Ficorpio
Chapter 1
You never know how much trouble drunken bravado can cause.
For example, complaining about your boss’s stinginess and razor-sharp tongue in front of the entire company, then loudly declaring that you were going to seduce him.
And then getting caught red-handed by the man himself.
You and your best friend, Mia Parker, were gloriously drunk when your boss’s video conference suddenly popped up on your phone.
Dazed, you answered, tapped the mute button, and figured you could sit there like a warm body until the meeting ended.
After a few more drinks, Mia stared at the handsome man on the screen and poked you in the arm.
“Your boss is ridiculously good-looking. No wonder you’re always drooling over him. With a face like that, he’d definitely be worth sleeping with.”
Fueled by alcohol, you thumped your chest and declared, “One of these days, I’m going to take him down. I’ll make him cry and beg me to call him sweetheart. Then I’ll make him kneel and sing I Surrender!”
The instant the words left your mouth, the video conference fell deathly silent.
For a full minute, no one said a word.
Then a deep voice came through your phone.
“Let’s end here for today. I have something to deal with.”
Before you could process what had happened, Natalie Brooks, the human resources director, called you.
“Did you drink counterfeit liquor? The entire company knows you want to take down the boss!”
You: “…”
You had muted the phone, hadn’t you?
Hadn’t you?
You jolted halfway sober and grabbed your phone. Then you saw the problem.
Oh, no.
You had muted the phone itself. You hadn’t muted the conference microphone at all.
It was fine. Stay calm. Maybe this was all a dream.
You pinched yourself hard.
“Ow!”
The pain made you bare your teeth.
This was bad. This was really, really bad.
Could you still live on this planet?
A message from “Adrian Sterling the Skinflint” appeared in your company chat.
Your trembling fingers opened it.
Hotel, Room 1608. Anyone who doesn’t show up is a coward.
The alcohol evaporated from your system. Your hands and feet went cold.
What were you supposed to do?
You shakily typed, “Boss, did something happen?”
Adrian replied instantly.
Playing dumb?
That excuse clearly wasn’t going to work.
You tried another.
“Boss… that wasn’t actually me. It was someone with a very similar voice…”
His reply came just as quickly.
Do you think I’m an idiot?
You: “…”
Ten minutes later, Adrian sent another message.
I’m here.
You: “…”
Ten minutes after that:
I’m going to take a shower first.
You: “…”
Another ten minutes passed.
I’m lying in bed now. When are you getting here?
You: “…”
Oh, God. Someone save you.
On your knees in spirit, you typed, “Grandpa, I was wrong…”
Then you opened an anonymous advice forum and posted:
Chapter 2
I have a friend who got drunk, complained about her boss in front of the entire company, and then loudly announced that she wanted to seduce him. What should she do?
The top response immediately sent you a file.
Resignation Letter Template.docx
That night, you dreamed you were writing resignation letters.
The next morning, you arrived late to work.
No surprise there.
So what if you were late? Your career at Sterling Holdings was already on borrowed time.
There were enough women fantasizing about Adrian Sterling to form a line from the executive offices all the way to the lobby, but you were the first to announce publicly that you planned to drag him into bed.
To be fair, Adrian had taken your breath away the first time you saw him. Strong brows, striking eyes, endless legs, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and an ass that had no business looking that good in a suit. Every inch of him matched your taste.
Back then, you’d even wondered whether one of those alpha-billionaire-CEO romances might happen to you. If Adrian Sterling fell madly in love with you, you would gladly endure the nine-to-nine grind.
Reality had proved you far too young and naive.
After nearly six months as Adrian’s secretary, every last illusion you’d had about him was gone.
Romance was impossible. Making money under him was even harder.
Aside from his face, the man had no redeeming qualities. He embodied everything wrong with ruthless corporate executives: stingy, sharp-tongued, cold-blooded, and utterly devoid of humanity.
So your declaration that you were going to sleep with Adrian Sterling had been nothing more than drunken bravado.
After all, he was the one who had established Sterling Holdings’ no-dating policy. Rumor had it that his previous secretary had been fired after slipping into his bed during a business trip wearing next to nothing. Adrian had supposedly thrown her out of the room, comforter and all.
Clutching your resignation letter, you played the funeral march for your career in your head before knocking on his office door.
“B-Boss. Your coffee.”
Your hands trembled as you set the freshly brewed coffee on his desk.
Adrian lifted his wrist and glanced at his watch. “Fifteen dollars for being late. Your seventy-five-dollar attendance bonus is gone too.”
You stared at him in silence.
Even with one foot out the door, he still had to squeeze every last cent out of you. Typical.
Adrian picked up the coffee and took a small sip. His brows drew together.
“Too bitter.”
Is it more bitter than my life?
You cursed him viciously in your head while arranging your face into a professional smile. “Of course. I’ll keep that in mind next time, Mr. Sterling.”
Chapter 3
He set down the cup, rolled his shoulders, and leaned back in his chair. His gaze settled on you.
“Anything you’d like to say about yesterday?”
You suddenly felt like the doomed player in a game of Mafia who had been eliminated during the night and was now being asked for their final words.
What final words could you possibly have?
There was only one lesson written in the blood and tears of your humiliation: never drink recklessly, and never run your mouth while drunk.
“I… had too much to drink,” you stammered, clasping your hands tightly. “I was only joking.”
“Oh?” His index finger tapped lightly against the desk. He looked entirely at ease. “Which part was a joke?”
You stopped breathing.
“The part where you called me stingy, poisonous, and inhuman?” he continued. “Or the part where you said you wanted to take me to bed?”
His brow lifted slightly.
“I assume you’ve said plenty more behind my back.”
You stood frozen, your skin prickling and your throat closing up.
“I was wrong, Mr. Sterling.”
Adrian lazily raised his eyes and gave a quiet laugh. “Where did all that courage from yesterday go? You like being called baby, don’t you? And do you know how to sing ‘I Surrender’?”
Every word struck a fatal blow.
Memories of your mortifying public exposure attacked you from all sides.
“Mr. Sterling, this is my resignation letter.” Unable to take another second, you thrust it toward him.
Adrian accepted it without even looking at the page and tossed it aside.
“At least you know when you’re beaten.” He chuckled. “Fine. Once we hire a new secretary, you can get out.”
Cold-blooded bastard.
“Yes, sir.” You answered with another fake smile.
“Since you’re leaving, finish everything currently on your plate as quickly as possible.” He spoke at an infuriatingly measured pace. “We’re busy lately, so you’re guaranteed to work Saturday. Whether you get Sunday off remains to be seen. Thanks for your hard work, Ms. Bennett.”
No need to thank me. I brought this on myself.
Your smile remained firmly in place. “It’s no trouble. Just doing my job.”
You were leaving anyway. What else could he do to you?
Adrian gave a faint hum and pointed at the cup on his desk. “Please wash this too.”
“Yes, sir.”
You picked up the ceramic cup with its vintage blue-and-white pattern. The instant your fingers touched it, it slipped from your hand.
Crack.
It hit the floor and shattered into several pieces.
You stared down at the fragments.
Had that cup just framed you?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Sterling. I didn’t mean to…” You stood there awkwardly, at a complete loss.