07

I angled my skateboard to the ground and pushed off, skating towards the ATC with my earphones plugged into my ears.

I gave my usual good morning salute to the security and rode inside the lobby.

Hanging from the two tall pillars on either sides was a large banner that read ‘Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the ATC’ oh yes I forgot to mention. Today is the big day.

Not as the ‘annivesary big day’ but as the ‘fiancé big day’.

It’s what everybody had been talking about for the past two weeks. Be it the press, the public or the employees – simply everyone. And me, I love gossip

This fiancé thing was such a big deal because no one, not even the paparazzi had ever seen the young handsome billionaire dating anyone in his entire life.

So for that reason the amount of drama that had been happening here for the past few weeks is enough to change Ian Kingston’s name into Ian Kardashian.

As of example, last week we literally had the paparazzi breaking into our company like some thieves.

And one even snapped a photo of me trying to gulp down a sandwich in the middle of a meeting. Ha not very cool when our VP saw the picture.

“ARE YOU FREAKING SKATING INSIDE THE OFFICE?” Someone screamed in my ear and I toppled over the skateboard, falling flat on my butt.

“Ouch” I groaned and looked up to see our VP glowering down at me with her hands on her hips.

“What kind of indecency is this Evans? And-and” Her eyes fell on my sneakers and her nostrils flared. “Why aren’t you wearing heels?”

“Umm” I racked my brain for an excuse. “B-because today is not that much of a working day” I winced at how stupid it sounds.

“And why do you think like that?”

“It’s the company anniversary” I gave her a cheeky smile and her face twisted into an angry scowl.

“You, Evans-“ She pointed a finger at me. “I’ll show you how much of a working day today can be” Then she turned on her heels and went on her way.

I groaned and wearily got up. Witch I muttered a curse under my breath and dusted off my pants. Knowing our VP would break my skateboard if I take it to our floor, I hid it behind a plant pot in the lobby before going back to the marketing department.

…

“So” Lexi spun in her chair. “I have two dresses but I can’t select what to wear. What do you think? Blue or white”

“Blue?” I scrunched up my nose. “Well send me a picture of it. Then I’ll select”

“Okie dokie” She nodded. “So what are you going to wear tonight?”

“I don’t know” I kept my chin on my palm and pouted. “I have to see”

“Brian, what are you going to wear?”

“I’m gonna wear a red dress with laces” Brian said sarcastically and I snorted, seeing Lexi’s lips curl into a frown.

“Stupid Brian” Lexi stuck her tongue out and angrily went back to working.

“Hailey” The VP bellowed from across the room.

What now? I mumbled and looked up. “Yes ma’am”

“Come here” She demanded.

Reluctantly I walked over to her and she threw a file to my hand. “Take this to Mr. Lambert. He needs it immediately”

“Mr. Lambert?” I almost yelled.

“Yes” The VP leaned back in her chair and narrowed her eyes at me. “Is there any problem Evans?”

“H-he” I stuttered. “He’s one of the CEO’s staff”

“So?” VP raised a brow. “Are you defying my orders now?”

I shook my head. “No ma’am sorry” I forced a smile to my lips. “I’ll go” fuck!

Since our last encounter two weeks ago I haven’t seen Ian Kingston – which is a good thing.

Neither he nor his minion decided to suddenly materialize to mention the ‘consequences’ – which is also a good thing. So my life went pretty much back to normal, except for the hectic bustle in the ATC thanks to an anonymous fiancé.

But now I fear it’s going to change. Will he show me the consequences he mentioned earlier? Oh God help me!

With dread I took the elevator and went up to the CEO’s floor. As I reached, I scanned the floor for Mr. Lambert but he was nowhere to be found.

I plodded to one of the employees and asked. “Excuse me. Where’s Mr. Lambert?”

“He’s in a meeting with the CEO”

“Umm…” At the mention of CEO sweat started trickling down my forehead. “Can you go and give this file to him? He needs it immediately”

“I’m not your assistant” She stated in an emotionless tone while tapping on her keyboard, not sparing a glance at me.

