Page 44
I don’t turn around.
I don’t answer.
I keep working—the exact reason I’m here and what I’m being paid to do.
One by one, the workers greet him back. Some of them ask why he showed up so late, effortlessly pulling him into conversation.
I don’t hear his answer.
I don’t try to.
Last night erased every professional boundary imaginable. Now I have to rebuild them before either of us will regret it.
And I refuse to embarrass myself by giving him the opportunity to tell me it was a mistake.
I definitely can’t afford to damage my reputation either.
I accepted this job to strengthen my portfolio—not destroy everything I’ve worked for.
“We were thinking about going to a club tonight,” Miley says, pressing a large strip of wallpaper onto the wall. “I know we still have a lot to do, but we should enjoy every city we visit.”
“That sounds great. You guys should go relax for a few hours. You deserve it.”
They really do.
I have an incredibly talented team, and without them, I wouldn’t have achieved even half of what I have today.
“That’s not what I meant.” She grins, making me stop halfway through unrolling the next strip of wallpaper. “We want to go together… with you.”
“Me? No, Miley.”
“Why not? You deserve one night where you forget about work and just have some fun.” Her smile grows more mischievous. “Maybe even end it with some amazing sex.”
I nearly inhale the wrong way.
Air crashes painfully in my throat, and for a second all I can do is stare at her.
“Which green? This one or this one?” a worker from Zayn’s team asks, holding up two small palm trees in very different shades of green.
“That one,” I answer, pointing to the richer emerald color, then looking back at Miley. “And no. Absolutely not.”
She chuckles under her breath, clearly unconvinced.
“I’m going to help him,” I say quickly, escaping before she can continue.
The rest of the day disappears beneath endless work.
I cling to it the same way I always have whenever life becomes too complicated.
This time won’t be any different.
✨
It’s almost 9 p.m., and since I refused to go to the club with the team, I’m lying in bed doing absolutely nothing.
I have no idea whether Zayn came back to the apartment or not.
I didn’t hear him.
