Chapter 5 A Stranger In The Office

Emily stared blankly at her laptop screen, her fingers poised over the keyboard but unmoving. The glowing cursor blinked in rhythm with her racing thoughts. She was supposed to be drafting proposals for the Reuters & Co. Harborfront project, but all she could think about was him. The stranger from the ball. The way he'd looked at her, the way he'd touched her, the way his voice had sounded like velvet when he whispered sweet nothings to her-her mind replayed it all in an endless loop.

She could still feel the heat of his lips on hers, the weight of his body against her, the way he'd made her forget everything except the moment they were in. Emily groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Get it together," she muttered to herself. "Talking to yourself now?" She jumped, looking up to see a grinning Megan leaning against her cubicle wall. Megan, her best friend and fellow intern, was holding a steaming cup of coffee and wearing her trademark smirk. "You scared me," Emily muttered, trying to sound annoyed but failing. "Well, you looked like you were about to spiral into some existential crisis, so I thought I'd intervene." Megan placed the coffee on Emily's desk and plopped into the chair opposite her. "Spill. What's got you staring at your computer like it personally offended you?" "Nothing," Emily said quickly, but Megan raised an eyebrow. "Emily." Megan leaned forward, her grin widening. "You're blushing. And avoiding eye contact. Did something happen at the ball last night?" Emily hesitated, debating whether to share. She could practically hear Megan's voice teasing her if she admitted what had happened. "Okay, fine," Megan said, clearly enjoying herself. "I'll guess. Did you finally dump James?" Emily stiffened. "Not exactly." Megan's grin faded. "What happened?" "I found him making out with someone else," Emily said quietly, her voice tight. "Wait-what? That rat-faced-" Megan started, but Emily held up a hand. "It's fine. I'm done with him. For real this time." Megan opened her mouth to argue, but something in Emily's expression made her stop. "Okay," she said softly. "So... What's the rest of the story? I can tell there's more." Emily hesitated again, then sighed. "I... met someone. At the ball. He was... different." Megan's eyes widened. "Define 'met.'" "Not here," Emily hissed, glancing around the office nervously. "And keep your voice down." "Oh my God, you totally-" "Megan!" Emily's whisper was sharp, but she couldn't stop the blush creeping up her neck. Megan stifled a laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Okay, okay. But you're going to tell me everything later. Over wine." Emily rolled her eyes. "We'll see." "Good enough for now," Megan said, standing and grabbing her coffee. "Oh, by the way, big meeting this afternoon with Barrett Organization. Word is their CEO is coming. Better get your game face on." "Right," Emily said absently, turning back to her screen as Megan walked away. But the mention of Barrett Organization barely registered in her mind. Hours later, Emily was power-walking down the hall, a folder clutched tightly to her chest. She'd spent most of the morning avoiding Megan's probing looks and trying to focus on her work. Now, all she had to do was drop off the finalized blueprints for the Harborfront project at the conference room before the meeting started. As she rounded the corner, she glanced down the long corridor, noticing the figure stepping out of her father's office. It was him. Her heart stopped. For a moment, she just stared, her breath caught in her throat. Gone was the mask, but there was no mistaking him: the stranger from the ball, the man who had occupied her every thought since dawn. He was dressed impeccably, in a tailored suit that made him look every inch the powerful CEO he was. Her father laughed at something Wade said, clapping him on the shoulder as if they were old friends. "They don't make them like that anymore, Wade." Emily's stomach dropped. Wade? As in Wade Barrett? What had she done? She stood rooted to the spot as if her feet were glued to the floor. At that precise moment, Linda, her father's secretary, came out and handed something to him. "Here's the information you asked for, Mr. Barrett." She turned quickly, grateful for the interruption. She rushed back to her office without looking back. As the door closed behind her, she realized the horror of her situation. Her mystery man wasn't just anyone-he was Wade Barrett. Emily sat frozen at her desk, her hands trembling as they clutched the file she was supposed to deliver to the conference room. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out the murmur of her coworkers bustling around her. Wade Barrett. The stranger she had spent the night with was Wade Barrett. Not just any man, but the billionaire CEO of the Barrett Organization-one of the most powerful real estate developer in the city. And worse, her father's most important client.