Chapter 76 Adeline
Adeline's POV
Donned in the power suit Zara had picked out for me the next Monday. It felt like I was in my own skin, and I was very comfortable with that.
I was currently breezing through a stack of intellectual property briefs, my mind sharp and completely focused. The weekend's terrifying false alarm over Vance's death had acted like a weird reset button. When Percy and I had faced the absolute worst-case scenario in our minds, then we realized it was just a shadow, and we both decided we were done living in fear.
My phone buzzed on my desk. I glanced down at the screen to find that it was a text from Zara, which subconsciously made me smile.
"Downstairs in the lobby. I told the terrifying man with the earpiece that I’m here to kidnap you for caffeine. Coming up."
I typed back a quick "See you in a second." Before I could even reach for my purse, the door to my office opened and Lauren pushed her head in. She had been trying to get into my good graces after the whole issue with Vanessa. Today wasn't any different with the two cups of expensive matcha lattes from the café across the street.
"Good morning, Adeline," Lauren beamed, her voice practically dripping with sugar. She set one of the cups gently next to my keyboard. "I noticed you didn't have your coffee yet, so I thought I’d bring you this, and oh my god, I have been meaning to tell you all morning. That suit is absolutely incredible."
I leaned back in my chair and eyed the matcha latte. "Thank you, Lauren, but I don't drink matcha."
"Oh! Well, I can go get you an espresso..."
"Adeline!"
Another voice interrupted in the form of Chloe, another junior associate that we both started as interns. She usually took her lunches with the senior partners, so seeing her in my office was weird. Even weirder was the bright smile that was pasted on her face.
"Hey, girl," Chloe said, subtly pushing Lauren to the side. "I was just wondering if you were free for lunch later. A few of us are grabbing sushi at Nobu, and we’d love for you to join us. We feel like we haven't even properly celebrated your TechStar win."
I could ignore both their presences separately, but together, there was something going on. Something had happened and I had no idea what it was.
Before I could answer Chloe, the heavy glass doors that led to our floor swung open. The chatter that had been going on in the office instantly died down before they all started whispering.
Zara Whitmore stepped onto the floor, looking like she had just walked straight off a runway.
She was wearing a vintage, oversized tweed jacket draped over a white silk camisole, blue crazy jeans, and a pair of leather boots that clicked sharply against the tile. Her dark hair was slicked back into a high ponytail, and huge sunglasses rested on top of her head.
"Oh my god," Chloe breathed. "Is that Zara Whitmore?"
"The stylist?" Lauren gasped, clutching her own matcha cup like a lifeline. "I follow her on Instagram. She just styled the cover of Vogue last month. What is she doing here?"
Zara spotted me, and her usual smile brightened her face. She navigated the narrow aisles of the office cubicles with effortless grace as she ignored the dozens of worshipping eyes that followed her.
"There she is," Zara announced as she walked into my office. I stood up to greet her, and I watched as she looked me from eye to toe.
"Okay, yes. The charcoal was absolutely the right call. You look dangerous, like you could fire everyone in this room."
"Don't tempt me," I said, letting my eyes rove over Chloe and Lauren before we both burst into laughter. "I’m trying not to let the power go to my head."
The two girls in my office didn't get the joke because they were busy staring with heart eyes at Zara.
"Hi!" Chloe practically squeaked, stepping directly into Zara's line of sight. "I’m Chloe, one of the associates here. I am a huge fan of your work. That editorial spread you did for the Met Gala was absolutely iconic."
Zara stopped to look down at Chloe. The warm energy she had just directed at me vanished and was replaced by the polite and polished composure of New York old money.
"Thank you," Zara said smoothly. It was a single sentence that offered absolutely no room for continuation.
"We were just telling Adeline how much we love her new look," Lauren chimed in, desperate for an opening. "If you ever have any openings for new clients, I would kill to have a consultation..."
"I’m entirely booked through next year, but thank you for the interest." Zara cut her off with a cold smile.
She didn't wait for them to respond. Instead, she reached out, hooked her arm through mine, and physically steered me out of the office.
"Come on," Zara said. "If I don't get a proper espresso in the next ten minutes, I am going to collapse. Percy’s security guy downstairs already looked at me like I was a national threat; I need caffeine to recover."
I could barely keep from laughing out loud as we walked past the stunned faces of my coworkers. Zara led me straight out of the building and into an exclusive membership-only café two blocks down the street. She ordered two double espressos and dragged me to a booth in the very back.
"So," Zara said with a knowing look. "How long have the legal Barbie dolls been trying to use you to get to me?"
"How did you know?"
"You were on my story on Saturday, and when I saw them drooling in your office, I put two and two together."
"That makes sense because I was literally a ghost; now everyone and their mother is trying to buy me lunch."
"Classic social climbers." Zara rolled her eyes. "Look, Manhattan is a vicious place. People like Chloe and Lauren will do anything to be near power. Not only are you dating one of the wealthiest men here, but you also know me? That makes you cool."
"I didn't think about it like that."
"You have social leverage now."
"And what am I supposed to do with that?"
"Use it, use them. Let them buy you lunch and fetch your coffee, but never give them access lest they forget their places."
"That feels a little mean."
"It’s not mean, it’s boundaries. Know this: they would do the same in your shoes except they won't care about how you were feeling. Did they respect you before? No, so why now if not that they're planning on using you too?"
Zara was giving me access to knowledge that she had gained as someone that grew up wealthy, and for that, I was grateful. "Thank you, Zara."
"So," Zara pivoted effortlessly. "Tell me about the billionaire. I dragged you away on a Saturday. Did he panic?"
"Completely," I laughed. "He had Tiny parked outside for two hours, remember?"