Page 76 of Royal Deception
She doesn’t say anything at first, just stares at me like she’s waiting for the punchline.
“You don’t get it, do you?” She finally breaks the silence, her voice low and controlled, but there’s a dangerous edge to it. “You want me back because it’s convenient for you. Because you’re not getting what you want without me. You want to snap yourfingers and make me your assistant again, your sub again, but you never stopped to think about whatIwanted.”
I try to say something, but she holds up a hand to stop me.
“No.” Her tone is firm now, like she’s drawing a line in the sand. “I’m not coming back to be your doormat. I liked the submission, I did. But that’s not all I want to be to you, Rory. I’m not just going to crawl back into a role where you treat me like I’m disposable. I’m done being used.”
My chest tightens. I want to argue, want to explain, but the words are stuck. She’s right. I did take her for granted, and now I’m paying for it.
“I’m not asking you to come back for that,” I say, softer this time. “I just want you. I need you in my life. Not just as an assistant, not just as… that. Just you.”
She doesn’t look at me with soft eyes anymore. She’s standing her ground, unwavering.
“No. I’m done, Rory.” Her voice cracks just the slightest, but she stands taller, more composed than ever. “I can’t keep doing this. Not with you.”
I take a step forward, my heart pounding harder with every word that leaves her mouth. "Clary, please. Just give me a chance to prove I can do better. I’ll show you I’m serious about this. About us."
She crosses her arms, eyes narrowing like she’s trying to weigh my sincerity, but the hesitation is clear in her face. She opens her mouth to speak but stops herself, thinking it over.
I swallow hard, a wave of desperation rising in me. “I’ll take you out. A real date, somewhere nice. No work, no distractions. Just the two of us. Let me show you I’m not the guy I’ve been.”
Clary’s brow furrows, and for a long moment, she just stares at me. I can see the conflict in her eyes, the war between her hurt and her desire to believe me.
Finally, she sighs, but her tone softens just a touch. “One date, Rory. One. If you screw this up, I’m done for good.”
Clary’s words echo in my head, and I feel a weight lift off my chest as a spark of hope flares. She agreed. She’s willing to give me a chance, and I won’t screw this up. Not this time.
I head back to the office, a small smile playing on my lips. I can finally breathe a little easier, knowing that maybe, just maybe, things with Clary can be fixed.
But when I step inside, the air feels wrong. The office is too quiet, the lights too dim, like something’s off.
I look around, expecting to see Aaron at his desk, but he’s nowhere. My heart skips as I walk toward the file cabinet. It’s slightly open. My stomach drops as I pull it open further, revealing the empty space where several classified documents used to be.
“Goddammit,” I mutter under my breath.
The adrenaline kicks in instantly. My mind races as I try to process what’s happening. I turn to the office door and shout, “Aaron!”
There’s no response. I step into the hall, my footsteps echoing as I walk toward the break room, then the bathrooms, all empty. Panic starts to rise in my chest.
I rush to grab my phone and dial his number. When it picks up, I don’t waste time.
“Aaron, what the hell happened? Where are the security files?”
He sounds out of breath when he answers. “Oh, some guy came in earlier to get them. He said he worked for your friend.”
“What?” My mind spins as I try to process what he’s saying. I have to breathe slowly in and out to stop myself from exploding. “What friend?” I ask, trying to remain calm.
“Your friend, um… Mr. Volkov? He showed me some kind of ID. Looked official, you know?”
My stomach churns as I pace. “Do you have any idea what the hell he took?”
There’s a long pause, and then Aaron’s voice comes through, shaky. “Well, he took all those files that were marked ‘Classified Security Intel,’ I think?”
“You fucking idiot.” My hand tightens around the phone, nearly crushing it. The man’s already gone, and with him, everything I’ve worked for. Anatoly’s making his move. And I’m too late.
“You’re fired, Aaron.”
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