Page 228 of In Love with a Ruthless Man

She was about to walk past reception when Selena called out to her, saying, “You have a delivery.”

Halting mid-step, Fredericka turned to face the receptionist, more surprised than anything by Selena’s disgruntled tone. “What is it?” she asked, and her confusion deepened when the younger woman’s gaze slowly moved over her from head to toe.

A moment later, and Selena flipped her hair over her shoulder, as if saying that she didn’t find Fredericka any kind of threat. “I had it sent to your office,” the receptionist murmured offhandedly. “It was taking too much space, I couldn’t work.”

“Oh. Okay.” Turning around again, Fredericka wondered what kind of work Selena was talking about that it would require the entire counter space. As far as she knew, all Selena had to do was take care of the logbook and answer calls.

When she made it to her floor, Fredericka was bewildered by the looks that went her way. In Fawkes & Rogers, connections meant everything, and since Fredericka had none to speak of, her stellar performance in the courtroom had meant little to the law firm’s senior partners. She was still a nonentity as far as they were concerned, and she had never figured in anyone’s radar—-

Until now.

“Good morning, Attorney Spears.”

“Good morning, Attorney Fawkes.” Fredericka managed to keep her voice steady even as she wondered if she had somehow stepped into another dimension. In every meeting, the senior partner had always referred to her as Attorney Smith, and no one had ever found the courage to correct him.

As she made her way to her office, the same thing happened over and over, with other lawyers going out their way to talk to her.

By her count, she had been waylaid fifteen times—-

Fourteen times more than the people who remembered to greet her on her birthday last year,Fredericka thought disbelievingly. And at that time, only the janitor had remembered to greet her.

When she finally reached her office, she quickly closed the door and shook her head to herself. That was incredibly weird—-

And then she saw it.

An elegant arrangement of white roses on her desk, its long stems visible within the crystal vase, and a pristine white envelope tucked between the flowers.

Her heart started hammering, and her hands were trembling hard as she reached for the envelope. It was unsealed, and she had a feeling that Selena had already taken a look at its contents. When she pulled it out, the first thing she saw was the golden insignia embossed on the card—-

Grachyov Enterprises, Fredericka thought. In California, the logo representing the Grachyovs’ corporate empire was as familiar to locals as Nike’s check mark was to the rest of the world, and she knew that this was the reason behind everyone’s unexpected change of attitude towards her.

Her gaze moved downwards, and she gulped at the billionaire’s one-liner message.

Have dinner with me tonight.

Your friend,

S.G.

Chapter Six

Sergei

“YOUR BILL, SIR.”

Taking the leather folder from the waiter, Sergei handed it to Fredericka, smiling slyly. “Friends, right?”

She snatched the bill from him with a glare. “Cheapskate,” she muttered under her breath after reluctantly handing over her credit card.

But this only made the billionaire smile lazily. It had been two months since they had started going out as so-called friends, and if anything, his fascination over Fredericka Spears had only deepened, bordering on obsession.

In the past, watching his youngest brother react with possessive jealousy whenever he saw Seri in the company of another man had amused him to no end. He had chalked it down to Vassi always being the most volatile of them three and had privately thought that such a thing would never happen to him.

But fate proved him wrong, the billionaire mused,by sending a gray-eyed redhead to torment him.

When it was time to leave, he stood up first to pull her chair out for her, and Fredericka flashed him an embarrassed smile of thanks.

Practical yet feminine.

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