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“She lied to protect me,” I said simply.
I swear he was looking at me like he’d predicted this entire thing, down to what shoes I’d be wearing for the occasion.
I felt weirdly exposed, like I’d walked in here expecting to play tennis and had been tricked into a rigged game of poker instead. He knew exactly how shitty my dealt hand was, and somehow, I needed to get him to fold anyway.
“That’s worse,” Adrien said.
It was?“Why?”
“According to the security footage, you’ve been using that card to get into the hotel gym for well over two months. If she didn’t realize the card had been missing for that long… Well, that’s rather irresponsible and negligent, wouldn’t you say?” He ticked his brows. “Not necessarily qualities I want in my PA. I almost rather she gave it to you willingly. At least then she’d have known where it was.”
The one corner of his mouth twitched in response to whatever expression had just flitted across my face, and before I could shove my big foot any further into my idiot mouth, he said, “Fortunately I worked with Alba long enough to know that she was neither of those things. So, you wanna try again?”
Not really, no. I’d never felt so underprepared for anything in my life.
I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat, but Adrien interjected again. “Oh, and if you try to lie to me one more time, this conversation will be over, and you’ll be escorted out of the building.”
I shut my mouth and ground my teeth. It earned me another amused smirk.
At least one of us was having a good time.
“You know, I have to say I’m a little disappointed,” Adrien mused when I stayed silent for a few beats too long. “I thought you’d march in here a hell of a lot more prepared than this. I expected more from someone with your… record.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Adrien leaned forward and interlocked his fingers on his desk. “It means that a 178 on the LSAT is incredibly impressive, Miss Sanchez. Especially for someone who didn’t pursue a postsecondary education. That score could grant you admission to any law school in North America.”
I swear I could feel the blood drain right out of my veins.
“Those scores aren’t publicly available.” No one even knew I’d taken the test.
He flashed me a perfectly straight, dimpled grin, his green eyes glittering with amusement. “No. They’re not.”
I licked my rapidly drying lips and tried to calm the fuck back down. My heart was beating inside my throat now, filling my ribcage with dread. “What do you want?”
His head tilted again, mocking. “Whatever do you mean?”
I couldn’t believe I’d been stupid enough to barge in here without a better plan. And Ireallycouldn’t believe how much I’d underestimated him.
“That card wasn’t left active or in my possession by accident. Not when you’re worried about stalkers.” How hadn’t that occurred to me right away? Why hadn’t I taken him seriously from the get-go?
“Correct,” he said. “Keep going.”
“You wanted me to show up here because of the deal you struck with Alba. You won’t press charges or get your lawyers involved, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make me pay in other ways.” I knew it had been too easy. There was no way he was going to let me just walk away. That would be extremely off-brand for him. “You fired heraftershe cashed in her favor, right? Because you needed something to reel me in with and keep me hooked.”
She probably wouldn’t have lost her job if she’d just kept quiet. He didn’t care about the stupid pass.
“And?” he pushed. Because this was also part of his game.
“And by now you’ve had five days to think about your revenge, which means you probably know exactly what you want.” And it wasn’t going to be pretty or easy. Not for me at least. “It doesn’t matter what I say or do, this conversation will lead to whatever punishment you already have in mind. Hence my question, what do you want?”
Adrien leaned back again and flashed me another patronizing smile. “Very good, Miss Sanchez. You’re not nearly as daft as you like to pretend to be, are you?”
Fuck you.
It took everything I had in me not to hurl the insult right at him.
“Are you going to tell me what you want or not?” I asked.
