"Babe, where's my gold watch? The one with the brown-" Knox called out but I cut him off.

"It's on the bedside table. You dropped it on the floor earlier." I told him in a monotone.

Resisting the urge to shake my head, I focused on applying my makeup. Any lapse in concentration and I would mess the whole damn thing up and I wasn't about to go into work looking like a clown straight from the circus.

"Thanks, babe." Knox said as he entered the room and headed to the aforementioned table.

I responded with a curt nod. I used to find it cute how without me Knox would be a mess. He wasn't exactly the most organized person and I had somewhat of an OCD so I thought we were perfect opposites. However, at some point down the line, his little habits became my pet peeves and I sometimes felt like I was responsible for a toddler who had no clue how to take care of himself or his environment. It wasn't a feeling I encouraged, but it was there regardless of how I tried not to allow it cloud my judgement.

Knox came to stand in front of me, spreading his hands wide apart as he allowed me a good look of his outfit. He had on a gray crew neck shirt, faded black jeans, a dark brown bomber jacket, and a wide, boyish grin on his face. "How do I look?"

Amusement graced my features as I took him in. My mind went back to when we'd first started dating, I thought Knox was the hottest man to walk this earth. Somewhere down the line, that notion faded slightly as something became wedged between us and our relationship grew distant. But staring into the steely gray eyes that I loved so much, I was reminded of what made me fall in love with this man in the first place.

I leaned in and pressed my lips on his. Knox was mildly surprised at first, I could tell from his pause, but he looked into my eyes before he took my lips in a salacious kiss. "You look edible." I whispered against his lips and he gave me a devilish grin as his hands settled on my hips, squeezing lightly.

"Maybe I'll let you have a taste. That is, if you're a good girl." He played along before leaning in to kiss me one more time. "Today is a huge day."

He was nervous, that much was obvious from the way he couldn't stay still. At the construction company he worked for, the big boss would be coming in today and Knox strongly hoped to make an impression. A good enough one to get the promotion that he has had his eyes on since he was employed there. I wanted that for him too, for us.

Sparing the gold watch that was now wrapped around his wrist a glance, he released a breath before turning to leave. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," I said right before our bedroom door closed behind him.

Going into work for my first full month was dreadful. Namely because sometime between now and a week ago, something of some sorts had crawled up Ryder's ass and died there. A very painful death. I was slowly beginning to get a first class view as to why he changed assistants as he did his women. And boy does he change his women.

I'd vowed to myself to never complain, however, choosing instead to chant my mantra whenever my boss was in a mood and acting like a corporate dick.

Incredible pay.
Great health benefits.
Bomb office.

After the breakfast we'd had at The Loft, I had began to see him in a different light. More as a person than this bigger than life persona he seemed to carry around like a shield. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to see him as anything other than an asshole these days. For someone so damn handsome, his character was quite nothing to write about. But I was a fool to expect anything less after all that I've heard about the man.

Brittney was not at her desk when I arrived, her replacement —Des, I think— seating at her place instead and I made a mental note to call later to check in on her as I boarded the elevator to the 53rd floor, careful to balance the two cups of Starbucks coffee in my hands.

I sent a smile to Daniel from accounting who I'm boxed in with and as usual, he gives me a shy one in return, pushing his glasses up his nose in an almost nervous manner. We rarely ever exchanged words and the few times we had, his words came out in a stutter giving me the impression that he was somewhat scared of me which made no sense. I'm probably the least scary person on this earth, most times.

My heels clicked loudly in the wide spread but quiet executive floor as I first made my way to Ryder's office to drop his coffee. I didn't want to have to deal with a uncaffeinated Ryder because I had quickly come to realize that was the worst version of him so I tried to always make sure that I had his poison of choice on his desk every morning before he came in by eight o' clock sharp which was any moment now.

After that, I went to my office and fired up my computer, getting to work. I didn't stop until I had sent Ryder his schedule for the week, although I'm fairly sure he never actually referenced it seeing as he asked me for everything, but he had insisted that I do so in the beginning so I did.

By eight, I heard the sound of his no doubt polished Italian loafers as he walked briskly to his office, a man trailing behind him. I listened to the sound of their footsteps till it receded before releasing a breath that I didn't realize I was holding in. The mere presence of the man in my vicinity never failed to make the hairs on my neck stand on alert but I wasn't sure if it was in horror, or something else.

Barely five minutes later, the intercom in my office buzzed and I heard that deep voice of his say, "Come to my office." And the device beeped to signal the end of the message. No 'please', and no 'good morning'. But I was used to it at this point so with a slight roll of my eyes, I made my way to his office.

