Chapter 0007

—Klein.

"Too much sugar!"

That made ten times. Ten fucking times I’d made coffee for Silvio Alvarez, and each time, there was something wrong with it. The first cup was too bitter, the second too hot, the third too cold. Now? I had no idea what he wanted, and frankly, I didn’t care anymore. What I did want was to lovingly smash my fist into his smug face and hear the satisfying crack of his jawbone dislocating. But was I going to do that? Of course not.

“Yes, sir,” I forced out through gritted teeth, grabbing the mug and shooting him a glare before turning around and walking away.

Ever since arriving at work this morning, he’d been an ass. Not that he wasn’t always an ass, though.

We’d come to work together, and I’d tried to get some answers, specifically, why I’d woken up at his place and how I had even ended up there. His explanation? That I’d gone to him on my own. But that didn’t sit right with me. I had absolutely no memory of going to his house. The last thing I clearly remembered was waking up in the hospital. After that, it was a blur, completely blank no matter how hard I tried to piece together what could have happened.

I reached the coffee machine and leaned against the counter, releasing a heavy breath as I pressed the brew button, watching the dark liquid stream steadily into the cup.

Here I was, making coffee, not because I enjoyed it, and certainly not because I couldn’t tell Silvio to shove his job where the sun doesn’t shine and walk out of here. I could. But I wouldn’t.

Before we left his place, he’d challenged me.

“Let’s see if you can survive the day,” he’d said.

And I love a challenge. I was here to prove a point, not because I couldn’t quit. No, I could if I wanted to. But I needed to see this challenge through to the end.

A few employees passed by, whispering quietly to each other. They shot me quick glances, snickered, and kept walking.

I rolled my eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t pop out of my skull. Honestly, I couldn’t blame them, I’d probably laugh at myself too. The stares started the moment I walked in, dressed in Silvio’s clothes. The pants were so oversized that two of me could have fit inside them, and the shirt was massive, swallowing my arms completely. I’d had to roll the sleeves up several times just to let my hands see the light of day.

Wearing his clothes had clearly been a terrible decision. A very bad one. But what choice did I have? It’s not like I could show up to work in a hospital gown, looking like I’d just escaped a psychiatric ward.

I huffed, switched off the coffee brewer, and grabbed the mug, preparing myself for yet another round of Silvio’s attitude. Pushing open the door to his office, I found him, as usual, glued to his computer screen. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing just enough of his chest to make him look like one of those impossibly sexy characters from a romance novel cover. Yes, sexy—I’d give him that.

Without sparing me a glance, he stretched his hand out expectantly.

I rolled my eyes inwardly, placing the mug in his hand. But just as his fingers touched it, I gave it a little shove, just enough to send the coffee spilling over the rim, splashing onto his desk and his pristine white shirt.

Oh, shit.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, sir,” I murmured, except I wasn’t sorry. Not even a little. I grabbed the box of tissues from his desk, pulling out a handful and dabbing at the stain.

“I’m really sorry, sir,” I repeated, voice dripping with fake concern.

His silver eyes which were usually captivating now burned with rage as they locked onto me. He pointed a finger, as if about to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he huffed, spun around, and stalked toward a door in the corner of the office which I presumed was the bathroom. He disappeared inside, slamming the door behind him with a loud bang.

I pressed my lips together, stifling a laugh as I stood there.

Now, let’s see who was really going to survive the day.

*******

Evening arrived sooner than I expected, and honestly, I hadn’t accomplished much. Aside from attending a few meetings with the Planning team which, I’ll admit, felt like an honor considering I was new, I mostly kept a low profile. Thankfully, Silvio hadn’t bothered me for the rest of the day, and I was more than grateful for that small mercy.

On the bright side, I’d even made a friend. Tiana. She was super cool and had been the one to pull me into a conversation, casually mentioning how surprised she was that I hadn’t been fired yet.

Thanks to her, I got all the juicy details about the people who’d worked as Silvio’s secretary before me. Let’s just say, the consensus was clear; he’s an ass. A boring one. Ew.

“Have a great evening, Klein,” Tiana said as we stood in the lobby. I gave her a smile and a nod.

She glanced down at my oversized pants, trying and failing to suppress a laugh. I pouted, almost whining.

“I’m sorry,” she quickly apologized between giggles. I waved her off, laughing too.

After a little more chatter, we finally parted ways. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long before a cab pulled up. I gave the driver my address, leaned back, and let the hum of the car soothe me.

When we arrived in front of the mansion, I paid the cabbie and stepped out, heading straight inside. My whole family was gathered in the living room, but I didn’t stop to acknowledge them. I just made a beeline for my room.

I pushed the door open, only to be greeted by complete darkness. Frowning, I groped for the light switch.

The second the light flicked on, someone jumped out from behind the door.

I screamed, pure instinct kicking in. My hands shot upward, landing a solid punch to their face. Hard.

The figure crumpled to the floor, unconscious, and that’s when I realized who it was.

“Simon?!” I gasped, my eyes wide with shock.