Destroying the Prince (Babysitting the Prince book 2)

Chapter 6.

Chapter 6.

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I made my way through the office, it was buzzing as usual with everyone coming and going or racing around with files, until I reached the section I shared with Danica and the rest of her team. I walked up to my desk and furrowed my brows at the stack of books that I had not left there a few days ago when I left. Were they for me? Another assignment? No, Danica always got all of that to brief us on and it usually was not this amount of books.

"Aria, you're here. Chief wants to see you." Danica's voice came from behind me. I looked at her before looking back at the books, "Oh, don't mind those, you'll understand them after your meeting." I nodded despite dread beginning to fill me as I looked at the books. This meeting was not going to be about something good.

I turned and took the path through the building towards where Chief Byers's office was. The door being open when I arrived signalled that he was not currently in a meeting so I knocked on the door lightly making him look up from the paperwork he had been reading through.

"Ah, good morning." He greeted standing up as he motioned to the seat across him. I gave him a greeting as I shut the door before I shook his hand and we sat down. "So. While you were away, your team leader and I had a meeting regarding your conduct and we've decided it would be best to keep you off field assignments for a while."

"You said I had one more chance before you suspended me from field assignments." I said.

"Yes, that was before Danica refused to have you on her team for any field assignments until you went through the manuals –"

"Wait, I've already read through all of that. I told you, I did what I had to to keep us alive."

"You disobeyed her, Aria. Again. I cannot make her work with you, just read through all of it, prepare a report and report back to her in two weeks."

"Two weeks?!" I asked shocked.

"That's the minimum amount of time we agreed on. Look, you're clearly very skilled, and you make good judgement calls but you're not a team player. There are no one-man assignments in this precinct. I could move you to another team, but that will only happen after you've given Danica the report and she tells me you're ready to be in another team." He said.

I leaned back in my seat.

"So... you're telling me to do two weeks of reading?" I asked.

"And writing, yes. I can't give you any reporting assignments either until you've finished this though." I tried not to show how annoyed I was.

"Do I have to be here to do it?" I asked.

He thought about it. "No." He said.

"Great. See you in two weeks." I got up.

"Aria." I stopped when he spoke again. "You're very talented, you are, but there's no way you're ever going to be promoted if you can't work in a team." He said.

"I understand. I'll see you in two weeks."

I went to my desk to grab the stack of books that had been placed there before I made my way back home. I had gone to work straight from the palace so I figured I would just shower and then take a nap.

I put my key in the door and tried to unlock my apartment but paused when I found that it had already been unlocked. Maximilian? Dad? I had not given anyone my keys but I knew for a fact my Dad or siblings could get it if they wanted to. Maybe someone picked the lock this time... I looked around before I clenched my teeth as I opened my apartment door very slowly. I unhooked the gun from the back of my belt as I put my bag beside the door lightly once I had closed it.