I knocked and without waiting for a response, pushed the door open and walked in. The poor guy —someone from marketing who I had no idea what his name was— stood in the middle of the room where he was being berated and I almost felt sorry for him as I watched his head hang low.

The power that Ryder had to talk down on people, even those older than him, was crazy to me because despite it all, those people seemed to have an even mixture of fear and reverence for the man. I mean, I get it, he's a multi billionaire with several companies to his name and he was able to do all that at a fairly young age which is pretty admirable. However, in my opinion, that gave him no right to speak to people the way he did. But who the hell was going to tell him that and give him the reality check he so desperately needed?

"Get it done this week, Mark, or by next week you won't have a job to go to." He bit out, his voice clipped and his steely gaze firm on the other man.

Mark nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir." And then he turned around to leave. I tried to convey my sympathy with my eyes but he had his gaze downcast and I watched him leave, timidly shutting the door closed behind him.

With just us in the room, Ryder seemed to suck up all the air with his presence as he brought his phone up to his ear. I told myself that his current engagement was why I wasn't giving him a piece of my mind on his poor manners, or lack thereof, but I knew otherwise.

I waited for him to finish, getting more impatient by the second. Drumming my fingers against my thigh, I took him in in his custom tailored blue suit with nearly invisible pinstripes—and I know this because one too many times, he has made me race across town to his tailor to get his suits even when it could easily be delivered. I couldn't deny how good and powerful he looked in it but that was entirely besides the point so I pulled my eyes away from his muscular back that filled out his jacket just right, and to his dark brown hair which had been slicked back with no strand out of place.

Ending his call, he turned around to me finally and the intensity of his heated glare as he took me in almost had me melting on the spot. Those bloody eyes that could make fully grown men cower were perusing the outline of my shape in the red, body con corporate dress that I had on, his stare lingering on the curve of my hips for a moment too long. I wasn't a voluptuous woman, not by a long shot, but I did fill out certain clothes nicely and for some reason I found myself happy that I had picked this dress today simply because of the appreciative gleam in Ryder's eyes that heated me up positively.

As if catching himself, he blinked, the moment ending rather abruptly as he picked up the cup of coffee on his desk and asked me, "What is this?"

I scrunched up my face, confused. "Your usual."

Ryder brought the cup up to his lips and took a sip, smacking his lips in distaste. "Why does it taste different?"

I wasn't the barrista so I didn't understand why he was asking me all these fucking questions. "Maybe they changed the recipe," I replied succinctly, shrugging my shoulders.

He tilted his head at me before taking a seat. "I don't want it."

The last thing I wanted to do was to walk several blocks down just to get him another cup of coffee but the repercussion wasn't one I was willing to face so I ground out, the question not wanting to escape my lips, "Should I get you another one?"

"Yes." He said, already directing his attention to something else.

Gritting my teeth in annoyance, I went to pick up the cup. It was a wonder how this man could heat up my body inside out with just a stare one minute, and grate on my nerves till I barely had a shred of self control with just a few words out of his beautiful lips the next. I was almost out of the room when he said, "Preferably the one you got last time."

I couldn't believe it. The last time I had gotten him a caramel Frappuccino, instead of his usual dark roast coffee (which, by the way, I could easily make in the break room) he had complained about it. Now he was asking for the same damn drink? Sometimes I feel like I'm dealing with an indecisive child.

Clamping my lips shut, I made an effort to avoid saying what I really wanted to say and quietly left his office. Thankfully it was a cool day so the walk to the coffee shop didn't leave me a sweaty mess.

On my way back, my phone began ringing with a call from Megan and I gladly picked up. Her voice was shrill and loud prompting me to pull the phone away from my ear to avoid having it go dead as she shouted, "Guess who just got asked to write an article for Cosmopolitan?"

A wide grin came to my face, excitement rapidly filling me as she screamed again, and if I weren't in public, I would've joined her. "Oh my God, Megan, that's amazing!"

"I know!" I could practically see the face splitting grin on her face. She'd been so hesitant to take the risk of becoming a freelance writer, but she'd had no other choice because Megan could simply not work in an environment where what she wrote was being dictated to her. She was a free spirit and liked to live as one. However, now, a few years after making that decision, her hard work was paying off in the best ways. "When I saw the email I legit thought it was misdirected, I had to double check, but nope. They actually want me."

"Don't start. You're an incredible writer, and it's about time that the world wakes up and finally starts to see that. Next up is Vogue."

