Dream Job ll

Chapter 10

Lyra

The car felt far too small once Anthony left, leaving just me and Roman Lennox. With Anthony around, it was manageable. Without him? Let’s just say it was not fine. But beggars can’t be choosers. A free ride in this bitter cold was still a free ride, even if it came with the weight of my boss’s unnerving presence.

I kept quiet, deciding it was smarter to thank him once we got to my place and avoid embarrassing myself with any unnecessary chatter. Roman Lennox didn’t exactly exude “friendly boss” energy. Everything about him—from the precision of his tailored suit to the sharp focus in his pale blue eyes—screamed professional perfection. The kind you admire from afar but are terrified to engage with.

The silence in the car was thick, almost suffocating. The driver hadn’t moved yet, which startled me even more when Roman’s deep, velvety voice cut through the quiet.

“Miss Winters.”

I whipped my head toward him, heart skipping a beat. His eyes were on me, cool and unreadable.

“Your address?”

I felt so stupid. Of course, they needed my address. “Oh, right. Sorry!” I quickly rattled it off, and the driver finally pulled out into the snowy streets.

As the car moved, I tried to sit as still as possible, avoiding any unnecessary movements that might draw attention. Roman’s gaze was back on his iPad, his face illuminated by its soft glow. His aura was overwhelming. It wasn’t just his appearance—it was the air of precision and control he carried, like the world bent to his will and not the other way around.

I rubbed my hands together absentmindedly, trying to warm them up. Suddenly, I felt his gaze on me again. I froze, my awkward smile automatic and, honestly, probably awful.

“You’re cold,” he stated.

“Oh, no, I’m fine,” I lied, waving a hand dismissively.

He didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, signaling to the driver with a simple gesture. “Turn the heater on full blast,” he instructed.

The car filled with warmth almost instantly, and I couldn’t help the small sigh of relief that escaped me. “Thank you,” I murmured, trying not to sound too sheepish.

Roman didn’t reply, his attention already back on his iPad. “I was reviewing your proposal for the new project,” he said, breaking the silence again.

My stomach flipped. Oh no, oh no, oh no. “Oh… um, is it okay?”

Roman glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “It’s promising. The client-centric approach is strong. However, I think the timeline for deliverables is slightly optimistic.”

I blinked, taking in his feedback. “Oh, I—I can adjust that. Maybe add an extra week for the initial implementation phase?”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That might work. The key will be managing client expectations without overpromising.”

I nodded, grateful he wasn’t tearing it apart. “Thank you, Mr. Lennox. I’ll make those changes first thing tomorrow.”

His lips quirked into something that could almost be called a smile, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “You’ve done well for your first week, Miss Winters. Few people adapt so quickly.”

The compliment stunned me. “Thank you,” I said, my voice almost a whisper.

Roman leaned back slightly, his iPad resting on his knee. “When you applied to Lennox, did you include a proposal in your application?”

His question caught me off guard. I blinked, memories of my job application process surfacing. “I did, actually,” I said, surprised he knew. “It was an idea I worked on during college—something about creating localized distribution networks to minimize transportation costs and environmental impact.”

His eyes met mine, sharper now. “Then why wasn’t it in your CV?”

I hesitated, my breath catching slightly. “I did send it,” I admitted. “It was part of my college capstone project. I worked hard on it, spent months refining the idea.” My fingers fidgeted with the edge of my coat. “Ethan… he said it might not be worth it. That it wasn’t strong enough for a job application. When I didn’t hear back, I assumed he was right, and I let it go.”

Roman’s gaze stayed on me for a moment, sharp and thoughtful. “You assumed wrong,” he said simply. “Ideas like that show initiative, forward thinking. Even if it wasn’t applicable at the time, it still would’ve set you apart.”

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. There was no judgment in his voice, but the weight of my own doubts and how they had held me back hit me hard. “I don’t even know if I kept a copy of it,” I murmured. “The disappointment was…” I trailed off, shaking my head. “I guess I didn’t think it mattered anymore.”

Roman didn’t respond right away. Instead, he glanced back down at his iPad, the faint glow illuminating his sharp features. “For future reference,” he said, his voice low, “don’t let anyone undermine your ideas. Especially not yourself.”

The statement hung in the air, resonating deeply.

“You mentioned Ethan,” he said abruptly, his tone neutral but his words cutting through the air like a blade. “Were you asking if he’s been fired?”

My stomach clenched. “Oh, no, I—I didn’t mean to—”

He looked up, his gaze locking onto mine. “Do you want him back?”

“What?” I gaped, my thoughts racing.

Roman cleared his throat, his voice quieter but no less commanding. “In the company. Do you want him back at Lennox?”

My face flushed. “I mean—what I want doesn’t matter. Anthony told me he was suspended, but I wasn’t sure if it was temporary or permanent.”

Roman studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he returned to his iPad. “According to the employment contract policy, it’s a temporary suspension. He’ll be returning soon. One more strike, however, and he’s out.”

I nodded slowly, processing his words.

“Will his return disturb you?” Roman asked, his tone as calm as ever, but the question sent my heart racing.

“No!” I blurted, panicking slightly. “I mean, no, Mr. Lennox. I won’t let the past interfere with my work. I’ll stay professional and follow all the company’s rules. I promise.”

He watched me for a moment, his gaze sharp, before nodding. “Good.”

The rest of the ride passed in silence, Roman engrossed in his reading. When we finally arrived at my apartment, I practically scrambled out of the car.

“Thank you for the ride, Mr. Lennox,” I said, clutching the door.

He nodded once. “Goodnight, Miss Winters.”

I shut the door and hurried inside, my heart pounding as if I’d just run a marathon. Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it, gulping down air. My pulse was wild, and my mind raced with everything that had happened.

I downed a glass of water, trying to calm myself. Ethan and Clarissa would be back soon, but I couldn’t afford to screw this up. Not in front of Roman Lennox. My future was at stake, and this time, I wasn’t going to let anyone—or anything—derail it.