Chapter 8

HAILEY

Hailey collapsed onto her bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling.

It was two a.m., and she’d just wrapped up her second job of the day. The relief of finally being able to rest washed over her.

She found comfort in the fact that she hadn’t crossed paths with Valerian at her day job in two weeks.

Memories of their last encounter flooded her mind, the scene in the boardroom where Valerian had swept her off her feet.

He’d held her against him, her back pressed to the door. His hand had cradled her head, tilting it back as he claimed her lips. His tongue had invaded her mouth, the taste of mint lingering.

Reality had hit her like a ton of bricks. He was her boss. She’d squirmed and struggled until he’d finally set her down.

In a fit of rage, she’d slapped him. The impact didn’t seem to faze him.

When she’d tried to slap him again, he’d caught her hand and pulled her closer.

“Who is he?” His voice was heavy with anger.

“Who is who?” she’d responded, genuinely confused.

“Don’t play fucking dumb, Hailey! Who was the guy at the restaurant?” Valerian had demanded.

“What’s it to you?” she’d retorted. “It’s none of your busi—”

“It is my business, Hailey! Is this how you are with every guy, huh? How many more are there? What other side job do you do on the streets?”

His insinuation had left her stunned. She’d responded nonchalantly, “If there are many guys, what’s it to you?”

“Don’t you dare test me, Hailey!” he’d warned, his teeth gritted. “I’ll show you right here on this table how much better I am than all those boys you play with.” And with that, he’d stormed out.

Since that day, Hailey hadn’t seen Valerian. He’d been off to Italy, then France, for business.

She’d learned about his whereabouts from Clara, the only person he’d bothered to inform.

Work today was uneventful. It was a slow Monday.

As usual, Hailey went into his office and left her work on his desk.

She noticed her pile of work. ~He better review this. I’m not doing it for nothing.~

By Thursday, work had picked up a bit.

When she entered his office, she was met with a shocking sight.

Valerian was seated in his chair, a woman perched on his lap. They were laughing until Hailey walked in. Then they just stared.

~Should I say hello or just leave?~

Valerian’s expression was icy, and he didn’t seem bothered.

“Good evening. Sorry to interrupt,” Hailey muttered. She quickly placed the file on his desk.

She exited the office, closing the door behind her, and rushed over to Clara.

“Who is that?” she asked.

Clara looked annoyed. “That’s Mr. Valerian’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Charlize.”

Hailey nodded. “She’s really beautiful. Have they been together long?”

“Yeah, about three years, on and off,” Clara confirmed.

After her chat with Clara, Hailey changed for her part-time job.

Arriving at the restaurant, she was thrilled to see Matt after a long day.

What she didn’t expect was for Valerian and Charlize to walk in, his arm casually draped around her.

From her spot, she could see their table. She was grateful Sarah was out sick; this would have crushed her.

Suddenly, Hailey noticed Charlize waving in her direction.

~Please don’t be waving at me.~

Hailey pointed at herself and mouthed, “Me?” Charlize responded with a nod.

Hailey approached their table and greeted them. “Good evening.”

“You’re the girl from earlier, right?”

~Why didn’t she just ask Valerian?~

She forced a smile. “Yes, that’s me.”

“And your name is?”

“Hailey, ma’am,” she replied to Charlize.

Her hair was a cascade of gold, and her eyes, a deep, captivating brown—up close, she was breathtaking. “Alright, it’s settled then—Hailey, you’ll be our server tonight.”

~Why always me?~ “Can I start you off with a drink?”

“Sure, I’ll have a sangria,” Charlize responded.

Turning to Valerian, Hailey met his gaze for the first time in weeks. “What about you, sir?”

His stare lingered a bit too long. She had to deflect it, so Charlize wouldn’t suspect anything.

“Perhaps you’d like to peruse the wine list, sir?” Hailey suggested.

“Just bring me a bottle of chardonnay,” he answered gruffly.

“Alright, anything else?” She glanced between the two of them.

“No, that’ll be all for now,” Charlize said.

With that, Hailey turned to fetch their drinks.

She could feel Charlize’s eyes boring into her back as she walked away.

She risked a quick glance over her shoulder.

Charlize’s gaze was sharp, her eyes shooting daggers.