As soon as Aurora stepped out of the elevator, she let out a deep sigh and made a sharp U-turn straight for the stairwell.
Nope.
She wasn't doing that suffocating elevator ride with River ever again. She'd rather climb twenty floors in heels than stand next to that smug, cologne-soaked Greek god with a devil complex.
By the time she reached her office floor, her calves were on fire and her soul was halfway in hell. She barely made it to her desk before collapsing into the chair like she just ran from a serial killer. And in a way, she had—River Damon was basically a serial heartbreaker with a body count of exes that could fill a football stadium.
"how's your day," Mia whispered, suddenly appearing beside her desk like a caffeinated ninja.
Aurora groaned. "Don't start. I already hate today."
Mia leaned in, sipping from her oversized iced coffee like she was watching a Netflix thriller. "You're gonna hate it more. Guess who just texted the group chat?"
Aurora raised a brow. "Please don't say HR again. I swear I only told Lisa her lip filler looked like it was running away from her mouth—"
"No, you maniac," Mia giggled. "Cassandra is in the building."
Aurora blinked. "Who?"
Mia looked around dramatically, lowered her voice, and said, "River's ex. You know, the blonde one with the fake French accent and the body built like a Ferrari."
Aurora rolled her eyes. "Which ex? He's got like… a harem."
"The most recent one. The influencer-slash-gold-digger-slash-life-ruiner. She once dated a Saudi prince and then left him for a Russian mob heir. Bitch moves like a Bond villain in red bottoms."
Before Aurora could process that, the elevator dinged—and all conversation in the office flatlined.
She turned her head.
Boom.
There she was. Cassandra.
Looking like money, power, and estrogen-fueled vengeance in a bodycon dress that had zero business being allowed in daylight.her hair tie alone could change Aruora's life.
She strutted in like she owned the damn company—and judging by the way the male interns almost dropped their laptops, she might as well have.
Aurora muttered, "This place is cursed."
Mia sipped her drink. "Amen."
Cassandra's eyes locked on River—who had just walked in behind her, dressed in black-on-black like he was heading to a mafia funeral. His face? Cold as ice. No expression. No reaction. Like she wasn't even there.
It was actually kind of hot.
Cassandra flipped her hair. "River, darling," she purred.
He didn't stop walking.
Didn't blink.
Didn't even slow down.
He walked right past her, like she was invisible.
Aurora choked on her water.
Cassandra blinked. "Seriously?"
River turned slightly. "You're still talking?"
Gasps. Everywhere.
Even Aurora clutched her imaginary pearls. "Jesus."
Cassandra stepped forward, unfazed. "We need to talk. Privately."
"You need to leave," he said flatly, without even looking at her.
The girls near the break room were holding their breath like this was an episode of Real Housewives: Mafia Edition.
Aurora leaned toward Mia. "Is this normal? Like… does he usually ice women out like that?"
Mia nodded, chewing on her straw. "He ghosted a Victoria's Secret model mid-sex. Swear to God. She told the story on a podcast."
"Holy—"
"And his current girlfriend?" Mia added. "Probably another gold digger. Apparently, she used to date his cousin. Mafia drama. Rich people are wild."
Meanwhile, Cassandra tried one last attempt. "You'll regret this," she hissed.
River didn't even flinch. "Already do. For ever touching you."
Aurora dropped her pen.
Cassandra stormed out like a storm in Louboutins.
The moment she was gone, the entire office let out a collective gasp.
River adjusted his cuffs, walked right past everyone like nothing had happened, and dropped a file on Aurora's desk without making eye contact.
"Meeting. Ten minutes. Don't be late again."
"Nice to see you too, Satan," she muttered.
He didn't reply. Just walked off, oozing dark energy like a villain in a perfume ad.
Aurora looked up at Mia. "Tell me again why I took this job?"
Mia shrugged. "Because you needed a job."
Aurora sighed. "Right."
Then she glanced toward River's office, heart still racing like a hormonal traitor.
Yeah. She was screwed.