Empire of Deception (Harry Styles AU)

Chapter 15

The weekend comes and goes and suddenly it's Monday again, the familiar walls of the weekly morning meeting around me.

Project 28 has been in the works for about a month now and I have already had way too many of these Monday meetings. The supervisors of each division rattle off any news and accomplishments and honestly it's fucking boring as hell. Especially because I am the one who authorized every idea that people came up with.

Thankfully, the last report is being orally presented during this moment and after him we are all free to go. The only thing keeping me sane right now and stopping me from squirming in my seat is Victoria who stands in the corner, observing her hard work and effort to create a dream team. I wonder if she enjoys these meetings simply because it is tangible proof that she is brilliant.

Although she appears to be very engulfed in the conversation at hand, I sense an odd detachment from her. Or more so... detachment from me. I try to ignore the feeling tugging at me, but I can't seem to get it out of my head. Every time I look to her, it's almost like she purposely refuses to look my way.

The combination of the weekend and her makeup conceal any indication of a slap on her face, but I notice that certain areas seem more caked with makeup than others. I didn't witness any other abuse besides Alexander's heavy backhand, but she has been in nothing but long sleeves since I last saw her. I wonder what bruises and marks hide beneath the cotton.

As soon as the meeting is done, I immediately stand up to go and actually speak with her but instead I see her walk out of the conference room without a single word.

"Your paperwork for the week has been delivered to your receptionist," Christopher says as he stands beside me, my eyes still on the empty door.

I turn to him, "She always gives it to me personally."

"Don't look at me. She requested it be sent to your office directly from now on."

Something is genuinely wrong and I can feel it in my gut, slowly stabbing away at me. I hate to admit that I am a bit hurt at her refusal to see me, but I try to convince myself that there is a bigger plan... A plan I can't see. I hate to think that there is nothing I can do in the meantime but wait to see how she plays it out.

***

The pub smells of cheap liquor, smoke, and stale perfume.

It's not exactly gross but I wouldn't define it as pleasant. A healthy amount of people have decided to spend their Friday night here as well, and so their chatter blends into a dull roar that throbs seamlessly into the background. I hear a bell tinkle behind me and I take a step to the left so I am not in the way of a man who tragically got caught in the infamous English rain. I watch as he finds his friends immediately and joins them in a booth. I assume that he comes here often and that him and his group occupy that particular booth regularly. The stranger takes off his nearly soaked coat only to reveal a crisp suit beneath it. He is from the Corporate District. As he takes off his suit jacket and loosens his tie before ultimately throwing it into the corner of the bench, I wonder what company he works for and what division he works in. Bolton is so big, he might even be working for us.

A gaggle of university girls laugh loudly and suddenly my attention is drawn to them. There are five of them seated around a highchair table. Three blonds and a redhead, and a brunette. No. Not red... A deep auburn. I imagine it looks like a deep burning fire under the bright sun. Freckles pepper her face and her cheeks are perfectly rosy, setting off her extremely pale and flawless skin. She sports a simple navy sweater with a pearl necklace settling just above the deep v of the neckline. She is demure. And... Clean. And drinking wine. I look to her friends and they are totally opposite—wearing shirts that expose or accentuate their large breasts and drinks too fruity to be taken seriously. I wonder what she is doing here with them... I wonder if she actually feels comfortable with these girls who are so different from her. Or maybe I am wrong. Appearances can be deceiving. Maybe under all that pureness is someone just as attention hungry as the pals around her.