Chapter 32 32

Chapter 32 32
Karin's POV
Monday morning, I rode in the elevator to the top floor. We had scheduled this meeting last week so that I could meet the private investigator, but it was the last thing I wanted to do now.

I wanted to forget Adrien Vale, forget I ever had met beautiful Rien… or Rien, or whatever the heck I was supposed to call him. I had come to the realization that they were a package deal, and unfortunately, I couldn’t have Rien without Adrien, even though it was only Rien I wanted. So I was doing what was best for me. I was cutting ties; I wasn’t falling into the pattern of sleeping with Adrien without strings in the hope that I might get a glimpse of Rien every now and then.

It would have been easy… too easy.

But I already knew my poor heart couldn’t take it. I wasn’t wired for casual sex.

It wasn’t just who I was.

I was going to be professional and try to concentrate on my job. If I didn’t have to see him, it would have been so much easier, but it was what it was. I needed to learn to deal with it. He wasn’t going anywhere, and I really wanted this job.

Damn it, Karin, why did you always take the hard way? Why did you always fall for the wrong guy? The last man had no motivation, and this man had too much. Both men didn’t care enough to go the extra mile for me. Maybe my expectations were too high from my book boyfriends in my romance novels—maybe Adrien was right on that one. But damn it, I wanted the fucking fairy tale for once.

The elevator door opened, and I walked out and through reception.

“Good morning, Karin,” Violeta said.
“Morning.” I smiled.
“Just go through to his office.”
“Thanks.”

I walked down the corridor and knocked on his door.
“Come in,” his deep voice called.

I closed my eyes and braced myself. I dropped my shoulders and opened the door. I stopped on the spot. Shit.

The room was full of men.

“Come in,” Adrien said, devoid of emotion. “Take a seat.”
“Thanks.” I dropped nervously into the seat near the end of the large rectangular table.

Adrien sat at the head, and Matt, Elliot, Christopher, and an older man were on Adrien’s left. Then there were another six men I had never seen before.

Adrien’s eyes held mine. “This is Karin Ellis,” he introduced me.

“Hello,” the men all said.

I smiled awkwardly as I looked around the table.

“Karin, this is my father, George.” He gestured to the older man.
“Hello,” I whispered nervously.
“Hello, dear.” He smiled warmly; he was in his sixties and looked like an older version of Adrien and Elliot. Gorgeous and distinguished with those piercing blue eyes.

“This is Martin and Gerrard, Max and Barry,” Adrien said as he pointed around the table. “And on the end are Calvin and Jake.”
“Hello.” I forced a smile. I knew I’d never remember all these names.

“This is the corporate investigation team,” Adrien continued. “Jake will be the eyes on the floor, and the other five men will be assessing the data that’s collected.”

I watched him as he talked, devoid of emotion, and my heart cracked a little. He was completely unrattled by me… by us.

There was no us.

“Okay.” I smiled as I looked around at the team. “Nice to meet you all.”
“We are going to hit the ground running this morning,” he continued.
“Karin, you are going to show Jake around, and then you will be reporting directly to Matt in regards to the stories you are putting forward.”

My heart dropped, and I nodded. My eyes went to Matt, and he smiled warmly.

He knew why I had been designated to him. I felt like throwing myself on the floor and having a crying tantrum. “Thank you. That’s great,” I lied.

For the next fifteen minutes, I sat in my chair and stared at the CEO as he ran through the day’s events with a controlled detachment. He was assertive, hard, and fiercely intelligent, and the room hung on to his every word.

And he fucked his masseuse on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I didn’t know how I had gotten myself into this messed-up situation, but it had to end.

Well… it had already ended, so I didn’t need to bother anyway.

“Thank you; that wraps it up. I would like a report on my desk at four thirty every afternoon,” he told the men from the investigation company.
“Yes, sir,” they replied as everyone stood. I waited at the back, unsure whether to leave or not.

“Karin, just a minute, please,” Adrien asked.

My heart flipped. “Yes.”

“Can you take Jake down to your floor under the guise that he’s new and that you two are going through a training program together?”

My eyes searched his.
He stared at me blankly, cold as ice.
“Sure.”

I turned to Jake and smiled. “Are you ready now?”
“Show me the way,” Jake said playfully.
“After you.”

I turned and walked out of the office with my heart dripping into my high-heeled pumps. Well, that was the end of that.

He was done. I wished I were. I would get there—I always do.