Annie gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, because she knew something Lara did not. There was no doubt Roman had been the one watching her. And now she could not stop wondering.
If it was not her Lara saw that night…
Then who was it? She thought within.
The question stayed unanswered. She turned the ignition on and zoomed off. Her car rent was going to expire soon. The thought flashed and she sighed.
She got to her apartment and it felt too quiet. She locked the door gently, checked the windows twice, then finally sat on the edge of her bed. The room smelled faintly of lavender from the small candle she had burned earlier, but even that soft scent could not calm the restless knot sitting in her chest.
Roman's face kept flashing in her mind. The way he had looked at her that night. The way he had pinned her to the bed. The embarrassing moment her breasts popped out. She wanted to just scream at the thought of it. She remembered the way his voice had sounded when he said Adrian's name. She rubbed her arms slowly. It was not just fear. It was the feeling of being watched, of someone always standing just outside the frame of her life.
She tossed, and tossed till the next morning.
Chicago mornings always carried a sharp energy, people moving fast, taxis honking, coffee shops crowded before eight.
A&R looked the same as always when Annie stepped inside, but something about the air felt… different.
People were whispering. Not loud whispers though, it was the careful kind people use when they do not want the wrong person hearing them.
She noticed it immediately. Two employees standing near the reception desk stopped talking the moment she walked past. Another group near the elevator exchanged glances before one of them quickly changed the topic.
Annie frowned slightly.
"What is going on today?" she muttered to herself.
She reached her office and dropped her bag on the desk and exhaled
The note from the other day was still folded inside the drawer.
"Keep being pretty."
Her cheeks warmed again despite herself.
Mr. Leighton. The man had no shame at all. As if summoned by the thought, a voice appeared behind her door.
"Good morning, Annie."
She turned.
Mr. Leighton leaned casually against the frame, looking far too comfortable for a man who had already flirted with her three times this week.
"You look even better today," he said smoothly.
Annie sighed softly.
"Do you ever start a sentence normally?"
He chuckled.
"Normal is boring."
She tried not to smile, but a small one slipped out anyway.
Before she could answer, a sudden movement outside the glass walls of the office caught her attention.
People were moving quickly down the hallway. They were not running, but definitely moving with purpose.
Mr. Leighton straightened slightly.
"It's time."
"Time for what?" Annie asked confused.
Mr Leighton studied and realized Annie is lost.
"Didn't you get a message?"
Annie looked at him still puzzled. She picked up her phone immediately from the desk without raising an eyebrow.
"Conference meeting by 10:30."
She wondered why her phone didn't beep. Just then, the company system buzzed, the alert flashing on screens across the floor:
All staff, conference room, now. Mandatory.
More employees walked past.
Then Annie heard something she had not heard in weeks. It was a familiar voice. It was low, husky and controlled. Her heart reacted before her brain did.
Adrian!
Annie turned toward the hallway. He walked in like someone who had never been absent at all. He wore a dark suit, accompanied with a calm expression. Hands in his pockets. But the difference was not in his appearance, it was in the way the entire floor reacted to him.
People stood straighter. Conversations stopped. He commanded power. Someone near the conference room immediately stepped aside to let him pass.
Annie's breath hitched.
Mr. Leighton muttered under his breath.
"Well… this just got interesting."
Adrian continued walking down the corridor without looking left or right. Then he stopped, right outside Annie's office. Her heart stopped For a brief second, his eyes met hers through the glass wall. The same steady gaze.
Then he turned slightly.
"Mr. Carter," Adrian said quietly to a passing aged manager. "Conference room. Now."
The man nodded immediately and walked briskly towards the conference room.
Within minutes, half the senior staff had gathered inside the glass conference room across the hall. Annie quickly put her things in her drawer. She stood up with a pen and file.
The hallway felt unusually long as they walked, polished marble floors reflecting the morning light. Annie's pulse raced with each step. There was a charged tension in the air, and it wasn't just because of the sudden meeting.
When they reached the conference room, it was already filling with staff. Employees whispered in small clusters, exchanging glances, eyes flicking toward the door as if expecting something monumental.
Then the door opened. Adrian walked in majestically. He did not rush, neither did he smile. He did not need to. The room fell silent, all eyes on him. His calm, composed presence was magnetic, commanding attention without effort.
