Chapter 68 Not done punishing you.
Xavier's POV.
I stared at the email Lilian just sent, reading it three times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.
Mr. Quinn, requesting permission to leave early today. I have plans with a colleague. I've completed all urgent tasks. Please consider. - L.K.
My jaw tightened. A colleague?.
I typed back immediately.
Request Denied. New reports need filing by 5 PM.
I hit the send button harder than necessary.
Barely two minutes later, my office door swung open. Lilian stood there, her phone in hand, her eyes flashing with irritation.
"Mr. Quinn, I just sent those reports yesterday. There are no new ones."
I looked back at my computer screen ignoring her. "Check again. I forwarded them this morning."
"You didn't forward anything."
"Then you missed them."
She marched to my desk, leaning forward with both palms flat on the surface. "What is your problem?"
I finally met her eyes. Which was a big mistake, because she looked really furious, her cheeks flushed, her breathing was slightly uneven. That red hair of hers was pulled back today, exposing her neck.
I forced my gaze back to my screen. "My problem is employees who can't follow simple instructions."
"Sir there are no reports!"
"Don't yell at me, Miss Knowles. This is a professional environment."
Her scoffed loudly. "Professional? You've had me reorganizing files by color, fetching coffee from almost across town, and picking up your dry cleaning. None of that exist in any job description."
"Consider it character building."
"Character building?" Her voice pitched higher. "I'm a chief editor, not your servant!"
I stood slowly, deliberately. She didn't back away, which both annoyed and impressed me. Most people took a step back when I stood at my full height.
"You're whatever I say you are," I said quietly. "Or did you forget our agreement?"
Her expression faltered for just a second. Good. She remembers. The threat of the lawsuit, the power I held over that night.
"I haven't forgotten," she said through gritted teeth. "But you said I'd be your assistant secretary. Not your slave."
"Slave?" I raised an eyebrow. "That's dramatic, even for you."
"Is it? Because for two weeks you've given me every degrading task you could think of. I've smiled through all of it. But this?" She waved her phone. "Lying about reports just to keep me here? That's low, even for you."
Something hot twisted in my chest. She was right. I knew she was right. But the thought of her laughing over drinks with some random man made my blood boil.
"You must cancel your plans." I insisted.
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"I said no." Her chin lifted. "I've done everything you've asked for two weeks. I've been early, stayed late, handled your ridiculous errands. But my time after 5 PM is mine."
"Not while you're under my contract."
"The contract says I work as your assistant secretary during business hours. It says nothing about controlling my personal life."
I moved around the desk, closing the distance between us. She held her ground, but I saw her throat move as she swallowed.
"Who is he?"
"What?"
"This colleague. Who is he?"
Her eyes narrowed. "That's none of your business."
"It is when you're asking to leave my office early."
"His name is Clide. He's from the marketing department. We're friends."
Clide. I memorized the name, already planning to find out everything about him later.
"Friends," I repeated flatly.
"Yes, friends. You know, those people who actually enjoy each other's company? Unlike whatever this is." She gestured between us.
"Well, insist that you cancel it."
"No."
"Lilian." Her name came out harder than I intended.
"Don't." She stepped back finally, creating space. "Don't say my name like that. Like you have any right to tell me what to do outside these walls."
"I have every right. You owe me for that mistake."
"I've been paying for that, for two weeks! When is it enough? When will you be satisfied?"
Never. The word nearly escaped my lips. My jaw clenched.
"That's what I thought," she said quietly when I didn't answer. "You'll never be satisfied because this isn't about that night at all. This is about your ego."
"My ego?"
"Yes! I bruised it by leaving. By not remembering your face. By not falling at your feet like everyone else apparently does." Her voice was shaking now, not with fear but with suppressed rage. "Well, I'm sorry I'm not impressed by your money or your power or your ridiculous need to make me suffer."
"You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't I? Then tell me, Mr Quinn. Why does it matter if I have drinks with Clide? Why do you care?"
The question hung in the air between us. I could feel my control slipping, that careful mask I always wore was cracking at the edges.
"I don't," I said, but even I heard how unconvincing it sounded.
"Liar." She crossed her arms. "You've been finding excuses to keep me here late every single day. The second I try to have a life outside this office, you suddenly have urgent tasks. So tell me, why the hell do you care who I see?"
Because the thought of you smiling at another man makes me want to destroy something. Because I can't stop thinking about that night, Because you left without even considering me, and no one leaves me.
But I didn't say it out.
"Your personal life is irrelevant to me Miss Knowles."
"Then why won't you let me go?"
