Miss Elena Russo walked in, dressed in a plain black suit. Mr. Morelli's secretary.
He backed away from Leighton with a smirk, stealing the heat from her skin where his lips had brushed her neck. The moment was gone the instant he noticed his secretary.
Leighton spun on her hand shaking, ready to slap his face, but he was already gone, playing all business.
Her face flushed. She grabbed her coat, the cappuccino he'd placed in front of her, and headed straight for the door. Barging past them, she shot him a side-eye glance but didn't look back.
"Good morning, Miss Monroe," Miss Russo said politely, just as Leighton closed the door behind her without a word.
The secretary turned back to her boss, her face being stern but her eyes lingering for an instant, as though expecting her to explain.
The silence was heavy.
"Gloomy day, I guess," Adrian muttered with a shrug, walking toward his desk.
"I'll be at the meeting by nine. You're dismissed."
She inclined her head in a small gesture and left without further comment.
The door clicked shut behind her. Adrian let out a low sigh and leaned back in his chair, staring at nothing.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Leighton walked into her office. Everything was exactly the same as yesterday. Nothing had moved.
The stack of unopened files rested unruffled on the edge of her desk, last-minute memos fallen and unopened, and her mailbox was already glowing with unopened emails.
She shared the office with her boss's secretary. To this day, she still wondered why an intern had been paired with someone who wasn't even supervising her.
Suspicious. Or maybe her dad had a hand in it. She brushed it aside.
Hanging her coat on the stand, she slipped her hands into the side pocket, absent-mindedly searching for spare change. Instead, her fingers brushed against something soft.
A handkerchief. White, embroidered in gold letters: DM on one of its corners.
Her stomach twisted. Memory crashed back in.
He wasn't Matteo. She never even got his real name. What she did get was a hickey.
"Ugh." She exhaled sharply.
Right, it wasn't just the hickey. She had his handkerchief and his shirt.
A thin smile tugged at her lips. During lunch, she'd pick up the handkerchief and send it in for biometric testing. Then she'd have her answers and grounds to sue him for battery, maybe even rape.
He thought he could do whatever he pleased. She'd make sure he paid for it.
Her phone buzzed on the desk, slicing through her thoughts. Her father's name appeared on the screen. She rolled her eyes at it.
That was when Elena walked in.
++++++++++++
Elena sighed as she shut the office door softly behind her.
Leighton lowered the brightness of her phone, silencing its insistent ringing.
"Long night?" the secretary asked, glancing at her briefly.
"Good morning," Leighton replied, deliberately sidestepping the question.
Elena dropped into the chair and exhaled again.
"You good, Leigh?"
Leighton froze. Leigh? Since when? Their relationship had always been strictly professional, not warm. Still… she needed someone to talk to. And right now, the secretary felt harmless enough.
"It's my dad," she blurted, collapsing against the chair.
Elena paused, eyes shot up to hers. Their gaze locked. Straightening in her seat, she reached for a file.
"He wants me back in the States. Firms lined up, everything waiting… He's pulled his support completely. I don't know what to do."
Her voice cracked into a sigh.
"Does Mr. Morelli know about this?" The secretary didn't break the stare.
"Yes. Sadly." Leighton rubbed her neck and looked away.
"Then talk to your father," came the clipped reply.
A chime cut through the room, Elena's desktop alert. At the same moment, Leighton's phone began buzzing again.
Her father.
Leighton snatched it up and hurried out.
Left alone, the secretary leaned back and checked her inbox.
An encrypted email waited. The sender's name glowed on the screen: Monroe.
+++++++++++++++++
"Two weeks! You have two weeks to end all proxy relationships, wrap up work and come home. If not, that bitch will pay," her father's voice growled through the phone.
Leighton closed her eyes, exhausted. She wasn't even in a relationship. Things with Adrian were… complicated.
"You hear me, Peach? Two weeks!"
She hung up.
The door opened. Adrian walked in, holding a brown paper bag.
"Here," he said, offering it. "Picked up your laundry on my way in."
Leighton turned to him and took it absentmindedly. "Thanks."
He studied her. "You alright?" He asked as he pulled out a chair for her.
She sighed.
"Yeah… yes," she murmured, she glanced at him. He just stood there staring at her. She definitely wasn't herself.
She didn't want to sit down.
"Have you spoken to your father?"
"Yes, he's given me an ultimatum, two months to wrap things up" She exhaled, trying to sound confident. Two months was enough to convince him to let her stay on the case.
"Two months?" Adrian smirked. "Plenty of time to plan a trip to Paris. Just us."
Her head snapped toward him, casting a sideways glare at him.
"Stop it. You've got a wife,"
"Divorced," he cut in.
"And a daughter?" She asked, arms crossed on her chest.
"She only sees me at Christmas." He smiled.
"Look, I had feelings for you once. But right now?..."
He started walking towards her and she kept taking careful steps away from him.
"No. You need time to deal with your divorce. And I… I need to focus on my family." She rushed.
He raised a brow. She hit the wall, trapped, but he kept advancing as if it wasn't there at all.
"I'm still in on the case though" she paused. "Another step and I'll sue you for battery" she said, letting out pent up breath in a sigh.
That stopped him.
"So? It's over?" He finally spoke.
"Yes." She replied curtly.
His eyes flicked over her, he stared at her with a hunger she'd always struggled to resist.
"Don't give me that look" she looked away from him and walked to his desk.
He smirked. "Okay"
He turned, still giving her the look.
Leighton caught the smirk playing across his lips and swatted his shoulder lightly.
"Stop." She managed a smile.
He smiled back.
"I was hoping to take the day off," she said, trying to steady her voice.
"Sure, go ahead." His grin didn't fade.
"You sure are something" she muttered, a faint smile flashing across her face as she turned to go. She wondered what still had him smiling.
As she reached the door, his voice dropped. "Nice hickey."
Leighton froze.
"Quite the long night, huh?" he chuckled.
"That's none of your business anymore," she snapped, not looking at him.
"Hope he's worth the hassle."
She didn't reply. Just rolled her eyes and walked out of the office.
He watched her leave, still smiling.
+++++++++++++++++
With a heavy sigh, Leighton stepped onto the sidewalk, coat wrapped tight, laundry still in her hands.
Maybe I'll send this over tomorrow. Now isn't the time.
Two weeks. Just fourteen days. The thought made her chest tighten. How was she supposed to come up with a plan that fast? It was insane.
She glanced at her watch. It was 10 AM.
She sighed. Another warning email had come in earlier.
He's gone too far this time. Blocking my cards? Really?
She didn't notice when her steps drifted off the curb, carrying her onto the zebra crossing.
"…That bitch will pay."
Her stomach clenched. Her brows knit. He wasn't talking about Mom… was he? She hadn't heard from her in weeks. God, I hope she's alright.
Screams broke through her thoughts. People on the sidewalk were waving, shouting.
Leighton frowned. What the hell?
Her head turned.
The world seemed to slow. A black Porsche tore through the street, straight at her.
"Get out of the road!" the hot dog vendor bellowed.
Leighton froze, eyes wide, her pulse stuttering. For a heartbeat, her legs refused to move. The car's roar filled her ears
And then pain exploded in her right leg.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++