Page 54 of Unlocking my Boss's Heart

More like we wereaboutto. But now that she showed up at my house, there was no way I was getting in the middle of all their drama.

Reeva’s eyes widened. She might have expected me to put up a fight or become upset, but my nonchalance caught her off guard, pulling the rug out from under her. She remained silenced by what I said, that was my cue.

I brushed past her and walked back to my apartment.

So much for going for a walk to escape my solitude and thoughts.

Why allow things to get even more complicated? I needed to complete the breakup conversation as soon as possible. That task though, wasn’t a small feat.

Once in my room, I sank onto my bed, feeling like a hollow shell.

The next day passed in a blur. I slept late, oblivious to my alarm ringing, and didn’t wake up until Maddison shook me. I got to work on time, but I was nerve-racked. The possibility of seeing Anton made things worse. I hadn’t called him as I promised, nor had I answered his text.

I carried on like nothing was wrong, drafting legal papers and completing administrative tasks. Yet my mind was atangled mess of thoughts about how to complete the breakup conversation I’d started, after we felt so connected at the hospital. Just before lunch, an email from Anton arrived.

He was in the office and wanted to see me.

My brain buzzed with anticipation. My nerves became as frail and friable as dried feathers. With each heartbeat pounding in my chest, I struggled to stay composed as the elevator ascended. Olivia wasn’t at her desk, so I went directly to Anton’s door and knocked.

“Come in,” came his muffled voice.

I pushed the mahogany door open, pausing just inside. Anton sat at his desk, the backdrop of the impressive Manhattan skyline framing him. His suit jacket hung over the back of his chair, and he’d loosened his tie. My breath caught as I noticed the top button of his dress shirt undone. This was the most casual I had ever seen him at work.

He was not going to make this easy, was he?

He looked up.

“Olivia wasn’t at her desk,” I stammered.

“I gave her the day off,” he replied, his eyes briefly meeting mine.

I nodded and took a few steps forward, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and the stress lines etched across his face.

“How’s your dad?” There I went again, letting my emotions take over.

Reflecting on the ignored texts from Anton the previous night, I reassured myself that he wouldn’t be here if his father’s condition had worsened.

Anton leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands. “He’s improving, much better today.”

His tone was professional, almost detached. Right now, I feel like any other employee. That was what I’d wanted, but it stung and was disconcerting, to say the least.

He motioned for me to sit. “I won’t be here long today, but I wanted to let you know your probationary period is over.”

“Really?” I exclaimed. “I thought I still had about…two weeks.”

The probationary period was supposed to be three months, yet I was given freedom from it early. What a surprise!

“Yes. But you were already handling cases before you got hired.”

This was such unexpected news.

“What do I do now?” I looked at my hands, when I noticed he was watching every surprised emotion unfold on my face.

“You’re ready to take the lead on small cases,” he continued. “You’ve been filling an interning role with research and simple legal drafts, which help you understand how the firm runs. Since you joined my team, what you’ve done so far on the Aiko Osaka case tells me that you are ready to transition.”

This news couldn’t have come at a better time. Just when I wondered how I would manage to stay away from him, getting my own cases would keep me out of his office. Yet my heart dropped at that thought. I felt a pang of loss. Those times we’d spent in this office together…I would miss them. I already missed the connection we’d established.

My heart sank further as I recalled his mother’s words at the hospital:Don’t break his heart.

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