Christopher's Playhouse

Chapter 15: Almost

Los Angeles, California: 

Christopher glanced up at the entrance of his office and sighed, setting his pen down. "Daniela," he greeted her, his tone flat.

"Christopher, I just have a few questions," she said, stepping inside.

"Who let you up here? Actually, never mind—Sloane!" he yelled, frustration creeping into his voice. Within moments, Sloane walked in, casually circling around Daniela, who shot her a disdainful look, scrunching her face.

"Tell Jordan he's fired, and get me a new head of security—now!" Christopher's anger was palpable, but Sloane remained unfazed.

"Aht," Sloane interrupted, raising her hand to stop him. "What do you need to say if you want me to do something for you, Christopher?"

He sighed heavily, clearly annoyed but knowing better than to push her. "My apologies," he said, taking a deep breath. "Daniela is a reporter who harasses me whenever she gets the chance. She somehow made it past security and onto my private floor. I'd appreciate it if you could fire Jordan and find me someone new. Please."

"That's better," Sloane replied, turning to Daniela. "Now, what do you need?"

Daniela, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. "You're the mystery woman," she said, a hint of shock in her voice. "So, are you his tenth girlfriend? And do you know Marley Jansen his old assistant? She has a lot of things to say about Christopher."

Sloane smiled, completely unfazed. "I'm no one's girlfriend, sweetheart. And tell Marley she'll be sued. She has an iron clad NDA that doesn't expire for 15 years. Now, time for you to leave."

Daniela stood there, momentarily stunned by Sloane's composed response. She opened her mouth to argue but hesitated, sensing Sloane wasn't someone to mess with. Christopher, on the other hand, had already turned his attention back to the stack of papers on his desk, making it clear he was done with the conversation.

"You can't just keep dodging the press, Christopher," Daniela said, regaining some of her boldness. "The public wants answers about the scandal, and you know it's only a matter of time before—"

Sloane cut her off with a swift movement, stepping between Daniela and Christopher. "I said it's time to leave," she repeated firmly, her voice low but authoritative.

Daniela's eyes narrowed, but she knew better than to push further in front of Sloane. "This isn't over," she warned, backing out of the office with a forced smirk. "You'll hear from me again, Christopher."

As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, Christopher let out a frustrated groan, rubbing his temples. "This woman never quits."

"She's pretty, I'll give her that," Sloane said, moving to stand beside his desk. "But Jordan is gone by the end of the day. You'll have a new head of security in place by tomorrow."

"Thank you," he muttered, leaning back in his chair. He glanced up at her, studying her for a moment. "You handled that pretty smoothly."