• BOOK 1 OF THE ESZTAR SERIES •
Reaching upstairs, he hurled me inside his room and closed the door harshly. I stood there shaking with fear. He looked scary. Extremely scary.
He tilted his head, forming an evil grin on his face. I couldn't move. I...
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"What the hell are you doing here?" Oliver said that more like an irked statement. "What the hell is she doing here?" He repeated before I even answer, peering at Ariel behind me.
"Hello! She works here." I replied on her behalf.
He groaned in annoyance and closed the door of his office. "Didn't I ask you to come directly at 6 pm when the meeting begins. If my watch is right, it's 9 am now."
He'd given this hearty concession to Liam and me because we were working all night. Maybe he's not so nasty a boss after all.
"I don't want any extra favors just because I'm a the CEO's fake girlfriend." I whispered.
He rolled his eyes at my honesty. So much for being ethical. Phew!
"You came here with Liam?" He asked.
"Nope! I tried waking him up for an hour. He's probably dead. Jake dropped me here." I said, giggling at the image of a sleeping Liam.
"Oh by the way..." I trailed off, hesitant to ask him about it.
"I'm listening."
"Uh.. Do I look okay?" I was just too nervous.
He chuckled. "You look just fine. I suggest you focus more on the presentation. Go through the details once with your fake boyfriend before the meeting."
"Sure thing Mr Rivera."
The entire day passed in chalking out plans and strategies to scheme the investors into the project, by hook or crook. I couldn't let them slip away to Luca. The visualization of my final goal motivated me to keep going, without taking a single break.
Finally getting done with it after don't know how many hours, I'm currently standing outside the devil's lair, awaiting a response to the knocking on his door. It was barely fifteen minutes for the meeting to begin.
"Enter." His bossy tone wasn't helping. I was a huge jumble of nerves.
I pushed the opulent mahogany door and was welcomed by a tasty sight of Rafael rigorously typing something on his laptop. His jacket was draped around his chair and sleeves half rolled up, making him look all the more attractive.
I snapped out of the daze. This wasn't the time to drool over my boss.
"Mr Rivera suggested we go through the details once." I said.
"Go ahead. I'm listening." He said, without looking up at me.
I cleared my throat and began with the explanation. "So about the prospects-"
"What the fuck are you wearing, Vittoria?" He gritted his teeth.
I knew it. I freaking knew it. The length of my black pencil skirt was a little above his desired threshold. But it was the best match with the maroon shirt that I was wearing so his not so important opinion can go to hell. I ignored his snarky comment and continued.
