"I told you. Your breakfast."I follow him because as an assistant—especially one with nothing else to do—it seems the thing to do. He sits in his chair unwrapping the breakfast sandwich and taking the lid off the coffee. He sniffs it and his nose crinkles in disgust. Tapping the cover back on top he hands it across the space to me."Don't screw with me. This isn't coffee. Coffee comes black. This is sludge. I don't know what kind of man you take me for, Ms. Marshal, but I don't drink that. Everyone in this building knows how I take my coffee. You should learn too.""Okay," I say with my teeth clenched together. The secretary on the fourth floor and I need to have a chat. I can't believe somebody would deliberately lie about something as stupid as coffee.He eyes the egg sandwich and nods his head in acceptance. "This is okay. Thank you." My cheeks flush with the fact he said thank you. We're only two days into this job and already I feel like a schoolgirl waiting for her teach

Anger colors my cheeks pink. How dare he imply I have an issue with being on time. I was early for my interview. He's never given me a chance to get here on time. Screw getting fired, this man is a total asshole. "What would Davis do if I didn't leave my apartment one morning? Would he come in and get me?" I ask with my arms crossed.Vincent grunts as if it's not a terrible idea. "He'd do what he needed to get the job done.""What does that mean?"He hits the button on the elevator and the doors open. "It means don't test me, Ms. Marshal, or we'll both find out."And then he's off. Not another word out of him as the doors close and the elevator rises. For a man concerned I left a driver sitting here until seven, it doesn't go unnoticed he didn't hold the elevator for me. The building itself has three elevator shafts, but I learned only one goes as high as Vincent's office floor and the two floors he uses as a personal residence. You can only access his office side with the spec

"No, we plan to look at places this weekend. But since it's just the two of us," I leave out the part about Ashley living off student loans while she studies for the bar and bringing in no real income, "we'll have to go a lot farther out than our current place to find something affordable."Like really far out.I considered asking my parents for help, but I know what they'll tell me. It's time to move back home. They've been waiting for me to mess up enough I'm forced to move back since the day I left. My mother hasn't moved a single thing in my room because she thinks I'll be there sooner rather than later. Whenever she brings it up, she reminds me it's "just a generational thing" and not a reflection on my inability to find a good job.What she forgets is that I won't be able to find a job in Riverwood, which will allow me to pay back my student loans. These aren't regular college loans. I have MBA loans. I need to make decent money. The largest store is the local Meijer, a gro

"Ashley," I yell and go in search of her to pass on the bad news. Looks like she's on her own for this packing at least for a little while.There's not time to change my clothes into something more acceptable. Every second I waste getting this suit to Vincent is another second he can think of new work punishments for me. I slip on a pair of tennis shoes I've left by the front door and grab my purse on the way out. Sweats and a heavily worn t-shirt from my undergrad university will have to do as business casual.This morning as we apartment shopped, I dressed nicely, but I have a rule that when you're home jeans can fuck off. The one upside to getting a place with just Ashley that as soon as I walk in the apartment, I will be able to strip. Something I couldn't do with Jonathan living here.I unlock the Equinox, my movements a little unfamiliar since it's been almost a week since I've driven. Only when I'm on the road and a few miles away do I realize how much I miss operating a v

I roll my eyes and then give a silent thanks to the sky he's already ahead of me and doesn't see. The most surprising thing is that he didn't already own it. Valiant is slacking. There's a rumor he owns half the buildings downtown, even a few used by state employees. Real estate such as office space and apartment buildings make up a large portion of the assets Valiant started with so it wouldn't surprise me if the rumors were true.Valiant holds open the door, and I walk in to be greeted by a smiling woman in a cute spring dress. White fabric with little pink flowers all over it in a light shade make her look absolutely gorgeous. I dressed for powerful professional and here she is likely going to an afternoon tea party. I didn't even curl my hair, choosing instead to wear it straight and loose.She holds a water bottle out to Valiant. Water dribbles off the edges and falls to the tile floor. "Water, Mr. Valiant?" she asks, her smile never wobbling as she speaks. It can't be human.