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“I don’t care, but they better not be cheap. I’ll be waiting for them at Harper’s apartment.”
I hung up before he could question my unusual request and turned my attention back to the eggs on the stove. Poking at them with a spatula, I noticed how perfectly they were cooking—with a thin layer of white still coating the golden yolks. The smell of sizzling bacon filled my nostrils, and I knew they were ready.
As I assembled a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for not making something more elaborate for her. One day, when she woke up in my apartment, I would cook her a breakfast she would never forget. But for now, this would have to do.
~18~
Harper
After a refreshing shower, I hastened to get ready so as not to be late for work. As I opened the door to my bedroom, the inviting aroma of sizzling bacon enveloped me. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I was hungry.
In the kitchen, River was standing behind the counter, pouring me a cup of freshly brewed coffee. It felt almost surreal to have him preparing breakfast for me after spending the night together. I felt like a queen, waking up to this kind of treatment from him.
I greeted him with a smile as I took a seat at the counter. “Everything smells amazing.”
“It may not be my best work, but I think you’ll enjoy it,” he replied with a charming smile.
He placed a plate in front of me, filled with two perfectly cooked sunny-side-up eggs and three strips of sizzling bacon. Just as I was about to ask for some toast, the sound of the toaster popping up caught my attention. Two slices of toast emerged, perfectly golden brown and inviting.
River’s gaze never left me as I spread a generous amount of butter on my toast before layering on some sweet strawberry jam. Normally, I would make my own toast, but for some reason, this morning it tasted out-of-this-world delicious.
“Mmm,” I couldn’t help but moan in delight as a took my first bite. “This breakfast is absolutely amazing.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. While you finish eating, I’ll go get dressed so I can take you to work,” he said with a warm smile.
I savored every last bite of my toast while watching him walk back to my bedroom. His toned and muscular upper body was on full display with just his trousers on, making it impossible for me to look away. He was undeniably handsome and fit—if he wasn’t already successful in business, he could easily be a cover model for any sports magazine.
We got to the law office in record time even after taking a shortcut to River’s place so he could shower and change. I couldn’t help but look down at the new shoes he brought me as he assisted me out of the car. River insisted on following me in, but I convinced him it wouldn’t be a good idea being seen walking in together so early in the morning. He allowed me to get on the elevator alone and offered to wait at least five minutes before taking the next available one. As long as we weren’t seen together, there was no reason for anyone to get suspicious.
As I walked to my office, I regretfully remembered it was no longer mine. Turning on my heels, I walked in the other direction to where Drake’s old office was. With every step I took, my anger began to boil. I no longer blamed Sidney for the decision he made. Drake had given him an ultimatum that he couldn’t refuse if he didn’t want a scandal to tarnish his firm’s reputation.
As I opened the door to my new office, I was greeted with a sight that made my heart sink. Drake’s belongings were no longer scattered throughout the room; they had been replaced by my own. A pang of guilt and regret washed over me as I wondered if he had come in early to get settled into my old office. But I pushed those thoughts aside, reminding myself to focus on the present.
I began unpacking my boxes, organizing my books and personal items around the room. As I worked, there was a light knock at the door. When I turned to see who it was, River stood before me, exuding all the power and confidence of a successful businessman.
He walked over to where I was standing and picked up my framed diploma from the University of Illinois. “You deserve so much more than this,” he said, placing it carefully on my desk before moving toward the window.
I joined him by the window, taking in the view of the city skyline. It may not have been the full cityscape I had from my old office, but it was still a nice view. As I looked out at the tall buildings in the distance, I couldn’t help but feel regret for this unforeseen change in circumstances—all at the hands of Drake Pierson.
River turned to me; his arms poised to wrap around my waist. But before he could touch me, I instinctively backed away and went over to the boxes on the meeting table. As much as I appreciated his affection, I couldn’t afford to be seen wrapped in his arms. Instead, I returned to organizing my things on the small meeting table, trying to keep some distance between us.
“I have a surprise for you,” River confessed as he helped me unbox some of my things. “Once you finish getting settled in, we are going to take a drive to Triage International.”
“I’ve already seen Triage,” I replied.
“True. But you haven’t seen your new office.”
~
As we drove away from the law building, I couldn’t help but imagine what would be in store for me at Triage. I tried to get the details of my new office out of River, but he wouldn’t bugle. His only remark was, “You’ll have to wait and see.”
When River pulled into the parking garage and parked his car in his designated spot, I noticed a sliver Audi parked next to him. At first, I thought nothing of it, until I stepped out of the car and noticed my name painted on the concrete wall in front of it, ‘Harper Scott, Attorney, Triage International.’
I looked at River in disbelief. “Please don’t tell me this car is for me.”
“If I did that, I would be telling a lie,” he said calmly as he pulled out a key fob from his front pocket and dangled it in front of me. “All of my executive employees have company vehicles and since you are officially an executive employee, it was only fair that you should have one, too.”
I took the key fob and pressed the unlock button. In the back of my mind, I knew this car was too much to accept. But when I looked around the parking garage, I saw most of the vehicles parked near and around the sleek Audi were of the same quality.
