It was a sinner's suicide for anyone to work at Coopers Incorporation. It was no surprise that people aimed to stray far from the Devil known as Mr Elijah Cooper.
Cold, demanding, and rough, he ruled over everything with an iron grip and a calculati...
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Nora's P.O.V
The warm sunlight streaming through my window stirred me awake, its golden beams piercing through the sheer curtains and landing directly on my face. My head throbbed, a dull, persistent ache that pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat. My body felt heavy, like I had been dragged through the depths of exhaustion and dumped onto my bed.
Groaning, I forced myself to sit up, trying to piece together the fragmented memories of last night. The club. The drinks. The suffocating crowd. Jane disappearing. The panic. The mistake. Elijah.
I sucked in a sharp breath as the memory slammed into me. I had called him. I had been too drunk to even realize what I was doing, but there was no mistaking the fact that he had found me and brought me home. Shame curled in my stomach like a living thing. Out of all people, why did it have to be him?
Dragging myself out of bed, I stumbled toward the bathroom. My reflection in the mirror wasn't a pleasant sight-I looked like a wreck. Smudged eyeliner, tangled hair, the faint imprint of my pillow on my cheek. Sighing, I turned on the tap and splashed cold water on my face, letting the chill snap me back to reality.
After brushing my teeth and changing into fresh clothes, I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail and made my way downstairs. The house was quieter than usual. My sister had left to visit our grandparents, leaving just my mother and me.
She was curled up on the couch, watching something on the television, but at the sound of my footsteps, she turned around. A knowing look flashed across her face, laced with amusement.
"Well, well, look who's finally awake," she teased. "How are you feeling? You were a complete mess last night."
I managed a weak smile. "Better. I guess. What exactly happened?"
"You don't remember?" she raised an eyebrow. "Elijah brought you home. He said you had called him by mistake, and when he found you, you were barely standing. He carried you inside and told me to take care of you."
My entire body went still. He carried me?
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I had barely spoken to Elijah outside of work, and now, not only had he saved me from humiliating myself in public, but he had also seen me in my most vulnerable state. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"You okay?" my mother asked, studying my expression.
I nodded quickly, pretending to brush it off. "Yeah. Just... embarrassed, I guess."
She smiled knowingly but didn't press further. Instead, she reached beside her and grabbed something. "Oh, before I forget, Dr. Arthur sent this gift for you."
I blinked. "Dr. Arthur?"
She handed me a box, wrapped neatly in navy blue paper. It was heavier than I expected. My fingers trembled slightly as I tore it open, and the moment I saw what was inside, my eyes widened in shock.
