Chapter 181
[ 513 words ]
Chapter 181:
The HR director swallowed hard. He looked at Dr. Finchley, who gave him a frantic, wide-eyed shake of the head. The director grabbed the complaint file, shoved it directly into the shredder sitting in the corner of the room, and hit the power button.
The loud grinding noise of the blades destroying the paper filled the room.
“This meeting is concluded,” the director said quickly. “Return to your shift, Ms. Thompson.”
Caroline stood up. She walked out of the conference room, her posture perfectly straight.
As she stepped into the brightly lit hallway, she let out a long, heavy exhale. The adrenaline faded, leaving behind a deep, bone-weary exhaustion. She had won, but she knew this was different. This wasn’t a jealous bully; this was a calculated probe. Someone was testing her, trying to see where her weaknesses were.
She turned the corner to head toward the elevators.
Dr. Julian Croft was leaning against the wall. He was holding two steaming paper cups from the premium coffee shop across the street.
When he saw Caroline, he immediately pushed off the wall and walked toward her. He held out one of the cups.
“Oat milk latte,” Julian said, his voice incredibly warm and steady. “I saw Finchley drag you up here. Did the HR idiots give you a hard time?”
Caroline took the cup. The heat radiating through the cardboard seeped into her cold fingers. Her tense shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch.
𝖳𝗁o𝗎𝗌a𝗻𝗱𝘀 o𝗳 𝗋е𝖺𝗱e𝗋𝗌 𝘰ո 𝗀a𝗅𝗻𝘰v𝘦𝗅s.co𝗺
“I handled it,” Caroline said, offering him a tired but genuine smile. “They won’t be bothering me again.”
Julian looked at her smile. The deep, undisguised admiration in his eyes grew stronger.
“I know you did,” Julian said softly. He took a step closer. “Look, to celebrate you surviving the HR firing squad… I want to formally invite you out this weekend.”
Caroline’s stomach tightened. Her instinct was to immediately say no.
Before she could speak, Julian raised his hand.
“Wait, hear me out,” Julian smiled. “I know this great place in Alexandria. It has a massive, enclosed outdoor patio. It is completely pet-friendly. You can bring the dog. It needs the fresh air and sunshine to heal, and honestly, you look like you need to get out of your apartment, too.”
The offer hit Caroline’s absolute weakest point.
The dog had been locked in that sterile marble bathroom for two days. And the thought of spending the entire weekend trapped in Jarrod’s silent, suffocating penthouse, staring at the walls, made her chest physically ache.
She looked at Julian. It was just lunch. In a public place. With a dog. It wasn’t a betrayal; it was just a few hours of normal human interaction.
Caroline took a deep breath.
“Okay,” Caroline nodded. “Saturday at noon. Send me the address.”
Julian’s face lit up with a brilliant, triumphant smile. He had absolutely no idea that his innocent invitation had just triggered a countdown to a violent collision with the most dangerous man in the city.
The fluorescent lights in the underground hospital locker room flickered with a dull, irritating hum.
Caroline stood alone in the empty room. Her shift was finally over. Her back ached, and her feet throbbed.
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