OLIVIA

OLIVIA

The door clicked shut behind Leonardo, and I exhaled the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

My hands trembled in my lap, a testament to how much Alicia's words had rattled me.

"You're not a distraction," Leonardo had said.

I wanted to believe him-God, I wanted to. But the way Alicia's voice still echoed in my head made it hard to focus on anything else.

You'll never be anything more than temporary.

I shook my head, trying to push her venomous words away, but they clung to me like smoke. She'd struck a nerve, and she knew it.

Standing from the chair, I began pacing the office. It was a large, imposing space, filled with sleek furniture and polished surfaces, but it felt suffocating now.

The weight of everything was too much-Alicia's accusations, Leonardo's confusing behavior, my own jumbled emotions.

Why was I even here?

I caught sight of my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows and almost didn't recognize myself.

The professional attire, the neatly tied hair... it was all a façade. Beneath it, I was still the same insecure woman I'd been before stepping into Leonardo Gael's world.

"Get a grip, Olivia," I muttered to myself.

But how could I? The man who employed me-who was supposed to be untouchable, unreachable-had just admitted that I terrified him. That I made him feel things.

And what about me? What did I feel?

I leaned against the edge of his desk, closing my eyes. I felt like a storm was brewing inside me-equal parts frustration and longing.

It was infuriating, how easily Leonardo could upend my world with a single glance or a few words.

The sharp sound of a door slamming somewhere down the hall snapped me out of my thoughts. My eyes flew open, and I instinctively moved away from the desk.

The urge to follow Leonardo was strong, but I hesitated. This wasn't my fight, and the last thing I wanted was to give Alicia more ammunition against me.

Still, curiosity gnawed at me.

I edged closer to the door, cracking it open just enough to peek into the hallway. The distant hum of voices reached my ears, but I couldn't make out the words.

"Don't do it," I whispered to myself. But my feet betrayed me, pulling me toward the commotion.

As I stepped into the hallway, the voices grew louder.

"I don't care what he says!" Alicia's shrill voice cut through the air. "I have every right to be here!"

I hesitated, hiding behind a pillar. From my vantage point, I could see Alicia standing in the lobby, her arms flailing as she argued with security. Leonardo stood a few feet away, his posture rigid, his jaw tight.

"Enough," Leonardo said, his voice low and commanding. Even from a distance, I could feel the weight of his words.

Alicia turned to him, her expression twisted with rage. "You think you can just toss me aside like garbage? Like I'm nothing?"

Leonardo's silence was deafening. He simply stared at her, his dark eyes cold and unyielding.

"You'll regret this, Leonardo," Alicia spat, her voice trembling with fury. "Mark my words."

With one final glare, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the building.

The tension in the air was maddening, and I pressed my back against the pillar, hoping Leonardo wouldn't see me.

He didn't.

Instead, he exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair before turning to the security guards. "Make sure she doesn't come back," he said curtly.

The guards nodded, and Leonardo began walking back toward his office.

My heart leaped into my throat.

I rushed back inside, closing the door behind me just as his footsteps approached. I had barely managed to slip back into my seat when Leonardo returned, the door clicking shut behind him with a deliberate finality. His broad shoulders looked tense, his jaw clenched, and I could feel the storm rolling off him in waves.

"She's gone," he said curtly, crossing the room to his desk.

I nodded, unsure of what to say. Part of me was relieved Alicia was no longer around, but her words still clung to me like an unwelcome shadow. I gripped the edge of my seat to keep my hands from trembling, forcing myself to focus on anything but the whirlwind of emotions raging inside me.

Leonardo leaned against the edge of his desk, his dark eyes fixed somewhere beyond me. "You shouldn't have to deal with her."

The weight of his words made my chest tighten, but I shook my head quickly. "It's not your fault."

"It is," he replied sharply, his gaze snapping to mine. "Alicia has no boundaries, and I let it get this far. That's on me."

There was a hardness to his tone, but beneath it, I thought I caught a glimmer of something else. Regret, maybe. Or concern. I wanted so desperately to believe he cared, not just because he was my boss, but because I meant something to him.

But did I?

I swallowed hard, the thought twisting in my chest like a knife.

"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile I didn't feel. "She didn't say anything I haven't heard before."

His brows furrowed. "What did she say?"

"Nothing worth repeating," I muttered, lowering my gaze.

"Olivia." His voice softened, almost enough to undo me. "I want to know."

I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the armrests of the chair. "She called me a distraction," I admitted quietly. "Said I didn't belong in your world and that I'd never be anything more than temporary to you."

The words felt heavier when spoken aloud, and I wished I hadn't said them.

Leonardo exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "She was out of line."

I looked up, startled by the conviction in his voice.

"She doesn't know what she's talking about," he continued, his tone firm. "Don't let her get inside your head."

I felt this tingling feeling in me but I quickly smothered it. His words were kind, but they didn't erase the doubts Alicia had planted in me.

"Thank you," I said softly, unsure what else to say.

He gave me a tight nod, his expression unreadable. "You're doing a good job, Olivia. Don't let her or anyone else tell you otherwise."

My breath caught, my heart betraying me with a hopeful flutter. Did he mean that? Or was he just trying to reassure me out of guilt?

"I'll do my best," I murmured, trying to keep my voice steady.

Leonardo straightened, his dark eyes scanning my face with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

But then he spoke.

"I'll make sure she doesn't bother you again," he said, his voice clipped. "You don't deserve to be treated that way."

The words were kind, but they felt impersonal, distant. Like he was saying them because he felt he had to, not because he wanted to.

My heart sank, and I forced a small smile. "Thank you."

Silence stretched between us, heavy and uncomfortable. I shifted in my seat, feeling exposed under his scrutiny.

"Is there anything else you need?" I asked, eager to escape the suffocating tension.

He shook his head, already turning back to his desk. "No. That'll be all for now."

I rose quickly, clutching the documents I still needed to deliver. As I reached the door, I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder.

Leonardo was already absorbed in his work, his focus entirely elsewhere.

I bit my lip, the ache in my chest deepening. What had I been expecting? A grand gesture? An admission of feelings?

I was foolish to think there could be something more.

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