His Revenge

Chapter 6 - Scarlett

Scarlett P.O.V

I step off the elevator onto the tenth floor and toss the Styrofoam container into the trash bin. The fries and chili cheese hotdog had lost their appeal halfway through lunch. And instead of looking for something more appetizing, I returned to work. Besides, I could use the extra few minutes to prepare for my next patient.

I'm almost to my office when I spot Luciano down the hall. He's leaning against the opposite wall with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his gray pinstriped suit and his left foot tapping impatiently on the white tiled floor. His head's down, and his hair mussed as if he'd repeatedly run his fingers through it.

At the clacking of my heels on the floor, his foot stops mid-tap as his head shoots over to me. I swear I see the look of abject horror flit across his face before he schools his features.

"Hey!" He over-enthusiastically greets, straightening from the wall and fidgeting with the knot in his tie.

"Hey, what are you doing down here?" I ask, coming to a stop in front of him.

"I uh..." He licks his lips and rakes his fingers through his hair, further messing the dark strands. "I-I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, okay."

Whatever it is. He's clearly nervous about it. I can practically feel it radiating off his body in waves.

"I'm sorry if I acted too impulsively the other night. It wasn't my intention. But that kiss was...nice." He shifts his weight from foot to foot, eyes cutting to something behind me before returning to my face.

"Actually, more than that, to be honest. Was it the same for you?"

"Yeah," I say quietly, almost to myself, as heat crawls up my neck.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. It was... unexpected, but I definitely enjoyed it."

"Sweet." He beams, lightly bobbing his head. "So I was wondering if you w-"

A slightly muffled clang sounds behind me. I turn around and look down the hallway. It's empty except for us.

"Did you hear that?" I ask, my eyes shifting between my office and the stairwell door. They were the only two at this end of the corridor.

"What?"

"That," I say when I hear the noise again.

He shrugs, and I move away to check it out myself.

"Wait, Scarlett!" He shouts at my back, but I don't stop.

Not even when I see my office door cracked open, I'm too driven by my curiosity.

I push it further open and step inside. Seeing every drawer of my secretary's desk open with the files and folders sticking out in every possible direction brings me to an abrupt stop. My stomach drops, and before I can even contemplate who or why they did this, a light-clicking comes from my left. I turn, and my breath catches in my throat at the darkly dressed figure barreling toward me from my office. Fear freezes me to spot like a deer in headlights. And before I know it, he rams into me, sending me flying backward into the door and knocks me out cold.

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Thank you for reading!