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You did this, I tell myself. You made your bed. Now lie in it.
Except I don’t want to.
Sighing, I’m about to stand when the door opens to reveal a frantic Hanna. “There are two men here to see you.”
She makes it so sound so ominous that, for a moment, all I can imagine is two sinister-looking mafia men about to barge into my office. However, my active imagination is shoved aside when I recognize one of the men who pushes opens the door completely, edging past my assistant.
“Fred…” I narrow my eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Fred, my older brother, grins, his green eyes twinkling. “I came here to see my baby sister.”
“Thank you, Hanna. It’s okay.” I dismiss my worried assistant, then turn to glare at my brother. “Your baby sister has a meeting. Don’t just show up at my office.”
I survey the man accompanying Fred.
He’s quite attractive with a dimpled smile, light brown eyes, and rakish brown hair. However, he stirs nothing in me.
“Hi, I’m Matt,” he offers, introducing himself.
I give him a cautious smile before settling my eyes on my brother almost accusingly, who, in turn, is staring at my glasses in disgust. “What the hell are those? Since when do you wear glasses?”
I touch the frames in a protective manner, my tone defensive. “Since forever. Mind your own business. Now, why are you here?”
Fred purses his lips at my shitty attitude, and I have the hysterical urge to show him my middle finger. “You’re hardly being welcoming, Lana.”
I bare my teeth. “This isn’t a social setting. It’s my workplace. I have an important meeting in a minute.”
Casually, Fred sinks into the seat across from me. “I’m sure it can wait. Matt’s a friend of mine. He just moved to D.C., so I told him that you could show him around.”
A surge of self-righteous indignation overwhelms the sting of how he’s just dismissed my meeting, as if it’s just a trip to the grocery store that can be delayed. “Excuse me?”
Fred doesn’t seem to understand he’s crossing a line. “Well, yeah. You can take a few half days—”
I slam my hands on the desk, suddenly furious. “This is my job, not a fucking hobby. I can’t just take random half days off because they suit you!”
Suddenly, everything is too much.
Oliver.
My feelin
gs.
My family.
My own fucking insecurities.
Fred’s face tightens dangerously. “Watch your language, baby sister.”
Matt isn’t smiling anymore, but something like interest flares in his eyes. Suddenly, I want to take off one of my heels and throw it in his face.
“I will if you stop offering me around like the bloody family whore!” My voice is loud. To my growing horror, my eyes flicker to a familiar figure entering my office.
As always, Oliver’s presence dominates the room, but the unearthly anger in his expression robs me of my voice.
“What is going on here, Lana?” He doesn’t raise his voice or make any elaborate gestures, but the chilling fury in his tone grips everybody in the room.
Fred stands as if sensing a threat, and Matt’s eyes narrow.
