Chapter 13
Giselle glanced around the massive office again, still struggling to believe this was where she was supposed to be. It wasn’t a corner office, but it had an entire wall of windows with a sweeping view of the city, the kind she had only ever seen in movies. Or Dimitri’s office.
Another wall was lined with bookshelves and sleek, built-in drawers, making the space feel polished and professional. In the far corner, a small conference table with four chairs sat neatly arranged, as if waiting for important discussions to take place.
This office couldn’t belong to someone like her.
She barely had time to process the overwhelming shift before a voice pulled her from her thoughts.
“Is there anything more that you need?”
Giselle turned, clutching the pathetic cardboard box that contained her few personal items. Mike, Dimitri’s ever-efficient assistant, stood in the doorway, his face impassive, his notebook and tablet pressed protectively to his chest.
“Um… are you sure this is where Mr. De Luca wants me to work?” she asked, still thrown by the sheer size of the office.
“Yes, ma’am,” Mike replied with his usual crisp professionalism.
Giselle turned again, scanning the space as if something would suddenly explain why she had been placed in a room that could fit her entire apartment inside of it with lots of room to spare. “But… it’s so big.”
Mike didn’t react to her bewilderment. He simply nodded once. “Let me know if there is anything else you need.” Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, still clutching her pathetic, crumpled box like a lifeline.
She exhaled, preparing to head straight to Dimitri’s office for an explanation. But before she could, a dark shadow fell across her doorway.
“Well, this was a huge jump in your pay grade,” came a sneering voice.
Giselle tensed immediately.
She sighed, already knowing who she would find.
Elliot Miller, her former boss, stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes taking in the office with a mixture of disdain and envy.
His mouth twisted into a mocking smirk as he looked at her, his gaze sweeping pointedly over her from head to toe before focusing on the red dress. His expression soured further.
“I guess we know exactly how you got the office upgrade, don’t we?”
Giselle’s breath caught. What a disgusting assumption. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, a mix of shock and anger burning through her.
“What did you just say?” she demanded, her grip tightening around the box in her arms.
Elliot stepped into the office, his smug expression unwavering. “Does he choose your positions every night, or are you just permanently on your knees?”
Giselle’s stomach twisted in fury and humiliation. The words were so vile, so completely out of line that, for a long moment, she simply stood there, staring at him, her mouth hanging open in speechless outrage.
But before she could respond, another presence filled the doorway. And suddenly, the air in the office shifted.
“What did you just say?”
The words were spoken softly. Too softly. That was never a good sign. Elliot stiffened, his smug confidence flickering as he turned to face the door.
Dimitri.
He stood there, his massive frame blocking the entrance, his expression unreadable. But the tension radiating from him was impossible to ignore.
For a split second, Elliot hesitated.
Then, as if regaining his bravado, he took a step forward and extended his hand with a forced smile. “Mr. De Luca! I’m Elliot Miller. You just stole my best— ow!”
The words cut off into a strangled gasp as Dimitri took Elliot’s hand—but instead of shaking it, he twisted the man’s fingers with effortless precision. Elliot dropped to his knees so fast it was almost comical, his mouth opening in silent agony, his eyes bulging. Dimitri didn’t so much as blink.
"Mr. Miller," he said in a voice that was deceptively calm, "you just deeply insulted a member of my staff."
Elliot let out a strained whimper, his free hand clawing at Dimitri’s wrist, but his steel grip didn’t budge.
Giselle stared, her heart pounding. She should intervene. She should stop this. But a dark, vicious part of her was thoroughly enjoying watching Elliot squirm. Dimitri leaned down slightly, his voice dropping even lower.
“Apologize.”