“There’s a freaking Bentley behind us, Olivia! A Bentley! And it’s


    been trailing us since the hospital. You seriously want me to just


    pretend it’s normal?” Ava hissed.


    I sighed, resting my elbow against the car door. “It’s normal. It’s


    mine.”


    Ava almost mmed the brakes. “Excuse me?”


    “My new boss,” I said casually, scrolling through my phone. “He


    also lives in the same building.”


    Ava stared at me like I had sprouted antlers. “That’s your boss’s


    car? The Alpha billionaire? He’s literally babysitting you now?”


    “He’s being polite. Don’t romanticize it.”


    “I’m not romanticizing anything,” she muttered. “But if my boss


    followed me home in a luxury car looking like a magazine


    spread, I’d have questions.”


    “He’s not following me. He lives at the top story of my building.”


    I corrected Ava.


    “Whatever. He could have gone earlier than you if did not want


    to follow you, you know!”


    I wanted to reply to Ava on her remark, but it did seem a little true to argue.


    After a while, we pulled into the housingplex, and sure enough, the Bentley parked a short distance away. Ava got out and helped me into the wheelchair, still casting suspicious nces over her shoulder.


    “Okay, now that-” she nearly choked as Alexander stepped out of the car, suit sharp, eyes sharp, posture sharper. “Oh my goddess. That’s him, isn’t it? The guy who stood up for you at the charity dinner? The one everyone kept whispering about?”


    “Oh gosh! Why are you acting like you don’t know him?”


    “Yeah, I do,” she muttered under her breath. “But I never knew


    you two had a thing. I am really happy for you!”


    “Ava. Can you just focus on the wheelchair? Please.”


    Gai and the pilot walked up with my bags, and the six of us


    crammed into the elevator. The small space was not made for this many people and a wheelchair.


    “Sorry!” Ava said, trying to maneuver the chair. She bumped


    into Gai, muttering another apology.


    “Whoa–watch it-“I leaned forward suddenly as the chair


    caught on the elevator groove. In an instinctive move to stop


    myself from falling, I threw my hands up-


    And smacked right into Alexander’s thigh.


    I froze. My palm was t on his leg. His thigh. The firm one.


    A full two seconds passed before I yanked my hand back like I’d


    been burned. My eyes widened. His jaw twitched..


    The air turned painfully awkward.


    Alexander didn’t say a word, but I saw the faintest pink dust his


    cheekbones. Gai looked away, stifling a grin. Ava bit her lip so


    hard I thought she might bleed.


    The elevator finally dinged open.


    “Push!” I hissed to Ava.


    She wheeled me out, but I managed a half–smile at Alexander.


    “Thanks for the ride, Alpha Alexander. Have a good night.”


    His response was a stiff nod, his expression unreadable.


    The second the apartment door closed behind us, Ava let out a


    strangled sound and burst into augh. “You touched his thigh!”


    “It was an ident!” I hissed.


    “ident or prophecy, I don’t care–that was the most romance-


    novel moment I’ve seen in real life. You literally grabbed his


    leg!”


    “Because I was falling!”


    “And he blushed!” Ava was now fanning herself dramatically.


    “Olivia, are you sure this is just professional? How did you even


    meet him and became his secretary?”


    I rolled my eyes and began undoing the brace on my leg. “Yes. I


    met him after he rear–ended my car during a storm, remember?


    He gave me his jacket to wear. I returned it. That was it.”


    “Mmhm. And then he hired you as his secretary and flew you to


    a luxury resort.”


    “To get away from Ethan. To rebuild my career. That’s all.”


    Ava gave me a look. “Liv, if I had a dor for every time you


    said, ‘That’s all, I’d be the one driving the Bentley”


    I shook my head. “Alexander doesn’t like being touched. He’s


    very private. You saw how stiff he got. I probably just gave him


    aplex.”


    “Yeah, a romantic one,” she smirked. “He didn’t snap at you. You


    think if I facented into hisp he’d be that polite?”


    I winced. “Can we not?”


    We settled in after I cleaned my wound and showered with


    Ava’s help. The day had been long, emotionally exhausting, and


    awkward as hell.


    Chaphy 51


    Just as I pulled on my hoodie and sat down on the couch, my


    phone buzzed.


    Unknown number.


    Ava looked over. “Want me to answer and growl into it?”


    “Very funny,” I said, declining the call.


    It rang again.


    “Persistent, aren’t they?” Ava muttered.


    “Probably Ethan,” I mumbled.


    “Ugh. You should record a voicemail that says, “The number


    you’re calling is no longer impressed by your pathetic guilt trip.”


    “Not a bad idea.”