Chapter 6 Staff Room Intel
Staff Room Intel
The employee staff room was a weird little small zone between chaos and caffeine, broken vending machines, mismatched mugs, and the kind of buzzing overhead lights that screamed you're underpaid.
Maddison, all legs and attitude in a curve hugging dress and oversized cardigan, flopped dramatically onto the old suede sofa like it was a throne. She stretched with a yawn that conveniently drew every eye in the room.
"So," she said loudly, sipping her lukewarm tea, "anyone wanna tell me what the hell I just walked into working for Lucas Creams? Because my last job involved a sleazy boss and a broken printer. Now I've got a CEO who glares like I stole his soul."
A few chuckles rippled around the room. The PR intern Francesca, who always wore sunglasses indoors tilted her head.
"Lucas doesn't talk," Francesca said flatly. "That's his whole thing. Broody. Brilliant. Broken, probably."
"Ugh. Dangerous," Maddison drawled with a grin. "I love that."
She took another sip of tea. "So he's single, then?"
That perked them up.
The younger guy from Events Mason, or maybe Max leaned forward, lowering his voice like he was reciting a cursed bedtime story.
"There was a woman. Gallery owner. Stunning. Artsy. Left him after two months and a lot of screaming. Something about him being emotionally repressed and obsessed with power dynamics."
Maddison blinked, hiding her smirk behind her mug.
Emotionally repressed? Check. Power dynamics? Double check.
Francesca slid her sunglasses down her nose. "Everyone thought he was in love with some online girl after that. Apparently he started some alt accounts to thirst trap anonymously and got obsessed with this one follower."
Maddison coughed on her tea. "Oh no, what? Like a fan account?"
"Worse," Mason whispered. "He was simping . Like, full paragraphs. Rumor is, he met her and it ended badly. No one knows who she is, though."
"Yeah," Francesca added. "Lucas blocked me when I asked. So obviously it's true."
Maddison sat back, mind reeling.
There was no way.
...Was there?
She forced a laugh, keeping her tone light. "Men are always more emotional online. I bet he cries over her at night while oiling his suit collection."
The room burst out laughing.
But Maddison?
She was already making a list.
● Alt account.
● Gallery ex.
● Secret simple history.
And most of all…
Was she the one he'd been simping for all along?
***
Lucas leaned back in his chair, the surveillance feed from the staff kitchen looping silently on his second monitor.
There she was. Maddison Parker.
Laughing. Teasing. Holding court like a queen on a crappy suede throne. Every inch of her, from the scar on her knee to the curl of her lip when she smirked, had already wormed under his skin.
She was asking about him again.
He could tell by the way Francesca leaned in, by the sly grin Maddison bit back behind her mug. She was digging. And Lucas couldn't decide if that thrilled him or terrified him.
The screen froze mid frame: Maddison mid eyeroll, legs crossed, her fingers tapping her thigh in that rhythm she always used when she was bored or scheming. He zoomed in slightly.
"Booklover69," he muttered under his breath. "You little stalker... are you trying to find me, or burn me down?"
"You know that's weird, right?"
Logan's voice cut through the quiet like a blade.
Lucas flinched, scrambling to click off the feed too late.
Logan lounged against the door frame, arms crossed, a fresh cut healing on his
cheek. "Watching your assistant flirt with the entire building like a Bond villain. You okay there, bro?"
"She was asking about me," Lucas said coldly.
"God forbid," Logan shot back. "She's not allowed to be curious about the emotionally constipated CEO with a burner thirst account and trust issues?"
Lucas glared, but Logan wasn't finished.
"Be honest. You think she's your ghost," he pressed. "The one from the DMs. Book whatever. You've been spiraling since she walked in."
Lucas didn't answer. His silence was enough.
Logan's smirk faded into something harder. "Just don't fall for a fantasy, Luc. You fall hard. And when you fall, we all bleed for it."
Lucas looked back at the frozen screen. Maddison's head was thrown back in a laugh. Unbothered. Bold. Real.
"What if she's not a fantasy?" he murmured.
Logan shrugged and walked away.
Lucas stayed seated.
And didn't press play.