"Because," I stepped closer again, unable to help myself, "you have work to do."
"There is no work! You're making up excuses, and we both know it!"
"Miss Knowles, I suggest you remember your place."
"My place?" She laughed bitterly, "My place is chief editor of one of the top publishing houses in Greenville. My place is NOT fetching your coffee or listening to your condescending remarks. And it's certainly not canceling my plans because you won't approve!" She was breathing hard now. "And I'm done. I'm done with this."
"Done?"
"Yes! If you hate everything I do, if you're going to micromanage every second of my day, if you won't let me have even one evening to myself, then what's the point? Why don't you just fire me"
The words hit me like a physical blow. Fire her. Let her go. Never see her again.
Never.
I closed the remaining distance between us in two strides. She backed up instinctively, but the desk stopped her. I planted my hands on either side of her, caging her in.
"You want to know why I won't fire you?" My voice came out low, dangerous. "Because then you'd be free of me. And I'm not done punishing you yet."
Her breath hitched. I watched her pupils dilate, her chest rose and fell faster.
"That's insane," she whispered.
"Probably."
"You can't keep me here forever."
"Says who?"
"Xavier." My name on her lips did something to me. "This is crazy. You're being crazy."
I scoffed.
"Then leave. Walk out that door right now."
She stared at me, and I saw the moment she realized the truth. She couldn't. The lawsuit threat still hung over her head, the power imbalance between us too great.
"I hate you," she said quietly.
"Good. Hate me all you want. But you're not having drinks with that Clide."
"Why? Give me one good reason that isn't pure spite."
Because you're mine now. And the thought of another man touching you, makes me want to commit violence.
I opened my mouth, searching for something, anything that wouldn't expose the absolute chaos she had created in my carefully ordered life.
The door to my office burst open.
"Xavier, I need you to----oh."
Nicholas stood in the doorway, taking in the scene. Me, essentially pinning Lilian against my desk. Her, flushed and furious expression. The tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.
A slow grin spread across his face.
I immediately stepped back. Lilian used the opportunity to slide away, putting several feet between us.
"Nick, I'm busy." I said coldly.
"Hmm, I can see that." He was still grinning, that knowing look in his eyes. "Should I come back later? Or should I grab popcorn?"
"Get out."
"Actually," Lilian cut in with a tight voice "perfect timing. I was just leaving."
"No, you're not," I insisted.
But she ignored me, rushing out before I could reach for her. "Excuse me, Mr. Cage."
She brushed past Nicholas, who watched her go with raised eyebrows. The door closed behind her with more force than necessary.
Dammit, now she would go out with that Clide guy and it's Nicholas fault for interrupting.
He turned to me slowly, his grin widening.
"Don't," I warned.
"I didn't say anything."
"You're about to."
"Oh, I'm about to say a lot of things." He walked in dropping into one of my chairs uninvited. "Want to tell me what that was about?"
"No."
"Let me guess. Your fake secretary asked to leave early, and you, being the reasonable person you are, said no."
How the hell did he figure it out.
I returned to my desk, trying to ignore him. "She has work to do."
"Does she? Or are you just jealous?"
My head snapped up. "I'm not jealous."
"Right. That's why you were practically breathing down her neck when I walked in. Very professional, by the way."
"Nicholas."
"You're jealous of your own fake secretary and yet you won't let her go." He was enjoying this far too much. "It's almost poetic."
"She's not--" I stopped abruptly.
His grin turned wider. "She's not what?"
I realized my mistake too late. Not fake, She's Not just my secretary. The words had almost tumbled out.
"Nothing."
"No no, finish that sentence. She's not what, Xavier? Not fake? Not just your secretary? Not someone you can keep pretending you don't want?"
Damn this annoying man, how did he keep predicting me.
"Get out of my office."
He scoffed.
"Did I hit a nerve?" He leaned back, looking far too pleased with himself. "You know what your problem is? You're so busy punishing her for that night that you haven't stopped to ask yourself why it bothers you so much."
"I know exactly why."
"Do you? Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you're terrified."
"Of what?"
"Of admitting that for once in your life, someone got under your skin." He stood, heading for the door. "And now you don't know what to do about it except make both of you miserable."
He shook his head with a smirk, and left before I could respond.
I sank into my chair, frustration weighing heavily on me. The office felt too quiet now, too empty.
I opened up my emails, trying to focus back on work.
My eyes caught on Lilian's earlier message. I have plans with a colleague.
Clide. Marketing department.
I opened a new email to my private investigator.
I Need full personnel file for Clide Morrison. Marketing. By end of day.
And hit the send button.