Annabel's POV
When I got to the boardroom, Stephanie was already seated at the head of the team table. Beside her was Lucian. Our eyes met, and he gave me a calm, welcoming smile, which I returned.
Seeing him gave me a sense of relief. At least I would not be working with this psycho alone.
Every other junior staff member was already there.
I walked in, revealing myself to her.
Her face paled slightly when she saw me, fake confidence oozing from every pore.
Not bothering to exchange greetings, because I already knew where this would end. I took a seat beside Lucian, hoping that Stephanie would just go straight to the point of the meeting.
But she did not.
Her jaw twitched. Her eyes flickered. Then she smiled tightly, tilting her head.
"How many clients did you entertain last night?"
I lowered my gaze at her. "What are you talking about?"
She gave a bitter laugh. "Quit with the pretense, Annabel. We both know you would do anything for money. If not, where did you get the money to buy this luxury dress?" she asked, pointing at my outfit.
My breath left me in a slow sigh, furious, but I knew being angry would never solve my problem. "Don't be ridiculous, and stop assuming nonsense."
She leaned closer. "You call this an assumption? You cheap slut!"
The word struck me hard.
But I wasn't the type to back down easily. I needed to clear the air—at the very least, plant just enough fear to remind her I wasn't someone to play games with.
Confidently, I stood up against her. My voice was loud enough for anyone who cared to hear. "We both know that you are bluffing… If there is anyone to be called a slut in this room…"
My eyes moved around the room. "It should be you."
"Bitch!" She landed a slap on my face, blurring my vision.
I cupped my cheek, the sharp tang of blood already stinging my tongue and making my mouth ache.
A sharp glare formed as my eyes narrowed on her, finally regaining my balance as I moved to fight her, but Lucian held me back, gripping my waist and pulling me away from my next action.
"Annie… Annabel, it's enough," he said, not letting go.
My face hardened as I tried to loosen myself from his grip in defiance, but he never gave me a chance.
"Screw you," I echoed, gesturing broadly.
Lucian pulled me until we were out of the room.
I had thought that my punishment would be waiting for me.
But the day ran down, and none came.
Not even suspension. I was sure everyone was surprised to see me still around after the fight.
The case was never discussed at the disciplinary board.
No scolding from Daniel.
He simply called us in, not invested in whatever we had to say.
As he just quoted, "I heard what happened today. Let this never repeat again under this building."
Then he dismissed us with just a wave of his hand.
It was easy to sense how disappointed Stephanie was, disbelief written across her face that the case had not been resolved in her favor.
I had convinced myself that this was an opportunity for Daniel to use his power over me, like he always does.
He loves to be in control, and I believed it would have been a reason for him to watch me surrender to his power.
But he was soft. Everything about the man when we stepped from his office was different.
His face was concerned, maybe. Pitiful. He almost walked up to me to check if I was hurt.
Strange.
************
It was the weekend, and I had to fulfill the promise I made to Lucian, a night date with him.
My dressing was very simple, a flowing slip of dusk-blue silk that kissed my skin with every step.
Its neckline dipped gently, not bold but tender, like the curve of a sigh, and the hem fluttered just above my knees, catching the breeze like petals in bloom.
No glitter, no flare. Just grace in quiet motion.
I swept the hall with my eyes, searching for Lucian.
And there he was, seated at a reserved table for two. His face was buried in his phone. I could tell he had been waiting a long time for me from the way his jacket was placed on the table.
He finally lifted his head. Our eyes met, and his face beamed with joy.
He walked up to me, stretching his hand as he led me to the table.
With a gentle pull, he drew out the chair and motioned for me to sit. Once I did, he eased it toward the table.
Then he turned around and took a seat beside me. His smile was not fading anytime soon.
Just then, the waitress came in, wearing an innocent smile in her well-tailored uniform.
"We are glad to have you here, Ma," she said, crossing her hands downward.
She continued after I thanked her for the warm welcome. "You can scan the QR code; our menu is there, so we can take your orders, please." She turned her head from Lucian to me.
I nodded before she left.
Lucian picked up his phone, scanned the menu, and began to list out what he wanted.
While I, on the other hand, scanned the code. There were thousands of items, names of meals I could barely understand. I guess I'm never getting used to this lifestyle, because the names I saw there… I don't think I have ever seen them, let alone eaten them.
My head was spinning from everything on my screen. The only words I could digest there were 'Five-star hotel menu'. Nothing more.
It seemed like every food came with eggs, while the words before them sounded foreign.
I lifted my head from my phone, meeting Lucian's gaze. His head tilted, waiting to hear my order.
"I will take whatever you order," I finally said.
He signaled the waitress with just a tip of his hand, and there she was, standing with her writing pad, ready to take our orders.
He placed his phone down like he had memorized what he wanted. "We will go with steak, before then, get us two glasses of cocktails. And after that, a bottle of champagne," he commanded.
She left almost immediately.
That was when it dawned on me that I had ignored the fascinating view of the hotel, the expensive furniture, the way the staff were neatly organized. The interior decor was ravishing. Everyone there looked reserved, like this place was just normal.
I felt like I did not belong here.
The air carried whispers of rosemary and garlic.
The standard here was high.
Not like the regular hotel James takes me to. I could remember pleading with James to take me to a fancy hotel, but he always came up with his numerous silly excuses, yet he took other women to places like this.
Moments later, two waiters approached, gracefully wheeling in our order on a polished service cart, putting aside the cocktails we were halfway through, which the first lady had brought in.
The steak sizzled softly as the waiter placed the plate before me, the scent rising like a promise—smoky, rich, and seasoned just right.
He rubbed my palm. "Did I meet your expectations?" His voice was low.
A brief nod served as my response.
My stomach growled. Just then, I realized how famished I was.
"Let's dig in," he said.
I took no time to pick up my cutlery, cutting into the steak slowly, letting the knife glide through with ease, and bringing the first bite to my lips.
Satisfied by how nice the food tasted, my eyes half-opened as I ate up everything, but in a demure manner.
We were done with the meal, the table cleared and replaced with a bottle of champagne and two flutes.
Just then, he poured the drink for me and then himself.
He raised his glass to the air. "Cheers to our friendship."
I chuckled softly and clicked my glass gently against his in affirmation.
"So, what do you think about the dinner?" he asked.
Trailing my fingers along the chilled stem of my wine glass, I said, "Well… you did marvelous. Everything was perfect," I commended.
A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'm glad you loved it, my lady."
We both laughed, then finally emptied our glasses.
After the second glass, everything began to change, the room spinning as my head felt like it was about to explode.
Something about the drink was not right.
I looked at Lucian, who was also struggling with the same fate as me. It was clear he was clueless about anything to do with the drink.
His gaze met mine. "Are you alright?" he managed to ask.
I gave him a slight nod, even when I knew I was not.
"I have a room in this hotel… we can go rest until we get better."
The urge to fight it surged inside me, but my body failed me. Whatever was added to our drink was stronger than I thought.
With a sigh, I gave in, and we both stood up.