Chapter 32

Chapter 32
OLIVIA

I was about to walk out with the others and immediately go to the conference room but I stopped mid way.

Why? I don't know either, but a thought came to my head. How would it look if I were to be the last person to join in for the meeting?

Ryan is mad at me and wouldn't tell me why? Then he should stay mad and I'll act even more mad.

Rachel kept glancing back at me and I rolled my eyes, walked back to my cubicle and pretended to fix my dress and didn't want eyes on me.

By the time I was done with my pretentious act, the hallway was clear. No one was there anymore doing whatever.

I slumped back on my chair, took my phone out and dialed Melody's number.

“Gurlll, I believe this is your work hour. Why are you calling me?” Those were the words that came out of her mouth as she picked the call on the first ring which made me wonder if she had her eyes glued to her phone.

“You didn't allow your phone to rin—”

“Yes! I didn't.” She cut me off immediately and my lips pursed into a thin line.

“Mel, what are you doing?” I questioned her. I could hear her breathing raspy and trying hard not to moan.

“Mel, what exactly are you doing?” I asked again, leaning back in my chair because something already felt off.

All I heard on the phone was a shaky breath. Then another. Then a sound that was definitely not breathing.

It took my brain a full three seconds to process it before my eyes widened. “Melody… please don’t tell me—”

She tried to talk, but the words melted into a very obvious moan.

A real one.

My hand flew to my forehead. “Oh my God. Please don’t tell me you’re having sex right now.”

There was rustling, a muffled curse, and then her voice, breathless and fighting for air. “Liv— it’s— I’m— hold on—”

“Not you saying ‘hold on’ to ME while a man is clearly rearranging your soul in the background!” I hissed, half laughing and half horrified.

She tried to answer, but it came out as another long, dramatic moan that made me pull my phone away from my ear like it was electric.

“Melody! You have lost your mind. AT WORK HOURS?” I paced in a circle, clutching my head. “Who does this on a Wednesday morning? Who even has the energy for that?”

Through the speaker came a breathy laugh. “Liv… he just pulled me— oh, wait—”

“Nope!” I didn’t let her land whatever that sentence was about to turn into. “I’m not hearing this. Call me back when you’re done being a disgrace.”

Before she could moan again, I hung up.

And then I burst into laughter. Actual laughter. The kind that made my stomach hurt. “This girl is possessed,” I muttered, still laughing to myself. “A demon has borrowed her body.”

But slowly… the laughter faded, and my thoughts drifted somewhere they shouldn’t.

Ryan.

Just thinking his name made warmth spread through my body. I imagined his hands on my waist, the way he would hold me, the way his lips would feel against my skin. I imagined the sound of his voice, deep and close to my ear, saying my name in that tone he uses when he wants something from me.

I could almost feel it, his touch, his breath, the way he would take control. My chest tightened at the thought of how easily I would melt for him, how I’d whisper his name without even thinking twice—

A sudden footstep snapped me out of it.

I jumped so fast my chair almost rolled away. My heart was pounding as I grabbed my notepad and stood up, trying to pretend I wasn’t just making up sin in my head.

I hurried toward the elevator, trying to fix my shirt and my thoughts at the same time. The doors opened, and I stepped inside.

And stopped.

Ryan was already there.

He looked calm, collected, like nothing in the world could shake him. Meanwhile, I was one second away from exploding into tiny embarrassed pieces.

The tension hit me immediately. The air felt too tight, almost like I couldn't breathe properly. I looked at him for a quick moment before turning away, pretending to adjust my phone.

He didn’t look at me. Not even a glance.

“Why are you not in the conference room with the others?” he asked with a firm and cold voice. His tone wasn’t playful or soft. It was straight boss mode, and it cut right into me.

“I— I was on my way,” I replied quietly. “I just needed to—”

He didn’t let me finish.

“Whatever is happening between us does not give you the right to break company rules,” he said, still not looking at me. “Be on time.”

The words felt like a slap. My mouth slowly closed, and the embarrassment washed over me so fast I could barely breathe. I stared at the elevator doors, not trusting myself to speak. My chest felt tight and uncomfortable, and I tried to swallow the sting of it.

Why would he speak to me like that?
What did I do?
Was he really that upset with me?

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.

He walked out without stopping, without looking back, without giving me even a second glance.

I waited a moment before stepping out, more to collect myself than anything else. My legs felt heavy as I followed the hallway toward the conference room, trying to shake off the ache in my chest.

When I reached the door, he was already talking to someone inside. I pushed it open, and it made a small sound, but somehow it felt loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Every head turned to look at me.

I didn’t look at anyone back. I kept my face straight and walked to the empty chair next to Rachel. She was staring at me like I had committed a crime, but I didn’t have the energy to roll my eyes or snap back.

Not now.

I sat down quietly, keeping my gaze fixed on the table
as my thoughts replayed the elevator moment on a loop.

I still couldn’t figure out what I did wrong.