Summer Worthington doesn't hate her corporate job, per se. It's her god-awful boss, Mr. Griffin - or, as her roommates like to call him, Mr. Grouchy - who's the problem. He's cruel, cold-hearted, and the most attractive man she's ever seen.
As his p...
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I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF pouring myself a chai when Elle enters the staffroom. The sweet smell of her perfume tickles my nose as she tosses out a greeting and brushes past me to retrieve her lunch from the fridge. Then she makes a beeline for the microwave, even though we're the only two people in here, and starts to reheat her food.
Sympathy, followed by an odd pang of envy, flutters through my chest. It's almost two o'clock in the afternoon, and she still hasn't had a chance to eat.
That used to be my life.
"How's your day going?" I ask, adopting a casual, welcoming tone.
Unlike me yesterday, this is her first day at Elevated, and I'm probably the only person here who understands what she's experiencing right now—an overwhelming number of errands and administration work, plus shadowing Max all day. It's a lot, especially if this is her first time venturing into the corporate world.
She turns to me, her breathtaking features softening. "You're the first person who's asked me that. Probably because this is the first time I've actually left Max's office," she says, a little smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I wish I could say it's been a breeze, or that he hasn't put me through my paces just because I'm his favourite Bishop." She lets out a weary exhale. "But nope. It's been hectic."
His favourite Bishop.
My brain snags on that part, unable to move past it.
As if she can read my mind, Elle confirms, "I'm Patrick's little sister. I know, we don't look alike. I'm adopted."
So much information. It takes me a minute to process and accept what she's saying.
Elle isn't just some random—but qualified—applicant Max hired.
She's his best friend's sister.
God, their history. Their pasts. They'd be so interwoven and connected. Something tells me even an archaeologist would struggle to unearth everything they've been through together, so I'm not about to try.
Still, a hot, prickly feeling crawls into my throat, and my stomach twists in that funny way it does right before Lauren convinces me to go on that huge rollercoaster at Lunar Park. And when it's not nerves, it's generally because I know I'm on the precipice of something perspective-changing.
Ergo, the fact that she's his best friend's sister.
As she carefully removes her lunch from the microwave, it buys me a few seconds. I dunk my tea bag a few times and find myself wishing I'd brewed myself a black coffee instead—something more astringent to cauterise my gut.
When she sidles up to me, propping her hip against the kitchen counter, I glance up at her and give her the brightest smile I can muster. "That's awesome." I force out the words, hoping they sound sincere. I refuse to be a petty bitch. This is her first day at Elevated, and as much as it pains me to admit, I'm just Max's employee. I have no claim on him. "That you're adopted. And that you're Patrick's little sister. I had no idea."
