was still embarrassed. The timing was so bad he had to see that grim scene between my brother and me. But I couldn’t forget how he looked when he picked Anton’s arm and drew him away.
Gabriel crossed his legs and then leaned on the chair. “Is he the important person?”
“He’s my half-brother,” I informed. “You shouldn’t have done that, Mr. Stark. You can’t be seen like that in public.”
A ghost smile appeared across his lips. I almost melted. How beautiful he was.
“Is that your way of saying thank you, Miss Hopkins?”
I looked at him this time. “Thank you for your help.”
“I didn’t help you. I’m just getting rid of that ugly scene in front of me.”
I wanted to ask him if it was also his way of telling people that he didn’t care, but he actually did?
“Then are you going to meddle like that if you see other people fighting on the streets?”
He smirked sexily. “Probably not. It just happened that you are my employee,” he simply said, but with all the meaning. He helped me earlier because I was his employee.
Gabriel glanced at his Breguet wristwatch. “I have a meeting in this restaurant in ten minutes. I’m expecting you tomorrow at eight then, Miss Hopkins.”
He didn’t even let me answer. He stood up, smoothed his navy blue three-piece Bespoke suit, then strode toward the restaurant’s second level. I watched further as a waiter approached him and instructed him a few words. The waiter left, and he continued to walk upstairs.
I heaved out a sigh. I might’ve been freed from Anton’s sickening manipulation, but I was suddenly bothered by something else.
I was attracted to Gabriel Stark.
It was so bad that I realized that I wanted him selfishly for myself, that I wanted him to look at me the way I was watching him now. I think I was going to be obsessed.
***
There was only one thing worse than waking up in the morning. It was waking up knowing that I would get to see the face of my boss again.
The sound of my alarm jolted me out of my dream. I stepped out of bed, turning off the alarm clock on the bedside table. Sighing, I tossed the blanket off my body and went to the bathroom for a quick, cold shower.
Afterward, I slipped into my office clothes, applied light makeup, and put on my favorite red checkered scarf. I debated whether I should wear heels or the brand-new leather boots Chelsea had given me in my first month.
But then, my phone beeped. I noticed new voicemails on the notification. It was from my coworkers and the other secretaries in the executive department. I picked up my phone and listened to them one by one.
Karen: Congratulations on your 3rd month, Audrey!
Anna: Congrats, Audrey! We should celebrate! How about we dance later?
Dave: Your employment evaluation will come out today! I’m hoping for the positive feedback. Congrats!
Ella: Wow, congratulations, dear Audrey! No probationary employee has ever lasted that long with Mr. Stark!
The last message I received was from Jacey.
Congratulations to both of us! - J
I smiled at her text.
I still couldn’t believe the time had gone so fast, and it was already my third month.
Honestly, I didn’t know if I enjoyed working for Stark. Every day for the last twelve weeks had been painful for me. Since Dave Kline went to South America for a business trip, Stark pretty much had me doing everything. I knew it would eventually be my job anyway, but the man was a control freak with too many rules.
I sat in on his meetings among the company’s executives, taking note of every detail, accompanied in all of his outside businesses, but not riding in his car with him, reading his corporate email, and replied to them, making his coffee three times a day. He’d get mad if it was late. Lastly, he had me do errands not in my job description, like picking up his dry cleaning or sometimes running to the store to purchase a gift for his mistresses.
Unfortunately, he had me dreaming about him every night. In my imagination, he was on my bed, spreading my thighs wide, devouring my body, and running his lips on my skin. Then he would pound into me until I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. But there were also times that I wanted to slap him for being an asshole.
I came into the office early because I didn’t want to see a lion like the other day. I overslept, and then I came late to the office. I was a bit feverish, and my throat had been scratchy for days. It was a symptom of an oncoming cold. Thankfully, my body could still handle the daily tasks.
As I was about to put down my things on my desk, Mr. Kline knocked on my door, “Audrey?”
“Yes, Mr. Kline?”
“I need you to check if the conference room is cleared for Mr. Stark’s meeting at ten o’clock with Miss Prince,” he said, “and also, I need you to contact Miss Jasmine Green and ask her about the new fabric samples. From Rome.”
“Right away, Mr. Klein,” I replied, then he turned away.
Mr. Stark wasn’t in yet when I came into his office. It was seven forty-five, which gave me fifteen minutes before he arrived. I organized the files on his desk, changed his mug while brewing his morning coffee using his personal coffee brewer, and removed his dry cleaning from his private closet.
As I checked the coffee machine, my phone repeatedly buzzed in my pocket.
Several chats came in.
Employee 1: Mr. Beautiful is here!
Employee 2: He’s wearing a Brioni suit today!
Employee 3: Ugh, he’s yummy!
Employee 4: Mom told me he saw him last night at The Lounge with Maxine Perez
Employee 5: Another supermodel he banged? But guys, you know that woman is a living Barbie doll.
I rolled my eyes and slid the phone back into my pocket.
I immediately poured coffee into his cup and placed it on his desk. At the very moment he stepped into his office, his scent filled the whole room. He was talking on his phone. He walked straight to his desk, looking sexy as ever in his three-piece black suit and sleek Italian leather shoes. They shone so brightly against the office light.
“Yes, I understand. Thank you.” He ended the call, looking up and down at me.
“Good morning Mr. Stark.”
“Is there a reason why you are still here?” he asked in a glacial tone, then he continued behind his desk.
I took a deep breath, then let those sharp words come and go. I usually didn’t wait for him whenever I organized his desk in the morning. He’d always tell me to leave before he could arrive. He didn’t want people walking around his office.
“Yes, I have emailed you all the updates you need and cleared the conference room for your meeting today. And also gave Mr. Kline the spreadsheet you will need in the meeting later.”
“No need to recite that, Miss Hopkins. I can read the updates in the email. What exactly do you want to say?”
I cleared my throat. “I just remembered that I have an important appointment this morning, so I’m getting your permission if I could leave, and then I should be back after lunch.”
He raised an eyebrow. “The last time you came out early, I ended up saving you.”
“This is a different appointment.”
“Did you at least call Miss Green?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What about Wales? Tanya Claire’s manager?”
“She’s coming tomorrow at one o’clock,” I informed her.
“Interesting…”
I held my breath to prevent myself from sighing. I hated it when he couldn’t fucking stop intimidating me with his scrutinizing gaze. And after all those months I had worked for him, I never even heard him thanking me for making me his slave.
“Well then, I’ll see you after your important appointment. Close the door when you leave.”