In the following days, Lucafer didn't pay any attention to her. She was assigned a few tasks, through intermediaries.
Noelle felt that she achieved her goal: he was avoiding her.
She couldn't hide the triumphant smile on her face whenever she thought about it.
Her writing now went smoothly. That day, she was focused on a difficult part of her essay, chapter '4.3. Horizontal Diversification: The Actor-Luca West: The strategic move into acting.'
She had analyzed all information provided but still felt something was missing. Noelle wanted additional data.
Chloe wasn't on the phone, or any online meeting. A rare opportunity!
"Mrs Brown? Do you have a moment?" Noelle asked, peeking through the open door of her office.
"Sure. Please come in," she invited her warmly.
"It's about my thesis. I want to analyze how the horizontal diversification into acting has affected the brand's revenues. I don't have detailed information about his income per project, only per year. Do you think I can access this information?"
"I thought you would never ask! Of course you should write about this."
Is she testing me?
"I suggest including this analysis in Chapter 4 'The ascent', not Chapter 5 'The orbit'. I have to warn you; you'll have to do a lot of data mining for these details," Chloe warned her.
"No problem at all!"
"Ok, then I'll call the IT right away to give you access to the platform."
She picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Yes, hello. I want to give access to a member of my team to RCP platform," she said and paused. "Noelle Auclair... Yes, I'll also send an email. What else do you need?" she continued pausing for a second.
At the same moment Noah exited the meeting room and passed by her office door. Chloe put her hand on the phone microphone.
"Noah!" Chloe called, but he walked past the door. She repeated louder: "Noah!" He pointed the bud on his ear, nodded, and kept walking.
Chloe returned to the phone. "What did you say? Yes? Hello? Oh no, he hung up. I better send the details with an email," she said to herself and started typing the email.
"I don't want to take up any more of your time. Thank you very much!" Noelle said and went back to her seat, while Noah was entering Chloe's office, ready to close the door, saying: "It is happening tomorrow..."
Soon enough, she received an email from the IT department with details on how to connect with the platform. She went through the basic guide and she began collecting data. She loved data. They would definitely spice up her work.
After lunch break, Lexi had to attend a meeting with Noah. Noelle walked back alone to the office.
She was eager to get back to work, but the moment she stepped past the glass wall, the blood drained from her body.
Luca West was inside the office. Alone. And not just anywhere - he was standing right above her desk, staring at the locked screen of her laptop.
He had a meeting in one hour. Probably he came earlier. How did he decide to spend time productively? By spying on Noelle's stuff!
What should I do? Should I rush in, demanding an explanation or keep spying?
She decided that a few more moments of trying to figure out what he was up to wouldn't harm. Noelle watched him picking up and examining her black notebook.
She bought that notebook the day before her internship started. By now it was filled with notes for her thesis. All in French, as it came more naturally sometimes.
But notes were not the only content.
She had a bad habit. Her emotions would take the form of hasty doodles on the header or the footer of her notebooks.
And there were many feelings for him there. Deadly feelings. Like a nice voodoo scene, severed head rolling down a hill, a beautiful dagger threatening his neck…
Her blood ran cold. He should never see those drawings. He would reach a conclusion that she wanted to harm him - physically.
That wasn't the case! She was expressing her emotions.
Foolish girl!
Luckily he put the notebook down without opening it.
Although, his next move was equally distressing. He pressed a few random keys on the laptop, as if testing it or trying to wake the screen.
He isn't trying to unlock my laptop, is he?
That dreadful thought crossed her mind, but her time for thinking was over.
Luca snapped his head around and had just noticed her. His eyes sparked with fury, he began walking towards her direction.
Does he have the nerve to be angry at me?
Noelle also started striding towards him. She opened the door and they came face to face.
Luca West towered over her, his eyes burning with the raw, irrational rage of a wild, trapped stallion.
Yet he could never frighten her. She met his eyes steadily, like a viper ready to sink its venomous fangs into him.
This fight would go down to the wire.
They spoke simultaneously.
"Why were you spying on me?"
"What were you doing on my desk?"
Noelle wasn't willing to let him take the lead. "Are you serious? I just caught you red-handed trying to access my laptop!"
"What business do I have with your laptop? You were the one stalking me!"
"I was walking down the hall and saw what you were up to. I should have imitated your example and taken some photos!"
"That's right! You need to keep records of me, for your assignment - whatever that is!"
"Apologize now! You were up to no good, and you keep accusing me of the most insane claims."
"I never apologize!" he declared.
"I didn't expect you to have manners."
"You don't know me!"
"And you don't know me either! And still you think you have everything figured out!"
"I told you from the beginning. There is no place for you here!"
"I don't want a place here! I don't want to be anywhere close to you!"
Noelle's voice cracked. Oh, shit! No!
She couldn't believe herself. She was angry. When she was angry, tears of sheer frustration stung her eyes. He would perceive that as a weakness.
She quickly pivoted, so he couldn't notice her chest pounding or her eyes…
"Nobody is keeping you here!" he said.
"Yeah, right. The moment I type my last period on that damn paper I'll be gone. But not a second before that."
He took a step closer, just enough to glimpse at her hidden face.
"When will I see what you are really writing about me?"
"Never!" she declared, turning to look at him again. Her eyes would still be watery, but she didn't care.
"I want to know."
His tone was commanding.
"That was what you were trying to do? Read it?"
That was ridiculous.
"If I had access to it, I would delete it."
"You have no right to delete my work!"
"I have the right to read what nonsense you will include about me. You know I'm a living, breathing human being, don't you?" he yelled.
"Living, breathing? Sure. Human? I doubt it!"
"Why am I not human? Because I don't treat you like the rest? Because I challenge your superiority? Because I want to protect myself?" he asked and his stare cracked just a little bit.
Behind the dark anger that usually clouded his eyes when they were fighting, Noelle distinguished for a moment a wounded boy.
Noelle stared right into his eyes. His pupils were blown wide, swallowing the iris. The rest of his face was pale, lacking his usual glow. She took a breath in. In front of her a young man was standing, scared and vulnerable, apparently fighting for something. He used his anger to mask the sadness and the anxiety. He was struggling to hide things he wasn't comfortable with.
She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, her gaze was sad - and calm.
Why did she suddenly feel the urge to understand him, of all people?
She lifted her hand and placed it lightly on his arm.
"What is wrong?"
His eyes dropped to her hand, confusion flickering across his face. His lips parted, ready to challenge her sudden change in behavior. Maybe she had just imagined it, but she could swear he trembled ever so slightly.
He didn't react instantly, but when he finally did, she wasn't surprised.
He jerked his hand back and glared at her again, with eyes sharp as a razor.
"Don't touch me again. Whatever you're trying with me… it won't work."
He stormed out of the office.
If only she could get inside his mind for just a moment. Just long enough to understand what he was so terrified she would find.