Page 29 of Unlocking my Boss's Heart

Mei Shau was the woman suing Aiko Osaka and the publisher for allegedly stealing her idea and turning it into a successful novel.

“I’m still lost as to how I can help,” I said, spreading my hands.

He leaned forward, and the momentary reprieve I felt from thinking about him romantically, brought on by the Osaka case, suddenly vanished. His gaze pierced through me, and I caught my breath.

“I want a detailed chapter-by-chapter synopsis of the book, along with any extra details you can find from newspapers or other sources, on my desk first thing Monday.”

“Monday!”

“If you don’t think you can do it, I’ll assign the research to someone else.”

“I can do it,” I said quickly. “It was just a redundant exclamation.”

I was still within the three-month probationary period, and I couldn’t afford to show anything less than my full potential as an associate. But this jitteriness had to stop. Too much distraction on my part was making Anton think I wasn’t up to the task. I certainly didn’t want to disappoint him. This was an opportunity to prove my capability to him and the entire firm. Doing excellent work on this could open the door to other projects.

“I still have a few tasks to finish for Mr. Gibsons. Should I complete those first?” I asked.

“No. I spoke to him. You’re now on my team—a junior associate. So, no excuses.”

I nodded in acknowledgment. Finally, I was assigned my first real task, one that would make a significant contribution to a major court case.

“Synopsis, extra details. Any other requests?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing that I can think of.” His gaze shifted to his laptop screen, signaling the meeting was over.

As I stood, he raised his head again. “Miss Adams, I’m looking forward to reading your Aiko Osaka case research. No excuses,” he added firmly.

I nodded. “Got it. Monday morning, no excuses.”

It was Wednesday today, but I was confident I could finish reading the book over the weekend and have my report on his desk by Monday morning.

This is real.I felt some pressure settling in, tightening like a knot in my stomach. But beneath the anxiety, a spark of excitement flickered. This was exactly the kind of challenge I’d been hoping for, the kind of case that could prove I belonged here. My first step to reach the top.

On Monday, as soon as I arrived at work, I dropped my bag at my desk and clutched the folder containing the synopsis Anton—that is, Mr. Waltons—had requested. I had to stop thinking of him as Anton if I wanted to keep things professional.

I’d spent the weekend reading, which felt more like fun than work. Then, I’d written a synopsis that was concise enough not to be boring but detailed enough to adequately cross-examine the story’s facts if the case went to court.

I was excited, confident I had completed the work to perfection. And I couldn’t deny that I wanted to impress my boss. After all, what employee didn’t want to be in their boss’ good favor through strong work performance? I told myself that was my only motivation—to solidify my position here at Waltons & Associates.

With a spring in my step, I arrived at his office. Olivia was seated at her desk, a cup of coffee in her hand.

“Good morning. Anton asked me to prepare this for him.” I realized too late that I’d used his first name out loud. Hopefully, she didn’t notice.

“Oh,” she said. “Mr. Waltons won’t be in today.”

“Really?” Her statement hit me like a whiplash. I leaned closer to Olivia’s desk. “May I ask why? What happened?”

“Family emergency,” she said simply, then resumed her work.

What a joy-killer those two words were.

Several emotions surged through me, with disappointment being the most prominent. I’d been so looking forward to seeing his approval of my work reflected on his face.

I breathed deeply to calm my emotions and think rationally.

Family emergencies usually meant someone was sick or had an accident. I didn’t know anything about Anton’s family, except what I’d found online—mostly details about the Waltons’ wealth. Was he the one with the emergency? Or was it someone else, maybe a girlfriend?

At that thought, a lump formed in my throat so big that I could barely swallow.

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