Chapter 38

Amaris' POV

I still couldn't understand why Caleb was staring at me like that. Was there something on my face? Was he pissed? Was he thinking about something else? I was about saying something when our whole showdown was cut short when the door swung open revealing a frowning Mia.

"I thought you said you were going to be quick about it." She spread her arms out as she walked in. A flicker of curiosity and confusion flashed in her eyes as they swept across the office, first Kiara, then Caleb before finally resting on me. Her brows drew together as she gave me a questioning look and I blinked slowly. As usual she got the hint....that was one of the reasons I loved her....we could communicate without even speaking. She knew I was going to tell her about it later so there was no need to press on.

"See...even she knows you're not supposed to be here." Caleb's deep voice pierced through the silence and I snapped my head towards him. He got up from the swivel chair with a stoic expression. What the hell did he mean by that? This was my office for crying out loud. Did he expect me to knock before coming in?

"Excuse me? So you think because you're the *boss* you can do anything you want..." I tapered off when he closed the distance between us in two strides and wrapped his fingers around my cheeks.

"Watch your mouth, Miss Carter." His gaze dropped to my lips which were now puckered up because of the way he squeezed my face. "That's no way to speak to your boss." I winced as he pushed me away and I would have landed with my butt if Mia wasn't behind me. My hands instinctively moved to my face, rubbing my burning cheeks to soothe the pain.

"Are you okay?" Mia wrapped her arms around me, helping me stand straight.

"Yeah....I'm fine." I said, still rubbing gently over where his long fingers had bitten into my cheeks until the faint burn subsided. Caleb wore an irritated look on his face as he headed for the door and I was about reaching for him when Mia batted my hands away causing me to turn to her with a confused look. In situations like this she was always mad and annoyed that I couldn't stand up for myself but now she wanted me to let it go. "Don't tell me you're afraid of him." I whispered.

"I'm not afraid of him..." She spoke in hushed tones as we both watched him walk out the door. "...he's your boss, Ammie." She hesitated before speaking.

"So....that doesn't mean he should disrespect me. Do you even know what he did?" I lightly shook my head. Seeing that Mia and I were bickering, Kiara silently sneaked out of the office and even though we could both see her we didn't say anything.

"I don't know what he did but you shouldn't..." She gestured towards the door. "Okay what would you have done if I didn't stop you?" She asked. I opened my mouth to answer but paused when I realized I had nothing in mind. "Exactly....look at him Ammie. He's huge. He only squeezed your cheeks with his hands and now they're all flushed and rosy."

It hurt me that Mia wasn't on my side this time but if I was actually going to be honest with myself she did have a point but there was nothing else I wanted right now that to teach that pompous jerk a lesson. Then he'll stop feeling like he rules the world. Mia pressed her lips together before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Come on Ammie....let's just go home." She whined, throwing her head back.

"Fine." I drawled. I could teach him a lesson another day if I really wanted to. After all, revenge was a fish best served cold. A sly grin crept up my lips as I moved out the door but I quickly squashed it before Mia could notice. The last thing I wanted was her knowing that I was primed to settle the scores then she'll do everything in her power to stop me and I didn't want that.

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I had to admit working in the same place....the same room where that asshole made out disgusted me, but I didn't have a choice. I got used to it...after a few days. A part of me....a huge part of me felt like he did all of this for a reason....I also had a feeling he went through some of my stuff but I just shrugged it off since I didn't exactly have any proof and judging by who he is, he'll definitely cause bigger problems for me if I accused him without any proof.

I let out a loud sigh as I leaned forward resting my head on the cool surface of my keyboard, letting the soft padding of the letters press against my forehead. I didn't care that my forehead was now mashing against the keys or inputting random letters into the system. All I thought about was the cool surface beneath me and the relaxing feeling it gave me. I closed my eyes, finally surrendering to the fatigue that had been creeping up on me all day.

I glanced at my watch and I had just a few minutes left before it was time to go home. With another sigh, I lifted my head from the keyboard, a collection of smudged letters now imprinted on my forehead. I glanced at the blurry screen in front of me. My fingers were aching and I knew that I couldn't move them anymore. I had been working all day which was probably Caleb's punishment for giving him the silent treatment for days now. I hadn't spoken to him since the day I found him in my office and I knew he didn't care if I spoke to him or not but he would care if he asked me a question concerning his company and I didn't answer.

I knew it also cost me my job which I was more than ready to lose. After all I just received my salary and as much as I didn't want to depend on Mia.....she somehow got into one of the biggest private detective agencies *without* her father's help so I had more than enough time to find a new job. Pressing a few buttons on my keyboard, I quickly shut down my system, watching the computer slowly fade to black. I then pushed myself off my chair, gathering my belongings.

All I could think about right now was climbing into that sift bed of mine and sleeping till the next morning. A frown formed on my lips when I remembered that I had taken my car to the mechanic this morning so I had to take a cab. "Ugh!" I groaned out rolling my eyes as I grabbed my purse. I exited my office heading towards the elevator, Caleb was probably busy with Kiara since I saw her walk into his office earlier so I didn't need to worry about him. I entered the elevator pressing the button for the ground floor. The elevator descended with a soft hum, the silence within it a stark contrast to the bustling world out there.

The door slid open and I stepped into the lobby...or rather reception, greeting Chloe with a small nod as I walked towards the exit. A part of me felt sorry for her since she had to wait till every single person in the building was gone before she went home. I guess her pay makes up for it. I mean that's the only reason she hadn't quit yet. My heels clicked against the marble floor as I made my way down the small flight of stairs. Now I just have to stop a cab. I slumped my shoulders as I walked towards the left side of the road with my purse in my hand. I wanted to get home as soon as possible and maybe I could actually enjoy that nap I was thinking about earlier.

The cool evening breeze was a little comfortable as it eased some of my stress. As I reached the curb, I raised my hand to signal a taxi, but my heart sank as one after another whizzed by. It's either they were occupied or simply ignoring my waving hand. Frustrated, I started pacing back and forth along the curb, glancing at my watch every few seconds. The sun was slowly beginning to set and the once crowded street was now spookily quiet.

Just as I was about to give up, a car pulled up right in front of me, it didn't look like a taxi though, its brake lights flashing red like a beacon in the twilight. I peered through the open window and my jaw dropped as I recognized the figure seated inside, It was....Kian? What the heck was he doing here?