Thirty-Eight

ELLIOT'S POV

With swift, confident strides, I walked towards Zora's office. Her secretary spotted me and frowned, as though she did not look pleased to see me, which eventually turned out to be the case. I came to a stop in front of her desk.

"Good morning, Mr Garrett," she said before I even had a chance to speak. "I am sorry, but you can't go in to see Ms. Zora, especially since you do not have an appointment."

She looked at the book on which she noted down appointments and smiled at me apologetically. Then she resumed typing away at her computer, a gesture of dismissal if I had ever seen one.

"Look," I began, giving her my most charming smile. "I need to see Zora. I have done so countless times before. Remember? Why is this time any different?"

She sighed. "Mr Garrett, I'm afraid-"

"I will take it from here, Elle," said Cheryl, who was walking up to us.

"Hi, Cheryl," I said, giving her a smile that seemed to roll off her, like water off a stone.

She nodded curtly in ack