Chapter 58 The Most Insufferable Man Alive!!
Lilian's pov
Melissa smirked at me, "Do you need anything else sir?"
"No." He replied flatly still without looking up, She nodded and left.
My stomach growled almost loud enough for him to hear and it's his fault, I glared hard at him.
I had to skip breakfast just to get here on time now he won't even let me eat. Lord give me the patience to deal with this man.
"Do you have something to say, Miss Knowles?"He asked rudely.
"No. I don't."I retorted with gritted teeth.
"Good. Work faster, you're behind schedule already."
At one o'clock, I finally finished the last file. My hands were cramping badly, and I missed lunch entirely.
I still had at least fifteen work emails from my own company that needed responses.
"Done," I announced, closing the final cabinet.
Xavier stood and walked over to my desk, inspecting my work. He opened random documents and checked random files. After five agonizing minutes, he nodded.
"It's Adequate. The dry cleaning receipt is in the drawer I mentioned. The cleaners close at five, so you'd better hurry."
Dammit I almost forgot his laundry, but the laundry building was across town, I won't be able to get to my meeting on time if I go.
"Sir I have to be back at my office by four for a meeting"
"Then I suggest you learn to manage your time well," He returned to his desk. "You better hurry."
Couldn't he just leave it for another day, why is he being so cruel.
I grabbed my purse immediately and left, nearly colliding with Melissa in the hallway.
"Leaving already? But It's only one o'clock." She quizzed.
"I have to pick up his laundry."I answered in a hurry.
"Across town? In this traffic?" She scoffed. "Good luck with that."
I ignored her and headed for the elevator. Just as the doors were closing, a hand shot through.
A woman in her early thirties stepped in. I recognized her from earlier, she was one of the women gossiping by the water cooler.
"Hi, You're Mr. Quinn's new assistant secretary, right?"
I sighed, "It's Temporarily," I said, watching the floor numbers descend.
"I'm Janet, from the accounting team. Just wanted to give you some friendly advice." My brows raised, Her voice dropped. "Melissa has a thing for Mr. Quinn. She has had it for years, and she doesn't like competition."
Tsk, so that's why she kept pestering me, "Well I'm not in competition with anyone."
"That's not what it looks like you know. He's never had a personal assistant secretary before. Plus, you're sharing his office, He never does that." Janet shrugged. "Just watch your back. Melissa can be... difficult."
"Oh" I muttered with a nod.
The elevator reached the ground floor.
"Thanks for the warning," I said with a thin smile while stepping out.
The trip to the dry cleaners was a nightmare. Traffic was backed up for blocks. By the time I got there, grabbed Xavier's clothes, and made it back, it was already four fifteen.
And I missed my meeting.
I burst into Xavier's office without knocking, dropped the dry cleaning on his couch, and turned to leave immediately, before I snapped at him real bad.
"Miss Knowles."
I stopped, my hand on the door handle. What the hell does he want again.
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow. Seven o'clock. Don't be late."
"I have my own job, you know. An actual career you can't keep---"
"Then you should have thought about that before you made that silly mistake." He cut me off coldly. "Work starts at Seven o'clock."
My jaws clenched so hard it gave me a headache, I stormed off and slammed the door so hard the walls shook.
Melissa was packing up her desk. She looked up, her eyes glittered immediately she saw me. "Rough first day?"
I didn't answer her, heck I was too angry to reply her, I headed straight for the elevators.
But Melissa still followed, her heels clicking against the marble floor.
"You know, I've worked for Mr. Quinn for more than four years. I know everything about him. His preferences, his schedule, his habits." She pressed the elevator button. "So you should know your place here, Whatever connection you think you have with him, trust me it won't work. He doesn't mix business with pleasure."
I rolled my eyes at her insecurity,
The elevator opened and we both stepped in.
"Trust me when I say the last thing I want is to have any thing to do with that man," I said quietly.
"Then why are you here? What's your real connection to him?" Melissa's mask slipped slightly, revealing her genuine confusion. "Nobody takes this kind of treatment unless there's something bigger at stake."
The doors opened on the ground floor. I stepped out without answering, I'm starting to get fed up with her constant questions.
"Wait," Melissa called walking hurriedly to meet my strides. "At least tell me who you are. What's your background?"
I turned back with a snap. "I'm nobody special, Melissa. Just someone who made a mistake and is paying for it, now can you leave me the hell Alone."
I walked away before she could say anything else.
By the time I reached my car, my phone had blown up. Twelve missed calls from my office. Twenty three emails. Three angry texts from my publisher.
I sat in the driver's seat and screamed.
Then I called my assistant editor.
"Lilian! Thank God. Where have you been? The meeting was a disaster. Mr. Tanaka walked out halfway through because you weren't there to---"
"I know. I'm sorry. Something came up."
"What could possibly be more important than a five-million-dollar deal?"
I closed my eyes. "It's complicated."
"Well, uncomplicate it. Fast. Because Mr. Tanaka said if you're not serious about this deal, he'll take it to our competitors."
"I'll call him. I'll fix it."
"Lilian, what's going on? This isn't like you."
"I said I'll fix it." I hung up before she could press further.
I spent the next hour in my car, making calls, sending emails, putting out fires. By the time I finished, it was nearly six o'clock.
My phone buzzed with a new message.
Big Jerk!: Tomorrow's coffee order: Cappuccino. Extra foam and Skim milk. From the Fifth Street cafe. 6:45 AM.
I stared at the message, my hands shaking with rage.
So this is my life now. Running errands for a man who hated me because of one drunken night I barely remembered.
I bit my lips and typed back: okay.
Then I threw my phone on the passenger seat and drove home.
My apartment had never looked more welcoming. I kicked off my heels, collapsed on my couch, and pulled out my phone to call Dandy.
But I stopped. She had her own problems with Alexander. I couldn't burden her with mine.
Instead, I opened my laptop and started working on the manuscripts I had neglected all day. If Xavier Quinn thought he could destroy my career with his petty revenge, he had another thing coming.
I worked until midnight, catching up on everything I missed. My eyes burned. My back ached. But at least I salvaged most of the damage from today.
As I finally closed my laptop, my phone buzzed one more time.
Xavier Quinn: Also, bring me the quarterly reports from 2023. Third quarter specifically. They should be in the archives.
I stared at the message in disbelief, turning into pure fury.
It was frickin midnight. He was texting me work orders at midnight.
I typed back: The archives close at 5 PM.
His response came immediately: Then I suggest you get there early. 6:30 AM should give you enough time before the coffee run.
I threw my phone across the room.
It bounced off the couch cushions and landed on the floor, screen still glowing with his message.
"You. are. the. most insufferable man alive!!," I yelled to the empty apartment.
But even as the words left my mouth, I knew tomorrow I'b be at those archives at six thirty sharp.
Because Xavier Quinn had me exactly where he wanted me.
And we both knew it.