Workplace Drama: My Ex is in Charge

Part 5 Unexpected Encounters

Emma woke up in the middle of the night, feeling groggy and thirsty. The soft glow of the bedside lamp was still on, and as she sat up, she noticed a glass of water sitting on the nightstand. She downed it in one gulp and promptly fell back asleep.

The next time she woke up, daylight was streaming in through the windows.

Emma didn't usually black out from drinking, but it always took her a few moments after waking up to piece everything back together. As Owen's face flashed in her mind, she shot out of bed and flung the door open.

Sure enough, there he was, the very person she'd been thinking of, sitting on the couch in the living room with a laptop balanced on his legs, apparently engrossed in whatever he was working on.

Emma slowly walked over, taking in her surroundings. The apartment had a cold, minimalist feel. Everywhere she looked, it was either gray, black, or white—no warmth, no personal touches.

She approached the coffee table and cleared her throat, hoping to catch his attention. But Owen didn't even glance her way.

By now, her memory of the previous night had returned, at least up until they'd gotten into the car. She replayed her heroic moment of "teaching the punk a lesson," and then muttered, "Thanks."

Owen's fingers didn't pause on the keyboard. After a long moment, he finally looked up and said, "No need to thank me. I'm your boss now. If you got yourself arrested, I'd have to figure out how to bail you out."

Emma's eye twitched. Bail her out? Like she'd committed some heinous crime worthy of a jail sentence? All she did was give a lowlife a lesson in respect! She considered it a public service.

Just then, her stomach growled. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw it was already ten in the morning—too late for breakfast but too early for lunch. She asked casually, "Got any food?"

"No."

Emma blinked. "..."

Owen, noticing her hesitation, added, "You can leave now."

Leave? He was actually kicking her out? Emma nearly exploded with rage. What, she couldn't even get a cup of tea? This guy was unbelievable.

She didn't want to stay any longer anyway. Rolling her eyes, she asked, "Where's my phone and bag?"

Owen gave a slight nod toward the dining table. "You'll have to ask Leo where your bag ended up."

Grabbing her phone, Emma turned to leave, but Owen's voice stopped her. "Wait."

She sighed in exasperation. "What now?"

He closed his laptop and set it on the coffee table, his tone as indifferent as ever. "Pay the room fee."

What?
Did she just hear that right?
Room fee?!

Emma stared at him, dumbfounded. "How much?"

"Thousand bucks."

Emma let out a dry laugh. "A thousand? You charge that much?"

Owen's expression didn't change. "Do you know how heavy you were? Carrying you upstairs didn't come free, you know."

Heavy? She weighed 92 pounds! Emma's eyes widened in disbelief as she struggled to suppress the anger rising inside her. After a deep breath, she ground out through clenched teeth, "Well, thank you very much."

"I don't have cash."

"I don't do credit," Owen replied flatly.

"Bank transfer then?"