When the latch clicks, I drag a hand over my face, turning toward the glass.
Fuck me.
12
MYA
I’ve been working at W.H.M for a couple months now, and I’m finally finding my groove.
The nerves that ate me alive on day one have mostly disappeared. My team welcomed me faster than I expected, and I’ve developed an easy bond with them. We joke, brainstorm, and argue like we’ve known each other forever. They’ve taught me things I didn’t learn in school, and they actually value my input.
Griffin has been a big part of that, given that he oversees the entire design team. He checks in often, and somewhere along the way, our conversations turned from strictly professional to friendly. He’s approachable, quick with sarcastic comments, and doesn’t hold back if an idea needs reworking. He pushes me, and I like that.
Somewhere in those conversations, I also learned he’s a single dad to a little boy. Widowed, though he didn’t offer details. His face turned grim when he mentioned it, so I didn’t press.
I’ve been placed on an international project with Lau Construction in Singapore, a partnership that carries a lot of weight around here. Being trusted with that responsibilitymakes me want to pinch myself. I thought I’d start at the bottom, grinding on scrap assignments while everyone else worked on the “real” projects. But here, it’s different. At W.H.M, they treat every employee like they matter.
Well, everyone except Worth Miller.
Before I even make it to my desk, I do what I probably shouldn’t and scroll through my phone while walking off the elevator.
A headline screams at me as soon as I open Instagram.
WORTH MILLER SPOTTED WITH TECH HEIRESS ALEXANDRA VALE — CEO’S NEW BAE?
The smile I didn’t realize I was wearing fades.
There’s a photo beneath the headline of Worth in a tailored coat, walking beside a gorgeous woman I’ve seen featured in other gossip articles. Alexandra Vale is polished, wealthy in her own right, and the kind of woman magazines love to callpowerfully enigmatic. They’re not touching, but the implication is loud enough.
My stomach twists in a way I don’t appreciate.
I lock my phone and shove it into my bag, annoyed with myself for caring at all. It’s none of my business. Worth Miller’s personal life isn’t exactly a guarded secret, and I’m not naïve enough to think men like him stay single out of sentiment.
Still.
The man is so hot and cold, and has perfected the art of grunting in place of actual words. If I pass him in the hall and say hello, he barely looks at me. And when I try to ask him questions, he doesn’t even bother to be civil.“Go talk to your superior, not me.”
I reminded him once that he is, in fact, a superior. His response was to threaten to fire me for having a “smart mouth.” The only reason I’m still here is because Andrée—a literal angel of patience—stepped in before the man could self-combust.
I honestly don’t know how she does it. Dre is sweet, thoughtful, and level-headed, the exact opposite of the fire-breathing dragon she works for. If it takes a village to raise a child, then it must take a saint to handle a CEO like Worth.
The worst part is that I wish I didn’t notice him at all. But ignoring Worth Miller is like trying to ignore a thunderstorm rolling in—loud, oppressive, and impossible to miss.
Speaking of the devil, it’s Monday morning, seven a.m., and he’s already here.
I sigh. So much for having the office to myself for at least an hour of peace and quiet. I wanted to get the final touches done on the draft drawings for the Infinity Towers in Singapore, but of course, Worth Miller had to ruin my plans.
At first, he doesn’t notice me, which I silently thank the heavens for. But as he passes by the area where my desk is, he freezes. He doesn’t turn, doesn’t speak, just stands there, staring at me for what feels like an eternity. I don’t look at him.
What the hell is he doing?
Then, just as suddenly, he continues to his office like nothing happened.
Deciding to be the bigger person, I gather my courage and head to his door a few minutes later. Whatever this tension between us is, it needs to stop. I’ve done nothing to deserve his cold shoulder, especially when he’s the one who wanted me here.
It’s as if that night he opened up about his ex-wife never happened, like he shoved every vulnerable word back into a vault and snapped it shut.
I knock softly.