Damn these ‘elite’ staff. I took a deep breath to calm my temper and crossed the hall to the meeting room.

I cleared my throat several times, then wiped the sweat in my forehead before finally knocking on the door.

Daniel opened it and immediately, my eyes traveled over his shoulder to Ian Kingston, who was sitting at the head of the table talking to Mr. Lambert and a few others.

My grip on the file tightened and at that moment all I wanted to do was just disappear. I was doing such a good job in avoiding that arrogant stupid narcissistic bastard but now all was in vain.

Mr. Lambert’s eyes fell on me. “Are you from the marketing?”

As he asked, Ian turned and our eyes met. I stopped breathing. Seeing me, the corners of his lips curled into an amused smile and he leaned back in his chair, his eyes still fixed on me.

And I had to be happy that I didn’t drop dead instantly.

“Come in. Did you bring the proposal?”

“W-what?” I wrenched my gaze away from Ian to Mr. Lambert. “Oh yes the file. Yeah ummm… I have it”

Gathering up all the courage I could muster up I strode to the front of the table and gave the file to Mr. Lambert. And the entire time Ian watched me with that smirk of his.

His eye traveled down my body to my breast to my hips and then to my legs, almost as if he was sizing me up.

I frowned. Pervert

“I’m sorry what?” Mr. Lambert asked.

“What?” I asked back in shock.

“You said something”

Shit! I had said it out loud. Immediately my gaze fell on Ian and I could see him stifling his laughter, a hand over his mouth.

“Nothing” I forced a smile to my lips. “I said nothing. Umm… I’ll go now”

I quickly scrambled out of the meeting room and slammed myself on the wall with a hand over my heart.

Oh my god! That was so embarrassing.

…

“Ten dollars that she’s a blond” Alan kept his money on the table.

“Ten dollars that she’s a brunette”

I grinned and leaned over the table to keep my money. “100 dollars that she’s a red head”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t do that” Liam, an employee of the HR gave me a pointed look.

“Oh please. I’m good at guessing”

Brian leaned in to whisper in my ear. “This is cheating”

“Shh” I hushed him. “It’s not if no one knows”

“You’re going straight to hell” Lexi muttered next to me.

We were at the company cafeteria having our lunch. And one from the sales department decided to make bets on the appearance of the fiance and I realised it was my time to shine.

We had joined several tables together and half the company stood surrounding it to place their bets.

“So the next one, make bets on her height”

“5,5” One kept his money.

“5,7” Another did the same.

I was about to put mine when a delivery man came in, holding a package in his hand.

“Anyone name Hailey Evans?”

“That’s me” I raised a hand up.

I signed the document he extended and took the package from him. But there wasn’t any name of the sender in it. I asked the delivery man but he said he didn’t know either.

Weird.

I placed the package on the table and everyone leaned in to get a good view of it. With the help of Lexi, I unwrapped the box and opened it’s lid.

From the inside I pulled out a beautiful floor length off shoulder black dress that had a high slit traveling up to the thigh.

“Wow” Lexi gasped. “That looks damn expensive”

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Who send it? I checked the box again and found a small note at the bottom, pinned to a red rose.

I took the note out and read it,

Wear it to the party tonight.

Brian scowled. “Hailey, you have some secret lover we don’t know of?”

“I keep no secrets from you guys” I said while still staring at the note in shock.

“Maybe” Ashley leaned in from across the table. “Someone in the company who has a crush on you sent it”

“Really?” I quirked an eyebrow in joy. “That is so romantic” I giggled. “Any idea who send it?”

Ashley turned to rest of the table. “Any of you guys send this?” She said pointing to the dress.

And the guys shook their heads.

“We are too broke to pay for that” One shouted.

“Then who?”

“Hailey” Lexi nudged my arm in panic. “Look up”

In confusion I glanced up and my breath hitched in shock.

At the upper level, by the railing stood Ian Kingston, gazing down at me with a smirk playing on his lips.

When our eyes met, he gave a devious smile and released his hands from the railing, walking away.

What was that about?