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“Better safe than sorry, I guess.”
Silence descended between us. It looked like Neil was trying to gather words to say something, but in the meantime, my heart was thrumming so hard I was certain he could hear it. I needed to leave before it gave me away. “I’ll just… get going then.”
“Milly.”
There it was again—my nickname. He used it more frequently these days, but I still noticed whenever he did.
I faced him front on. “Yes?”
“I didn’t get to thank you properly. For today. For your input at the meeting. You were…” He swallowed. “Very classy.”
Classy? He thinks I’m classy?
I couldn’t hold back the smile bursting onto my face. “That means a lot coming from you.”
Neil’s composure wavered, his eyes flitting away before meeting mine once more. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” His formality did little to mask something boiling under the surface.
I nodded. “Good night, Neil.”
“Good night.”
I left him with one final, lingering gaze, trying to analyse if he felt the same things I felt, but I couldn’t get a read on him.
Chapter Forty
“Stay by my side today,” Neil said as we prepared to embark on our second day of business at Zelthia headquarters.
I knew the reason for his request was to protect me from Daniel Ling, but in any case, I was all too happy to oblige. Any excuse to bask in the proximity of Neil’s presence.
We attended back-to-back meetings throughout the day, executing our plan to stick together without a hiccup. Complacency was beginning to set in when the boardroom door swung open, and a young man barged in with a grave expression etched on his face. The atmosphere grew tense, all heads turned towards the intruder.
“Excuse me, Mr. Kingston.” The man’s voice quivered. “You’re needed in an urgent meeting. A critical situation has come up.”
Neil maintained his outward calmness. “What’s the situation?”
“I don’t know the details, just that it’s an urgent matter, demanding your immediate attention.”
“Hmm.” Neil didn’t seem convinced, but he got to his feet, regardless. “Very well. Amelia?”
“She can’t come,” the messenger interjected. “It’s a top-level staff meeting only. I hope you understand. It’s very sensitive information being discussed.”
Neil glanced at me with a flicker of concern. I could tell he was torn about leaving me behind. The sentiment was touching, but I didn’t want him to disobey his orders for my sake. Murmurs had broken out in the room, and from what my ears picked up, Neil’s hesitancy was already inviting suspicion. He couldn’t afford to delay his response another second.
“It’s okay,” I said. “You go ahead and handle this. We’ll catch up later.”
Neil searched my face with a tinge of worry in his eyes. I put on a self-assured front so he wouldn’t feel guilty. At last, he gave a reluctant nod, then followed the messenger out the door in a hurry.
Not long after Neil left, the rest of the gathering dispersed. I headed back to my assigned office room on a quiet floor of the building with a plan to work on Luxmore business until Neil returned. As I approached the room, one glance through the internal window told me everything remained as Neil and I had left it. Satisfied that I’d be able to get on with my work in peace, I reached for the doorknob, fingers grazing the cool metal. I turned my wrist, but met with resistance. The door was locked. I racked my brain. Had Neil locked the door when we left? I couldn’t recall him doing so, but maybe he had. We had left valuable belongings in the room, after all. I jiggled the doorknob a few times, to no avail. It was definitely locked.
Now what do I do?
I had no idea how long Neil was going to take, and I didn’t know who to approach about unlocking the door. Calling Neil during his important meeting seemed like a bad idea as well. I could find somewhere else in the building to work, but my laptop was locked inside the room, and I wouldn’t be able to get much done without it. Besides, Neil wouldn’t like me wandering around the building on my own in case I bumped into someone he didn’t want me to.
I was still floundering about what to do when footsteps drew near. I perked up, hoping whoever it was could help me. A man turned the corner. He was tall and beefy, wearing all black apart from the gold glint of a security badge. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Had he been on duty in the lobby when I arrived? Regardless, he looked like someone who could assist me, so I didn’t hesitate to grab his attention. “Excuse me.”
The security guard came up to me. “How can I help you?”
“I’m locked out of my office. Is there someone who can unlock it for me?”
