Chapter 21 Chapter Twenty One
"Not listening to my orders was one thing, but not showing up for work without letting me know is a totally different story," were his first words, but I kept my mouth shut.
I seriously wasn't in the mood for this.
He was dressed in a dark grey suit, and his hair was a bit messy but not unpleasant. He placed his hands in his pockets as he looked at me. His face turned blank as his eyes moved over me.
What's with men not controlling their eyes, especially at a time like this? I sighed and rested my head against the door.
"Mr. Lenetti, fancy seeing you here," I heard Franco say as he came to the door, his gaze fixed sharply on Mordechai.
The air shifted, turning heavy and thick. I turned away and went to sit down, my body tensed in a way I couldn't quite explain.
From where I sat, I watched as they shook hands, their movements calm but deliberate. There was no warmth in the gesture, only power and quiet hostility passing between them.
Mordechai sat on the couch opposite of me but Franco sat back exactly where he was. Only thing was that he wasn't straddling my body. My arms got goosebumps as that thought took over my mind. I shouldn't have felt that way when he did it, I should've resisted easily.
There was no way I had feelings for Franco Osvaldo. The man who only wanted my body. It was just not possible.
"Why weren't you at work today?" Mordechai asked, resting his elbows on his knees.
I glanced at Franco, but he only had his eyes on Mordechai. His face was so serious that it kind of scared me. I've never seen him so serious before, it was truly surprising.
"I took the day off because I wasn't feeling well," I replied calmly.
"How far are you with the files?" he asked and that was when I felt a wave of anger rushing through me.
How far did he expect me to be? It had just being one day!
"What do you want Mordechai?" I asked, my voice low and annoyed.
All I wanted to do was go back to bed. People say when you're stressed you sleep alot and I guess I was in that position now. I just wanted the both of them to leave.
"Vanessa, I'll be taking my leave now. I'll see you Saturday," Franco said as he got up.
He was about to just walk off but instead he turned and gave me a wink. He looked at Mordechai for a few seconds before leaving the living room.
"What was he doing here?" Mordechai asked, glaring at me.
"Excuse me?" I asked out of disbelief. He didn't just ask me that. It was none of his business.
"You have no right to ask me that," I replied folding my arms and relaxing on the couch. Might as well get comfy if he's going to be lecturing me.
"Whatever. You weren't at work and you didn't even inform me about anything. That's not the way things work."
"But giving someone a bunch of documents then leaving them out at night without dropping them home is how things work right?" I replied harshly.
I didn't wait for his reply. I stood up and went to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of juice.
I took a sip before leaning on the kitchen isle. I heard his footsteps getting closer but I didn't even budge. I stayed to my spot and continued sipping my juice.
"You're so intolerable you know that?" He said.
"And you aren't?" I replied without even thinking.
He may be my boss but he didn't own my mouth and my right to speak.
"I want you at work tomorrow morning at eight sharp-
"-Why? I may be your personal assistant but be honest, do you really need me around? Isn't Tiffany good enough to do your tasks for you? Afterall, she's just as wealthy as you and I'm sure you can tolerate her," I said before finishing off my juice and went to wash the glass.
"You don't make the rules, I do. I'm your boss whether you like it or not and you must do as I say. I want you at work tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp or else the consequences won't be pretty!" he spat, clenching his jaw.
"I can't go to work because something happened. I need to stay home for a few days. Can't you have a little sympathy?" I asked, throwing my hands in the air.
"There's a meeting tomorrow on the outskirts of the city. You're my assistant, so you have to be there, collecting notes and running my errands," he replied with an evil smirk.
"I am not going. You can take Tiffany with you," was my last response before I tried to leave the kitchen.
Key word, tried.
He took hold of my arm and backed me up against the fridge, firm, but not rough. I tried to pull away, but he gently caught my wrists and raised them above my head.
His lips brushed my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. I was about to knee him when he spoke, low and close:
"I don't like being challenged, Vanessa, I thought I told you that before."
I turned my head away when he tried to look in my eyes and focused on something that wasn't him.
I should be resisting easily.
Thinking of it, what was I doing not trying to break free from his grip?
I pulled away and stepped back from him as I rubbed my wrists. They would've been beat red if I didn't pull away. I looked at him but he had his head tilted as he studied me.
I heard a car pulling up and I knew it was Devin. I looked back at Mordechai but he was checking something on his phone. His face twisted in many different emotions before he sighed and put his phone away.
The sound of the door opening was clear, followed by slow, steady footsteps. I pressed my back against the wall as I watched Devin come closer. His expression shifted from confusion to something darker the moment he saw Mordechai.
"Mordechai, what are you doing here?", he asked, his voice low but edged with warning.
He took off his jacket and laid it over the chair, his eyes never leaving Mordechai. The grocery bag in his hand landed on the counter with a dull thud before he straightened, tension rolling off him in waves.
"I came by to see why my assistant wasn't at work," was his reply as he glanced at me.
Devin's expression turned completely serious.
"That's funny, because I didn't think you cared about your assistant," he said, his tone sharp as Mordechai's face twisted in confusion.
"What do you mean, Devin?" Mordechai asked, glaring at him. The tension in the room thickened, and I had no idea what to do.
"How can you let your assistant leave your place at night without driving her home? And those files, that was very unfair of you and you know it. Vanessa could've gotten kidnapped or worst. Have you seen her face?" Devin spat angrily before reaching over and brushing the hair from my face.
"You see that? It was all your fault because you were too selfish to give her a ride home. And now you show up here pretending to care as to why she wasn't at work. I'm sorry but if you have no business here, I suggest you leave. And she won't be at work for a few days."
Devin finished and then crossed his arms. Mordechai seemed like he has met his match because he didn't say anything. His eyes went to my cheek and they stayed there for a few seconds.
"I didn't know that something like that happened to her. And besides, you don't give me orders and you're not her boss. She can take tomorrow off then I want her back at work. Also, I'm giving her an extra week to finish the files. Don't make the mistake again by giving me orders Devin, it's for your own good."
And with that, Mordechai left the kitchen. I heard the front door close, followed by the sound of his car speeding off the lawn. I sighed and looked at Devin, who seemed pissed beyond words.
"I need to cool off, I'll talk to you later," he said, and all I could do was nod.
He walked out, and I replayed everything that had happened today. Franco was clear about what he wanted from me. When his body came into contact with mine, I couldn't believe it actually gave me tingles.
Then there was the way he and Mordechai looked at each other, as if they wanted to say something unpleasant but were holding back.
The most unforgettable moment was when Mordechai unexpectedly grabbed my wrists and pinned me against the fridge. That completely caught me off guard.
Then he and Devin got into something heated, but there was something strange about it, and it wasn't just how Mordechai somehow managed to dominate the situation. No, it was more than that.
But I was too tired to think about it. I left the kitchen, rubbing my wrists as I made my way back to my room.