Annie felt her chest tighten. Adrian wasn't just a colleague, he was power incarnate, and every move he made reinforced that.
He approached the head of the table, papers in hand, setting them down with a soft thud that seemed louder than it was. The staff straightened instinctively, murmurs fading into nothing.
Adrian's eyes flicked to Mr. Leighton. The subtle nod between them said everything: they were partners or colleagues, not friends, each respecting the other's authority.
Then Adrian's gaze landed on Annie. He saw how Leighton sat very close to her.
"You," he said, pointing to Annie, his voice low but clearly audible. "Come here."
Her stomach dropped. She moved toward him, all eyes following, every whisper paused. Mr. Leighton gave her a small, subtle nod, almost like an encouragement.
"You've shown initiative," Adrian continued. "I want someone I can trust directly. Starting immediately, you will work directly with me on the projects I oversee. You will report to both myself and sometimes Mr. Leighton. I presume you're already cordial with him. I expect clarity, honesty, and attention to detail."
Annie swallowed hard. "I… I understand," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. She wondered why he assumed they're already cordial.
"Good," Adrian said, scanning the room briefly. "Everyone else, you'll receive new instructions via SMS. This restructuring is effective immediately."
She goes back to sit. She noticed Mr. Leighton watching her more than usual. His glances were quick, playful, almost teasing, lingering on her in ways that made her cheeks warm.
And then, her heart sank. Adrian's eyes flicked toward Mr. Leighton. Just for a moment, sharp and observant, as if he noticed the subtle shift, the small smiles, the playful posture, the flirtatious attitude. He did not speak, did not move, but the weight of his gaze was enough to make the room feel tighter, smaller, more intense.
Annie's pulse quickened. She had not realized how visible their interactions were. How much Adrian noticed, even in silence.
For the next hour, Adrian moved seamlessly between departments, giving orders, delegating tasks, and reorganizing teams. Annie took careful notes, her mind racing. Her new position meant she was inside the inner workings of the company, directly under Adrian's supervision.
Her position was important now, but she was more exposed than ever, in front of Adrian, Mr. Leighton, and the entire company.
As she gathered her things, she glanced toward Adrian. He was speaking quietly to Mr. Leighton, subtle gestures, calm authority. And then his gaze caught hers. It lingered for too long, making her heart skip.
Her file felt heavy in her hands. Today had brought clarity and opportunity, but also a new danger. She had stepped into a world of power she barely understood, and one misstep could be catastrophic.
*** *** *** ***
In her office, Mr. Leighton leaned closer to her desk.
"You didn't know?" he whispered.
"Know what?"
"That he was coming back today."
Annie blinked.
"Coming back?"
Mr. Leighton studied her face for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Wow. You really don't know anything about him, do you?"
Annie opened her mouth to ask what he meant.
Two workers walked past her office fuming. She could see them through the glass walls
"He just changed six departments in ten minutes."
Annie stared.
What?
Then Adrian stepped out of the conference room. She could see him clearly across the hall.
Silence followed him. He spoke briefly with two managers, gave a few quiet instructions, then signed a document someone handed him.
His presence felt… heavier now, not just mysterious but powerful.
Mr. Leighton crossed his arms.
"See that?" he said quietly.
Annie nodded slowly.
"What exactly is his job here?" she asked.
Mr. Leighton looked amused.
"You've been working here this long and nobody told you?"
"No."
He leaned closer.
"Adrian doesn't just work at A&R."
Annie waited.
Mr. Leighton smiled slightly.
"He runs it."
The words landed slowly.
Annie felt something shift inside her chest.
Runs it?
Her brain struggled to connect the quiet man she had argued with weeks ago to the person who had just reorganized half the company in one morning.
As if sensing her thoughts, Adrian glanced toward her office again.
This time his gaze lingered.
Only for a moment.
Then he turned away and continued down the hallway.
Annie exhaled slowly.
Her mind was still trying to process everything. Before she could erase unnecessary thoughts from her head, Adrian was standing in front her desk. Mr Leighton still present.
"Annie...". He called
Sir... Sir?. She answered stuttering not expecting him to come to her office so soon.
"I just said, effective immediately. Meet me in my office." He said and walked away.
Mr Leighton and Annie took a puzzled glances at each other...