Chapter 42: A Millionaire, His Suit And Poor Me Chapter 42

I sent three people away before Lunch. Each person in the office tiptoed around me more than usual, avoiding the elevatcand taking refuge in different rooms when they saw me in the hallway.

The sound of someone knocking on the door was therefore unexpected and unwelcome. “busy!"l screamed, annoyed.“Um,” a soft voice replied. “I have the documents for the merger with Malik”

The merger with Malik was a project that I had been working on since the creation of my company, a project that couldincrease the net worth of my company and expand my name in England. I ran my hands over my face. “Bring it”

One of the men working downstairs came in with a terrified expression. “Mac told me to bring it to you."

“Give me."l ordered abruptly, holding out my hand. The thick file was distributed in a hurry. “Now get out”

The young man slipped away as quickly as he could, leaving me to examine the file with all the attention I had in my bodWhich wasn't much, considering that the phrase shouted by Noras, “because I'm in love with you,” was repeated in myhead, exactly as it has been for the last two nights since it happened.

I got up abruptly and walked out of my office, straightening my tie as I passed. Several interns, whose names I didn’t botto learn, got out of my way, and the secretary's face blanched when I stopped in front of her desk.

“Sir Steve."He stuttered. “Hello. I mean... how can I help you?"

My eye twitched slightly in annoyance. “What are the appointments I have today?”

“One at 13 o'clock with the investment team and another at 15:30 with Mac Carter.”

“Perfect. Delete them both.”

She widened her eyes, completely incredulous at my words, and the little color that remained on her face completelydisappeared. “C-cancel them? The dates?”

“Yes, cancel them. All calls are sent directly to my mobile. And inform James that I'm coming down."I stopped and lookeddown, where she was typing quickly on the keyboard. The embarrassment of the young woman reminded me slightly ofNoras. Everything seemed to remind me of her that day. “What is your name?”

His fingers froze on the keys. “M-my name, sir?”

“Yes. I don’t have all day. What's your name?”

“Laura’He said breathlessly. “My name is Laura."

I stared at her, while the image of Noras shouting at me to tell me that I was rude crossed my mind, her eyes blushingquickly, her hands clenched in small fists on the sides. My lips formed a small smile. “Good. Thank you, Laura”

The woman seemed on the verge of death when I left, trying to remember the last time I took care to remember the nameof my employees. Or, for that matter, the last time I said “thank you” to one of them. Or the last time I canceled anappointment.

No wonder Noras thought me rude. I got into the elevator and pressed the button harder than I should have, then claspemy hands behind my back as I walked down the floors in silence. The doors opened, revealing James who was patientlywaiting for me.

“The car is ready, sir. Where are we going?”

“To my apartment.”

He looked as confused as the secretary, but he led me without batting an eye to the Range Rover. The journey was silentand almost embarrassing. The driver gave me a brief glance in the rearview mirror from time to time, as if he was waitingfor me to yell at him from one moment to the next to turn around.

I ignored his confused looks as best I could by sending emails to my employees, giving them instructions for the rest of tday and rescheduling the appointments I had canceled. At the end of the trip, everything was fine in the office and myanxiety level increased more than I would have thought possible.

“Thank you, James."l said abruptly, getting out of the car.

He quickly turned his head from the passenger seat, in shock. “You're welcome, Mr. Steve."

I slammed the door of the Range Rover and headed for the elevator. As soon as the doors opened with a ding on my floorhurried out. “Jennifert”l shouted. “Where are you? 1"

“Henris?"He called from the kitchen. “What are you doing here? Did something happen at the office?”

I stared at her when I entered the room and sat down on a stool. The housekeeper looked at me curiously from where shwas sitting at the kitchen table with a plate in front of her. She brightened up and motioned for me to sit down. “What aryou doing here? Do you want to have lunch?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Are you all right?”

I took the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger and looked at the robust woman who tends to act like amother. As soon as I hired her, she was immune to my abrupt remarks and my mood swings. She only smiles at me andcalls me by affectionate names.

At first I couldn't stand the way she behaved with me, but only after a month I got used to waking up with cooked food,giving her a kiss on the cheek when I leave the house and occasionally hearing her scold me with her motherly ways.jennifer was the person who knew me best.

