Chapter 11 - The Shift in the Air|
A week passed.
I returned to Calder Tower on Monday morning. The thirty-eighth floor was as immaculate and fast-paced as ever, but something fundamental had shifted.
The executives who used to speak to me with casual condescension now greeted me with hushed respect. The rumor of what had happened to Preston Vance in the lobby had quietly circulated through the upper echelons of the city's elite. Everyone now knew that Laurel Monroe was not merely Ronin Calder's secretary—she was under his absolute protection.
At 2:00 PM, I stepped into Ronin's private office carrying his afternoon espresso.
He sat at his massive desk, reviewing a blueprinted logistics map of the river docks. He looked up the moment I entered, his gray eyes instantly softening.
"You look well today, Laurel," he said, setting his pen down.
"I feel well," I smiled, setting the silver tray beside his desk. My wrist was no longer bruised, the dark marks completely faded beneath smooth skin.
I turned to leave, but Ronin spoke quietly. "Stay for a moment."
I paused, turning back. "Is there a meeting to reschedule?"
"No," Ronin said, standing up from his chair. He walked around the desk until he stood inches away from me. The faint scent of cedar and rain drifted off his suit.
"I have a proposition for you," he murmured.
May you like
My heart began a slow, rhythmic thud against my ribs. "A business proposition?"
"A personal one," Ronin corrected softly. He reached out, his long fingers gently catching mine, holding my hand with a warmth that sent a shiver straight down my spine. "I don't want you to be my secretary anymore."
