Chapter 22 22

Chapter 22 22


She opened her mouth, closed it, then forced the calmest expression she could manage. “I was referring to… the printer, sir.”
Zayne wasn’t ready to let her go that easily.
“The printer,” he repeated.
“Yes, sir. It jammed earlier.”
His gaze moved briefly to the perfectly silent printer in the corner, then back to her. Lily kept her face straight with every bit of strength she had left.
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he looked at the document in her hand.
“Memorize it.”
“Yes sir.”
“And don’t mutter insults at office equipment.”
Her face warmed. “Yes, sir.”
He walked away without another word. Lily slowly sank back into her chair. Zayne was too sneaky for a CEO. She had barely managed to pull off that one lie. She realized it would have been much better working without the CEO.
She pressed her lips together so she wouldn’t say anything that might end her employment before the week was over.
The rest of the day proved just how different the office became when the CEO was around. The floor  was quitter, the staff more alert, the manager more restless. 
Documents came to Lily’s desk one after the other. Schedules had to be adjusted, reports had to be printed, calls had to be redirected, files had to be sorted according to a system she was only beginning to understand.
By noon, Lily had barely had time to breathe. By three o’clock, her neck ached.
By five, her eyes burned from staring at the computer screen. 
But she did not complain. She could not afford to.
This job mattered too much. Her father’s hospital bills, her new life, her dignity, everything depended on her ability to stand firm here. 
Annie was waiting for her to fail. Tracy would love to see her crumble. Kyrian already thought the worst of her.
She would not give anyone the satisfaction.
When closing time finally came, Lily arranged the last stack of files on her desk and released a tired breath. The office had started emptying, and for the first time all day, she allowed herself to believe she could leave.
She picked up her bag.
“Miss Lily.”
Her body stiffened.
She turned slowly.
Zayne stood at the doorway of his office, holding another folder.
Of course.
“Yes, sir?”
He walked over and handed it to her.
“These need to be reviewed and organized before Monday morning.”
Lily blinked.
Monday?
She looked down at the folder, then back at him.
“Sir, today is Friday.”
“I’m aware.”
“It’s the weekend,” she said before she could stop herself.
His expression did not change. “I’m also aware of that.”
Lily pressed her lips together.
Zayne’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Do you have any objections?”
Every objection in the world rose to the tip of her tongue. She had not rested properly in days. She had emotional problems chasing her from every corner. She still needed to get groceries before going home. And now this man wanted to bury her under weekend work as though she had no life outside his office. He should have just remained where he had been all these days. 
But she smiled tightly.
“No, sir.”
“Good.”
He turned and left.
Lily stared at his back, cursing him silently with every step he took.
Heartless man.
Proud man.
Jerk.
This time, she made sure she said it only in her head.
She packed the folder into her bag and left the executive floor, hoping to escape before anyone else could add to her suffering. Unfortunately, fate was not done with her.
She had barely reached the hallway near the elevator when Annie appeared with two of her usual followers.
“Lily,” one of the girls called with a smirk.
Lily stopped, though every part of her wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard.
Annie walked toward her slowly, confidence dripping from every step. 
Her eyes dropped briefly, taking in Lily's outfit. The clean lines, the fitted blouse and the polished look. For a split second, she wondered if it were actually the same Lily she always knew. 
“So she cleans up so well, and isn't as helpless as she looks,” she thought. 
Well, too bad for Lily. She had stopped her already and would not let her go without haunting her. 
“Leaving already?”
“My work for the day is done,” Lily replied calmly.
“Oh, not quite.” Annie handed her a file. “The client proposal. I need it completed by Monday.”
Lily looked at the file, then back at Annie. “This was supposed to be due next Friday.”
Annie smiled sweetly. “Plans changed.”
Lily’s fingers tightened around the file.
She knew exactly what Annie was doing. This was not about work. It was punishment. Annie wanted to overwhelm her, make her look incompetent, make her tired enough to slip.
“I have other assignments from the CEO,” Lily said carefully.
“All the more reason to learn how to manage your time,” Annie replied. “Unless, of course, the position is too much for you.”
The two girls behind her giggled softly.
Lily inhaled slowly.
No.
She would not give Annie the reaction she wanted.
“I’ll handle it,” she said.
Annie’s smile widened. “Good girl.”
Lily walked away before her temper could betray her.
By the time she stepped out of the company building, the evening air felt like freedom, even though her bag was heavier with work than it had been that morning. She walked toward the road, tired and hungry, when her phone buzzed.
It was a message from Claire.
Don’t forget the groceries, please. I’ll be away for the weekend. Get the basics before you come home.
Lily sighed.
She looked around, spotted a mall not too far from the office, and decided to stop there before heading home. 
The place was busy with Friday evening shoppers. Bright lights, soft music, carts rolling over polished floors, people moving from aisle to aisle. Lily picked up a basket and moved quickly, choosing bread, eggs, vegetables, milk, and a few other things Claire had listed.
She was turning into another aisle, her mind already calculating how much work she needed to finish before Monday, when someone collided with her hard.
Her bag slipped from her shoulder. The folder Zayne had given her fell out, papers scattering across the floor. The groceries in her basket tilted, and a few items rolled away.
Lily gasped, anger flaring instantly.
“Can’t you watch where you’re going?” she snapped, crouching to gather her things.
The person bent at the same time, reaching for the papers.
“I’m sorry,” a familiar voice said.
Lily’s hand froze.
Slowly, she lifted her head, ready to yell again.
But when she saw the person in front of her, every word died in her throat.
Her jaw dropped.