Business With Lust

Chapter 10

Diana's POV

The blaring sound of my alarm tore me from my dream, causing me to groan. And the pain in my throat I got after I groaned reminded me of the events that happened yesterday.

Fuck my life.

How did I even end up in my bed? The last thing I remember was me and Casey watching Mama Mia and him complaining when 'Dancing Queen' came on.

He must have carried me up.

It baffles me how strong that kid is.

I don't know exactly what I weigh, but I know it must be around one hundred and seventy pounds. So I have no clue how he can carry me up the stairs.

Walking over to my wardrobe, I grab some clothes for work before walking into my bathroom. I do my business before having a quick shower and changing into my clothes.

Once I've finished my morning routine, I walk downstairs and put some toast in the toaster.

I'm about to go put my shoes on when I hear something coming from the living room.

I cautiously walk in, and release a breath of relief when I see it's just Casey sleeping on the couch with a blanket over him.

Why is he sleeping on the couch?

Placing a hand on his shoulder, I begin gently shaking him, waking him up. He lets out a groan as his hands go up to his eyes and he starts rubbing them.

"Hey, are you okay? What are you doing down here?" I whisper, knowing he's still tired and because it hurts to talk. "Making sure that fucker stays away" Casey mumbles, still half asleep, causing me to smile.

"Take the day off school okay? You look wrecked. Go upstairs and go to bed" I tell him, and he hums before sitting up.

"You're not going to work, are you?" Casey mumbles, as he begins to wake up and become more conscious.

"I have to. I'm still on that trial thing" I chuckle, as I help him stand up, although I doubt he needed my help. "Fuck the trial. What happened yesterday was serious Diana" Casey scowls, and I sigh.

"I'm fine, Casey. I promise" I assure him, but he doesn't look convinced. "Diana-"

"Casey, I love you, and I know you mean well, but I'm the adult here," I tell him, and he sighs, before doing something that shocked me.

He hugged me.

Willingly.

"I'm just worried, okay?" I hear him mumble, and I hug him back before sighing. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sure it wasn't nice-"

"Don't you dare apologise Diana" Casey mutters, and I keep my mouth shut.

"Are your hands okay? You punched him a lot "I mumble as I go to grab his hand but he keeps it behind his back.

"Just a little red. They'll be fine in a day or two" Casey assures me, and I nod. I know he's lying, but he's only doing it because he knows I wouldn't want to see.

"Thank you" I whisper, and he nods before kissing my forehead. "Don't worry about him okay? He won't bother you anymore" Casey tells me, and I don't want to know what he meant by that, so I didn't ask.

"Have a good day at work" Casey tells me, and with that, he walks away and heads upstairs.

My appetite was lost, so I skipped breakfast and headed to work.

I didn't feel scared in the elevator, for my mind was too preoccupied to even care about my possible death.

Once I get to my floor, I put my bag on my desk before walking into Alexander's office, like I do every morning.

"Good morning sir" I greet as I walk into his office, putting on a fake smile and ignoring the slight pain in my throat when I talk.

"Morning, Diana. Would you mind getting my usual?" Alexander asks, and I nod. "Of course," I tell him, before turning to walk out.

"Wait" I hear him say, and I freeze before turning around. I see him walk towards me, and I curse.  "Fuck, is my shirt undone again?" I mumble as I bring my hand up to check.

My shirt is perfectly done, so why is he stopping in front of me?

Suddenly, he gently holds my wrist and stares at it, and only then do I notice the bruises I have. I quickly pull my wrist away and hide it behind my back.

"Did something happen Diana?" Alexander asks quietly, and I purposely avoid his gaze. "Don't worry about it" I mumble, and to my surprise, he scoffs.

"My assistant came to work with bruises on her wrist and neck. Of course I am going to be worried" Alexander mutters, and I bring my non-bruised hand up to my neck, and wince when I press too hard by accident.

"Is everything okay at home?" Alexander asks, his tone sounding calmer than it did a few seconds ago. "Yes" I mumble, and it goes quiet.

"No one should be laying a finger on you. Including family" Alexander tells me, and I scoff before finally looking up at his face, and seeing a look of genuine concern.

"You think my family did this?" I ask, and he shrugs. "Perhaps. Maybe a partner. I don't know, I'm not here to pry. I'm here to make sure you know this isn't acceptable and that I'm here if you need help" Alexander tells me, and I'm taken aback by his words.

I clear my throat, which was quite painful, before dropping my gaze and looking at the desk behind him. "Everything's fine. It's taken care of" I whisper.

"Do you need to go home? I completely understand if you do" He tells me, but I shake my head.

"I need the distraction" I mumble. "Okay. If you need to go home at any time, just tell me okay?" Alexander says, and I nod.

"Can I go now?" I mumble, and I see him nod the corner of my eye. I quickly turn around and begin to walk out of his office, but just when I reach the doors to his office, I hear him call my name.

I turn and see he hasn't moved an inch, and he is staring right at me.

"I know I'm your boss, but my doors are always open if you need to talk" He tells me, and I nod my head as water begins to pool at the bottom of my eyes.

He nods his head at me, and I nod back before quickly closing the doors to his office. I lean my head against the closed doors as I bite my bottom lip to stop it from trembling as tears run down my cheek.

After a few seconds, I release a shaky breath before wiping the salty tears off my cheek, feeling extremely grateful I decided not to wear mascara today.

I walk over to my desk, before grabbing the company card and heading to the cafe.