He cleared his throat. “Henris Steve, answer me right away. What's the matter with you?"

I rested my forehead on the granite countertop, trying to avoid his gaze. “Noras said she loved me”

“En?"Miss Jennifer asked, a big smile on her lips. “I think that's very nice.’

“I don't... why would he say that?"

“Because he loves you."

“He screamed, telling me how horrible I was. I don't understand how he can think that he loves me.”

“What is the real problem, Henris? God knows you have enough self-love to be able to see that this girl loves you”

I looked at her and got a shrug and a knowing look, because she knew she was right. I knew that Noras loved me; I couldsee it in the little attentions and the way she smiled at me when she thought I wasn't looking. “She is just... from thecompany. I don't have time for a relationship, or a girlfriend, or anything. I am the boss of the second largest company inNew York."

Mrs. Jennifer let out a big laugh. Henris, what do you think you have done with Noras so far? You spent every day with herIt's a relationship without the label”

My mouth opened at his words. “He is not.”

“He is."He insisted.

“I made it clear to Noras that we are not in a relationship.”

“Oh, certainly. Very clear. Candlelit dinners and going out to football matches didn’t matter at all. Now, I don't know whyyou're coming home early from work, but I still have to clean your room, so don't go there”

“Yes, ma'am replied with annoyance.

He gave me one of his usual smiles, warm but complicit. “It's a relationship. Now go and be kind to the woman you love”That said, she got up, put her plate in the sink and left the room, leaving me open-mouthed. The worst thing about whatMs. Jennifer said was that she was right, and she knew it. I considered breaking another phone, but seeing how angry shewas still for the last one, I decided to limit myself to a grunt of frustration, relaxing against the counter.

My iPhone Lit up with notifications of new emails from work as I stared at it, my chin on my crossed fingers. Theincompetent employees sent emails one after the other, begging for advice or reassurance that everything was goingaccording to plan. Every little blow made me angrier and angrier.

Before I could figure out what I was doing, I picked up the phone, which, fortunately, I hadn't destroyed a few momentsearlier, and dialed the office number. It rang several times while I was drumming my fingers on the granite, before a voiceanswered. “Jace and Noras’ office, Sophia on the phone.”

“I'm Henris Steve.”

“Oh, hi, Mr. Steve. What's going on?"

My smile widened at his informal tone. “Could I speak to Noras?”

“He's in a meeting,” Sophia replied in the same tone. “Can he leave a message?”

“When is this going to end?”

There was a noise of papers on the other side of the line. “13:30.”

“Good. Sophia?”

“Yes?”

“Can you not tell Noras that I'm coming?”

The girl laughed slightly. “Understood. See you soon."

“Thank you, Sophia."

At exactly 13:45, I entered Jace and Noras’ shared office without bothering to knock. On one side of the room, Sophia greehappily before continuing to read a brightly colored magazine. On the other side, Jace turned around with fire in his eyes.But Noras was sitting on the edge of the black table in the center of the room. Her legs are crossed and her hair is pulledup in a tight bun, accentuated by small hairpins that, I guess, were used to keep the curls at bay. She was staring at me,completely shocked.

I let the door close behind me. “Noras, I would like to talk to you."

Her red-tinted lips parted, remaining open as the color touched her cheeks, almost matching the shade of her mouth. Thsight of Noras, frustrated, who had then slipped off the edge of the table and was on her feet, was enough to bring a smilto my lips. “Noras, please.”

She closed her eyes. “You didn't tell me you were coming.”

“Yes, because you would have left before I arrived. We need to talk”

“Um."He said.

I tried to hide the amusement in my tone, looking at the other two spectators in the room, who were observing theinteraction. It's good to see you again, Sophia. You too, Jace. Now if you could give me and Noras a moment.”

The blonde intern gave me a big smile and left the room without asking any more questions. Jace, on the other hand,walked straight towards me with what I assume to be a threatening look on his face. “Henris,” he hissed. “If you leave thisroom sadder than you are right now, I won't hesitate to hit you"

I gave a solemn nod to his best friend. “Understood”

Jace sent me one last bad look before turning to Noras, whispering something in his ear. She nodded and laughed slightlythen kissed the tip of his nose and motioned for him to head for the door so that he could leave the room.

