Page 56 of Sinful Lies

Smoothing my hands over my dark blue dress, I decide it’s best to pull on my cardigan to cover up my shoulders. I hate that it’s come to this, but I don’t want to give the man any ammunition.

“I wish my boss liked me that much.” Karlie sighs. “How come I get stuck with the mean one who is never happy with my work?”

“Trust me, Karlie.” I collect my notebook and pen. “You’re better off having a boss who doesn’t like you.”

Karlie frowns at me, but I offer her a reassuring smile.

“If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, come and get me, please.” I let out a breath.

Clutching my notebook to my chest, I head across the main office floor toward the private offices where the senior partners work.

I will say I have missed the hustle and bustle of the office environment over the last few days. It’s fast paced and high pressure, but I love it. I thrive off being busy and feeling as if I’m making a difference.

Though now, as I approach Giovanni’s office, I want nothing more than to go home and crawl back into the safety of my bed. With trembling hands, I raise my fist to the door and knock once.

“Come in!”

Hisvoice sends a shiver down my spine, and not in a good way. Not in the way that Dimitri’s voice does…

I push open the door and plaster a fake smile on my face.

“You needed to see me?” I hover in the doorway.

He looks up from behind his desk and smiles, his gray eyes lighting up with feral delight as he looks over me.

I clutch my notebook tighter, if only to shield my chest from view.

“I always need to see you, Zara.”

I swallow the bile in my throat as I do my best to hold his gaze.

“My office feels so empty without you in it.”

My palms start to sweat.

“Unfortunately, I don’t get paid to chat.”

Giovanni chuckles, rubbing his hand along his stubbled jaw as his eyes linger on my mouth.

“Did you receive the reports on the Wilson case?” He leans back in his chair as he watches me.

“Yes, they were emailed over this morning.”

“I need you to go through the file and organize the witness statements as well as the transcripts.”

“Of course.”

It’s mindless work, which should at least keep me busy for the next hour or so. Perhaps I can stretch it out a little longer just to avoid needing to come back into his office.

All I need to do is get through the next few hours before I can escape the office for lunch.

I used to enjoy eating at my desk, using the extra time to get ahead on admin tasks, but ever since Giovanni entered my life once more, I take any opportunity I can to escape.

Giovanni watches every step I take as I walk over to the row of filing cabinets along the left wall and open thedraw labeled ‘W’. Thankfully, it’s the top drawer so I don’t have to worry about bending down in my dress.

It’s ridiculous that such a thought even has to cross my mind, but I don’t trust this man. Even knowing there’s a whole floor of people on the other side of the door doesn’t bring me any sense of peace because I know it only adds to the game.

His eyes on me make my skin crawl the entire time I sort through the drawer, and I pray he doesn’t notice the way my hands shake as I look for the correct file. My heart is hammering so hard in my chest it’s starting to hurt.

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