"Yes! God, I'm ready." She breathed out and I laughed as I walked through the lobby of Stone Inc. "I'm feeling rich and expensive so I want to take my girls out for drinks tonight. You in?"

"Free alcohol? You need not ask." I quipped.

"You lowkey an alcoholic, you know that?"

"Me and half of the population. Bye, Meg, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, girl!"

I hung up as I entered the elevator, this time with an older man. He gave me a smile, crows feet crinkling at the corner of his eyes but that did nothing to detract from his handsome looks. He looked to be in his fifties and was oddly familiar to me but I couldn't quite place where I had seen him before.

"Good morning." I greeted respectfully as I returned his smile.

He replied, his voice strong and firm. I went to press the button for the 53rd floor but it was already blinking. As we began our ascent in silence, I wondered if he was an executive in the company. Going by the expensive Rolex watch on his wrist, and the three piece suit he had on, it was likely.

We got off together and I became even more confused when we both walked to Ryder's office. I pushed open the door since I was in front of him and Ryder, of course, didn't spare me a glance.

He didn't look up until I said, "I'm sorry, sir, you're going to have to wait outside."

"It's fine." Ryder's voice interrupted and the man's lips curved into a smile before he walked in. He didn't speak very much. "Hello, father." My boss said with a curt nod.

My eyes buldged as it finally dawned on me why the man looked so familiar and I took in the resemblance of both men. Ryder's father was like an older replica of him and standing together, it couldn't be missed.

After the resemblance sunk in, the next thing I noticed was the cool indifference Ryder had towards his father's presence as he fixed the man with a cold stare. He couldn't possibly treat his family how he treated everyone else. Could he?

"Son." The man grinned, a hint of pride in his voice as he called Ryder that. His gaze flitted to me. "I see you got yourself a new assistant. She's beautiful."

I blushed at the compliment as I went to drop the paper cup of coffee on Ryder's table, eager to get out of there. The air felt tense and it wasn't hard to detect that both men didn't have the best relationship.

Ryder was silent as his father continued, "Whatever happened to Gretchen?"

"She quit months ago." Came his gruff response before asking seriously, "What are you doing here?"

I thought that was a little harsh, and so did his father if that small flinch of his was anything to go by.

"Aren't you happy to see your old man?" He asked but Ryder's response was a disgruntled sound. Not a no, but definitely not a yes. I find myself feeling bad for the man. No one deserved to be treated this way, especially by their own child.

He proceeded to say something else but I don't hear him as I shut the door closed behind me and head to my office.

Unable to concentrate as I return to work, my thoughts drift to my strikingly handsome boss and his father. I wondered why Ryder was so cold towards his own father.

I didn't have much experience when it came to having parents as mine were gone long before I even understood why, but I'd always thought that the whole point of family was to love and cherish each other. There didn't seem to be much love between the two which confused me because his father seemed like a nice enough man. But then again, I had to remind myself that not everything —or in this case, everyone— is always as it seems. Perhaps that was where Ryder learnt to be cold in the first place.

Pulling myself from my thoughts, I began to work. Several minutes later, the intercom buzzed and Ryder said, "Mrs Smith, will you please escort my father out?"

It wasn't a request but at least he'd used the word 'please' which caused me to smile lightly as I quickly stood up.

The room was quiet when I walked in and the old man looked tired after a mere fifteen minutes conversation with his stuck up son, however, a soft, almost regretful smile lingered on his thin lips.

"Well, if you have a change of heart," Stone Sr said, "you know where we will be. Felicity and Gigi would love if you were there."

A moment passed before Ryder finally conceded, "Fine. I'll be there."

"You can bring your pretty assistant with you as well." He said, turning to me.

"I'm sorry, what?" I blurted, wondering what exactly I was being roped into without my permission.

Stone Sr walked to me, his tall Fran hovering over me as he held my right hand in both of his. He said, "My family is in town for a little while and we'd love for you to join us for dinner this evening. I know it will be past your work hours-"

"No, it's no problem. I'll be there." Ryder's unreadable eyes fixed on me as the words escaped my lips and although I couldn't tell what he was thinking, I wondered if he had wanted me to refuse his father's offer.
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I actually cannot believe it's been exactly a year since I last updated this book. The plot lingers at the back of my mind but putting it into words is such a struggle sometimes. I have like 3 drafts of this one chapter so I really hope you guys enjoyed this.

Please vote and comment as that encourages me to keep writing, and I'll try my best to update soon!❤️