Page 18 of Carnival Obsession

I sigh, nodding. “You could say that. He threatened to fire me if Lars ever shows up here again.”

Jenna rolls her eyes. “Typical Derek. Always overreacting and being a total asshole.”

I chuckle at her bluntness. “You’ve got that right.”

“Seriously though, don’t let him get to you,” Jenna says, her tone more serious now. “Derek’s always been like this. He loves to throw his weight around and make everyone feel like shit. But at the end of the day, he’s just a sad little man with a fragile ego.”

I nod, feeling a little better already. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who sees through Derek’s bullshit.

“Thanks, Jenna,” I say, smiling genuinely this time. “I needed to hear that.”

“Anytime, girl,” she replies, grinning. “Us secretaries have got to stick together, right?”

We both laugh, the tension in my shoulders dissipating. For a moment, I forget all about Lars and the chaos he’s brought into my life. I’m grateful to have a friend like Jenna to help me through the rough patches.

“Alright, I better get back to work before Derek finds another reason to yell at me.” I roll my eyes.

“You and me both, Kevin, can be just as bad sometimes,” Jenna agrees. “But seriously, Alice. Don’t let Derek get you down.”

I nod, feeling a surge of determination. She’s right. And no matter what happens with Lars, I refuse to let anyone make me feel small or powerless.

I try to focus on my work but can’t stop thinking about the confrontation with Derek.

What if Lars shows up again? What if Derek makes good on his threat to fire me?

Just as I’m about to lose myself in a spiral of anxiety, I hear the door to the office open. My head snaps up, and my heart nearly stops when I see who it is.

Lars.

He strides into the office like he owns the place, eyes scanning the room until they land on me. I feel a rush of heat that has nothing to do with the stuffy office air.

But then I remember Derek’s warning and the blood drains from my face. If he sees Lars here, I’m done.

I glance quickly at Derek’s office door, praying he’s locked inside and won’t come out. Then I jump up from my desk and rush over to Lars.

“What are you doing here?” I hiss, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the door. “You can’t be here, Lars. If Derek sees you, I’ll lose my job.”

Lars raises an eyebrow. “Relax, princess. I just wanted to see you.”

“Well, you can’t,” I snap, my voice rising in pitch. “I’m serious, Lars. You need to leave. Now.”

“Don’t worry about your job, princess,” Lars says with a smirk. “You won’t be needing it soon enough.”

I stare at him in stunned silence for a moment. “What are you talking about?”

He leans in close. “By the time the carnival moves out in just over one week, you’ll be coming with me.”

I pull back, shaking my head. “You’re crazy. I won’t leave my life behind like that.”

Lars’s eyes glint with amusement. “It’s not a matter of whether you want to, princess. It’s a fact. You belong with me, and you know it.”

“I don’t belong with anyone, Lars. And I’m certainly not going to uproot my entire life because you say so.”

He steps closer, pressing himself against me. “You’ll see things differently soon enough. I have a way of getting what I want, princess. And what I want is you.”

I open my mouth to argue, but I hear a door slam behind me before I can get a word out. Derek storms out of his office toward us, his face red with anger.

“What the hell is going on out here?” he demands, his eyes darting between me and Lars.

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