6. Alice Summoned to Vivian's Office

VIVIAN SCOTT

It was another regular day at work with back-to-back meetings and a continuous flow of emails.

Yet, despite everything, one image kept forcing its way into my mind—Alice Riley. Her wide, inquisitive eyes. The way she masked her nerves with an air of forced confidence. That barely perceptible hitch in her breath when I leaned in just a little too close.

I needed a reason to see her again.

Before I could second-guess myself, I picked up my phone and sent a message to Alexis Segal.

Alexis, I need an update on the infringement case. Send Alice Riley to my office. I’ll arrange the car.

Satisfied, I hit send and leaned back in my chair. The request was perfectly reasonable—Segal would assume I was simply taking an active role in the case. But the truth? The case itself meant nothing to me.

I just wanted to see how Alice would hold up in my office—on my terms.

Would she meet my gaze with the same quiet defiance? Or would she falter under the weight of my attention?

A slow smirk played on my lips.

Either way, I was going to enjoy this.

ALICE RILEY

It was 4:00 PM on my clock, and I was already counting down the minutes until the end of the workday. My plan was simple—head home, make a bread omelet, and lose myself in that new legal drama that I planned to binge-watch since its release. An evening for myself was all I needed to shake off the lingering frustration of my morning thoughts about Vivian Scott.

I had almost succeeded in pushing him from my mind when Alexis Segal’s voice yanked me back to reality.

“Alice,” he called, striding into my section with the kind of energy that only ever meant more work.

I straightened, swiftly minimizing the browser tab I wasn’t supposed to have open. “Yes, Mr. Segal?”

“You’ve been summoned.”

My stomach dipped. “Summoned?”

“Mr. Scott wants a direct update on the infringement case,” he said, his grin making it clear he thought this was great news. “Specifically, from you.”

“Me?” I echoed, pasting on a polite smile even as my brain screamed, Why me?

“You’ve been handling the account in Susanne’s absence, and you’ve done a fine job. Clearly, he was impressed when you met earlier.”

Or he just enjoyed watching me squirm.

“There’s no need to worry about the commute. Mr. Scott has arranged for a car to pick you up at five sharp,” Alexis continued, still pleased with himself. “Use this as an opportunity to showcase your competence, Alice. If he’s impressed, Scott Group could entrust us with bigger accounts—and you’d be a part of that.”

“That’s great, Mr. Segal,” I said with forced enthusiasm, nodding as if this were some dream opportunity instead of a carefully orchestrated torment.

As soon as Alexis left, I slumped back in my chair, letting out a quiet groan. Vivian Scott. He’d been lingering in my mind all day, and now I had to face him again.

I could already picture his smirk, the way his eyes had measured me like he enjoyed watching me struggle. No doubt he’d try to throw me off balance again, wielding his charm like a weapon. But I wasn’t going to let him win.

Straightening up, I rolled my shoulders back. I had dealt with intimidating professors, demanding bosses, and impossible clients. I could handle one arrogant billionaire.

By 4:45 PM, I was ready. I’d double-checked the case files, run through my talking points, and even taken a minute to fix my hair and lipstick in the restroom—not vanity, just professionalism.

At exactly 5:00 PM, a sleek black car pulled up outside the office building.

Maria, who had been watching the clock as eagerly as I had, let out a low whistle. “Wow. That’s some ride. Mr. Scott must really think you’re important.”

“Or he just wants to keep an eye on his account,” I said, grabbing my bag and forcing a confident smile.

But as I stepped into the car, my heart betrayed me with a nervous flutter.

It wasn’t just the work.

It was him.