Page 44 of Deceived Wrath

RONAN: Please tell me that's not some kind of sexual innuendo.

BRENNAN: It can be...

CIARA: Ew, gross. You do know Riley and I are in this chat?

BRENNAN: You're one of the bros.

CIARA: Charming...

RONAN: Was there something you wanted, Brennan?

BRENNAN: Not really, I just wanted to say hi <3

KIERAN: Bye.

BRENNAN: RUDE!

RILEY: HI BRENNAN!!!!!

BRENNAN: HI RILEY <3<3<3

CIARA: Get a room.

BRENNAN: Happily ;)

Kieran has removed Brennan from the chat

Huffing a laugh, I silence my phone and tuck it back into my pocket.

I turn my attention back to my computer screen just in time to see Fiona disappearing into her office. I check the time on my laptop.

It's barely six thirty.

I have no need for her to be here this early, but I wanted to test how far she would go to please me. It seems quite far.

Interesting...

I don't know why I like pushing her buttons so much. Maybe it's because watching her silently seethe while trying to hold it all together brings me great amusement.

So far, she has taken every ridiculous demand in stride, never dropping the smile from her face.

I would find it infuriating as hell if I didn't find her work ethic so admirable.

For most of the morning, I stay locked away in my office.

Fiona walks past a few times, and I catch her looking in, but I purposefully ignore her. When I'm in one of these moods where I'm lacking sleep and running off nothing but espresso, it's best for me to be alone.

I keep our communication strictly through email, which she always responds to within seconds of me hitting send.

She is good, I'll give her that.

At eleven, I decide to make myself yet another coffee to get me through the midday slump.

If the rest of the day goes as smoothly as the morning, I might take the afternoon to work from the penthouse to try and put some distance between myself and the office. I don't know how my father did this job for so many years. I'm barely a week in and feel like I'm drowning.

Then again, he was prone to explosive outbursts and heavy drinking, so maybe I need to switch the espresso for something stronger.

As I sink back into my chair and settle in for a few more hours of emails, my phone lights up, and I swallow a groan at the sight of Kieran's name.