My hands formed fists on my sides. “You are far too affectionate with your friends, Noras."

“You're just wildly possessive "He replied in a tone, crossing his arms to defend himself. “Now move and let's get this ovewith, please.”

“Finish what?"

Noras looked down at his hands in embarrassment, and I noticed the white stripes on the knuckles of his right hand. Irushed over to her and took her little hand, running my thumb over the gauze with frowning eyebrows. “Have you fallen?Did it hurt you? When did this happen?”

He bit his lip. “It's nothing. Don’t worry."

“Noras.'I scolded her, looking at her. “What have you done?”

He gave me a crooked smile and brought his hand back to him. I knocked on a locker. Can we stop this now? I am tired. Whave a whole photo shoot to organize and models to hire”

“Did you knock on a locker?”

“Yeah.”

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, in response, she returned her eyes to her nervously bandaged hand while I stared at hetrying to figure out what to say.

For one of the few times in my life, I didn't feel like I was in complete control of a situation. “I have no idea what you wanto end up with.”

“This."she waved in the space between her and me with her wrapped hand. “We are finishing. Come on."

“You don't want to deal with me anymore?"l asked confusedly, frowning. “Why?”

“No,” he corrected. “You don’t want to deal with me anymore. For the incident at the club.”

“No, you don’t. Don't assume things you don’t know anything about, Noras."I said in a firm tone.

“What?”

“I'm not done with you. In fact, 'm far from done with you. So don't just sit there and think that you have no idea whatyou're talking about. Why do you think I don’t want to be with you?"

He raised his head to mine with an expression on his beautiful face; it was an expression of pure anger and despair that Iwanted to kiss because he was out of place. A slow, nervous sigh escaped her mouth. Because you don't want arelationship. I'm doing it. It's all or nothing for me now, Henris. I need everything.”

I shrugged my shoulders and lowered them immediately after. “Good.”

“So?”

“Yes, good. Everything. It's yours."

“I don't think you understand what I mean."she complained. I watched her get up and start walking around the small butcheerfully decorated office, the sound of her black heels accompanying every step. The young woman stopped in front ofone of the windows, her back to me.

“I want good wine."He started. “I want charity events and for your tie to match my suit. I want football matches. I want yojacket in my apartment and I want this place next to your bed to be mine. I want people to know that I'm sleeping here."

I took a breath and nodded. “OK. You can have this side of the bed. Anything else?”

“You, of course.”

“You have me. You can have all this, and more. I will give you all this."

Noras turned around in a little swirl of Chanel perfume and chiffon blouses. She was in front of me in a second, her noseinches from mine, her eyes dark and a little wild, her lower lip swollen from the constant anxious bite.

I got closer and made our noses meet, then I wrapped my hand around his pelvis, bringing him closer until his body layperfectly in the curve of mine. Her breathing was short and choppy, and I swear I could feel her care beating like a f****¢love story.

“All this?”

I ran my lips over his forehead, trying to restrain myself. “All that. You are mine and I am yours. We are us. Together."“Together?”

“Stop asking so many questions." blew. “You're getting very frustrating and it's starting to piss me off. Let's be together.None of the bullshit from before. We are together”

Noras' smile grew with each word I uttered. “Don’t be so demanding” She replied jokingly. “You must be asking me, Mr.Steve.”

A deep growl escaped from my throat. “still, you are boring. Come to dinner and I'll ask you for it”

“50, you are forcing me to come to you so that I can have a stable relationship and consequently a semi-stable mindz".“Yes. We also need to talk”

He shrugged his shoulders, not thinking about the request. “I feel like I should have expected something like this. Yes, Iwcome for dinner tonight”

“OK” sighed. “All right. I'll pick you up at six”

She laughed slightly, then rested her nose on the side of my neck for a second before looking up at me under her mascarcovered eyelashes, her big eyes and her fingers firmly resting on my shoulders, and with a gesture, I bent down and kisseher.

Noras' mouth was warm and soft on mine, and it tasted like heaven with a touch of bitter coffee. My fingers wrappedaround her waist and a little bit of her belly. She leaned over me with a soft, satisfied whisper that brought an involuntarsmile to my lips, still glued to hers.

“We?"He mumbled.

“We.”