Chapter 61 Chapter 61
“What exactly happened to you yesterday?” Thorne asked carefully, keeping his tone gentle. The demon often reminded her more of an angel than a spawn of hell, just like now. It was ironic that he, of all people, was a demon. “I have never seen Maxwell so worried in my life.”
Said demon sent him a smoldering hot glare and curled his lips in distaste. “Shut the fuck up, Nicholas Clarke,” he hissed, causing Valerie to hide a grin as she turned back to the coffee machine. So he had been worried about her.
Maybe he had finally learned to accept the bond and her? She didn’t dare ask him because she already knew that the prideful demon would never admit to it. Despite the anxiety she felt, the weight on her shoulders lightened.
She put a little bit of sugar in her coffee before she carried the three cups to the table, knowing that the demons preferred to drink it as it was.
Until now, she had avoided Thorne’s question, but she knew that he could be just as persistent as Maxwell, so she braced herself for a discussion. The last thing she wanted was to admit that she had fainted because of her fear, because of Uriel. It already hurt her self-esteem badly enough as it was. She preferred pushing it to the back of her mind.
“Valerie? Won’t you tell me?” Thorne asked again, his dark green eyes watching her inquiringly. She stared at her reflection in her coffee cup, the bitter smell of the beverage reaching her nose.
“I fainted, there isn’t much to it,” she muttered and took a sip of her coffee. “As I said, you needn’t worry. I probably was tired or something.”
Thorne was anything but convinced, and Maxwell seemed annoyed at her. “Do you want me to send someone else to the next interview tomorrow? If you want to rest, that is fine.”
“No, no. I want to do it, please, Thorne. This means a lot to me, and you know it,” she said urgently, leaning forward in her chair. She captured his gaze with her brown eyes and looked at him pleadingly until he gave in.
“Fine, but remember, if it’s too much, you tell me immediately,” Thorne said to her. “And you continue to keep an eye on her,” he added towards Maxwell, who had watched their exchange with narrowed eyes.
\---
Once more, she stood in front of the tall building, inwardly sighing because of what she was about to do. Her last visit hadn’t ended so well, but this time, she at least wasn’t alone. Valerie could tell that Maxwell was more attentive than usual, throwing her scrutinizing glances now and then.
At first, she had been annoyed by them, but now she just ignored them altogether. She needed to be focused for the interview, and that’s exactly what she kept repeating in her mind as they both entered the building and made their way to the 18th floor, where she would meet Jackson.
The moment Valerie entered the lift, she started to feel restless and nervous. The enclosed space brought a feeling of being trapped and reminded her of her encounter with Uriel. To distract herself, she let her gaze move over Maxwell, who stood next to her and stared into space with a neutral expression.
He wore slightly more elegant clothes than usual, just like her. His outfit consisted of a black shirt that fit his lean build too well, black jeans, and equally black shoes. His undying love for dark colors was apparent. Only his white hair stood out, giving him a unique look. He never failed to gain the attention of the people he passed, and Valerie often saw women staring after him, to which he normally reacted with a smug smirk. This demon knew exactly how attractive he was, and he often used it to his advantage.
Valerie had to admit that her heart had fluttered a tiny little bit when she had seen him today, since he looked even better than usual in this outfit. It was almost unfair.
Valerie herself had opted to wear a dress again, going with a light violet one that had cute flowers embroidered on it. She and Maxwell looked like day and night, so different in every way that some people in the building had shot them astonished looks. However, Valerie was too caught up in her worried thoughts to notice them, and Maxwell simply didn’t care enough about humans.
“You’re distracted today,” he remarked, the silent music in the lift filling the quiet when she failed to answer. She folded her arms in front of her and glanced at her reflection in the mirror opposite her. “Valerie?” he added and finally gained her attention. She turned her head to look at him.
“Sorry?” she answered.
He sighed exasperatedly, taking a lock of her hair between his fingers. “I don’t like to be ignored, sugar,” he drawled.
“I’m aware of that,” she said emotionlessly. He was surprised at her hollow tone since he normally had no issues getting her flustered with his seductive behavior, but today, not even that worked. She just wasn’t herself for some reason; she hadn’t been since the first interview, making the demon wonder if this Jackson had something to do with it. He would keep an eye on him.
When the lift opened, and they stepped out, Valerie was reluctant to walk over the hallway, her eyes moving around constantly, causing him to ask himself what the hell she was looking for. Maxwell angrily clicked his tongue and took her hand to pull her along to the reception desk, where a young secretary was waiting for them.
“Hello,” she squeaked, gaping at Maxwell. “How can I help you?”
“We’re here for the interview with Mr. Regal. I’m Valerie, and I brought a friend this time. I hope you don’t mind,” Valerie answered.
“No, it’s fine,” the secretary answered, getting all flustered. “He’s waiting for you. Please enter his office.”
“Thank you.”