The Miracle of You

It was one of those moments when Camille was glad for Christian’s cold, authoritative nature, because at least with the strict rules he enforced, she didn’t feel too stressed about working at the company, and no one would dare bother her or make her feel alienated.

Then again, she never really had any friends here, even though she desperately wanted to. Everyone here seemed to have at least one friend they could count on, while she had none.

Michael didn’t count because one, he was the CEO of his own company, which was a competitor of Christian’s, and two, she wasn’t motivated enough to rely on him and get closer to him for obvious reasons, since Christian would only take advantage of it.

Due to the busy season, she even forgot that she needed to gather more information about Michael and learn more about his other connections so that she could report back to Christian. The industry gala was going to be held next month anyway, and Christian had made sure to give her the opportunity.

Camille sighed inwardly. It would be nice to talk to Michael again. That is, if it weren’t for Christian’s irritating presence, constantly reminding her of her personal mission.

She lifted her head from the documents on her desk and noticed that Christian hadn’t responded to her yet. He was still staring at her with that inscrutable look in his eyes.

She didn’t know what he was up to, but whatever it was, she was certain that she wouldn’t be happy about it.

“What a cold woman you are,” he said suddenly, a frosty smile forming on his lips. “Not even a word of thanks? I expected better from you.”

‘There he goes again with his stupid riddles,’ she thought in exasperation.

“Thanks for what exactly?” she said in annoyance. She really hated it when he was vague for no reason. He seemed to enjoy speaking in a roundabout way, forcing her to guess his intentions.

His smile faded, replaced by an icy expression that she had learned to fear over the years.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. Christian smiled at her again, but as always, it didn’t seem very sincere.

“Come with me to my office,” he said, turning and heading for his door. “I have something important to discuss with you.”

Camille followed him cautiously, not knowing what to expect.

For a moment, she feared that she might have made a mistake in the reports, or perhaps unintentionally offended a client in their correspondence. Or maybe there was a typo in the reports, which was something that he often resented due to his perfectionist nature.

‘No, I always check my reports thoroughly before handing them over,’ she thought. ‘Maybe I gave him the wrong file?’

Such mistakes, though seemingly trivial, were not so insignificant to Christian. But it had been a long time since Camille had made such mistakes. The last time it happened, she was still a rookie learning the ropes.

Christian had not gone easy on her at all and had reprimanded her for every single mistake. It had been a hell of an experience, but it had taught her to handle things better and to try to avoid upsetting her boss as much as possible.

So maybe this time, it was more serious than she thought.

What had he said just now?

Not even a word of thanks?

But what exactly should she thank him for? She had absolutely no idea.

Her previous feelings of joy and hope suddenly evaporated, and she was left with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

She no longer had to worry about her father because her brothers were going to help him fly abroad for treatment. So for now, she didn’t have to stress about his situation.

As for her blunder with Michael earlier, she was a little disappointed that they hadn’t been able to talk much sooner.

But when she thought about how Christian had secretly used details of their conversations for his own selfish benefit, she felt a surge of resentment and wondered, for the thousandth time, why she had to be cursed with a life like this. She felt like she was on pins and needles all the time, and it wasn’t a nice feeling at all.

No wonder she felt like she had premenstrual symptoms most of the time. She was in her early thirties, but she was still young. She didn’t like being stressed this much.

She never felt this way in her teenage years. She remembered being more carefree, calmer, and more rational.

This…

It didn’t feel like her. She felt like a ghost occupying a foreign body.

Forcing herself to concentrate, she looked at Christian, who was just standing at his desk, not even sitting down. It seemed that he considered the conversation important enough to remain standing.

His back was turned to her, which only made it worse.

Camille didn’t seem to sense any explosive anger from his aura, but she could tell that something was quietly simmering inside of him, which only made her more cautious.

Whatever he wanted to talk to her about, it seemed to be quite serious.

When he still didn’t say anything, she decided to speak up first instead.

“What is it, Mr. Callahan?” she asked. Maybe if she kept her tone calm and polite, the tension would ease a bit. “Have I made a mistake in the reports? If so, please tell me so I can make the corrections immediately.”

He turned to her slowly, and there was an unreadable look in his eyes.

He shook his head.

She stared at him, puzzled. “Then did one of the VIP customers make a complaint and I have to-”

“Who were you texting before I spoke to you?” he asked abruptly.

The unexpected question caught her off guard and made her eyes widen. She was momentarily speechless.

That was his problem?

Her jaw clenched in anger. “Like I said, it’s none of your business, Mr. Callahan,” she said wearily, frustrated at having to repeat herself over and over again.

Were they going to go on like this for years? If so, her patience was about to run out. She was not his damn property!© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Suddenly, before she knew it, he was standing right in front of her, gripping her chin so tightly that it sent a small sting of pain through her.

She flinched slightly, but reflexively stopped herself from pulling away. If she did, she might provoke a negative reaction from him, and she did not want that to happen. Especially not in his own office.

So instead, she stubbornly held his gaze, determined not to show any fear.

As far as she could remember, this was not the first time he had touched her so aggressively, but if he ever decided to go any further, she did not know what she would do in response. This was already bordering on dangerous territory.

“You know, you have been my greatest challenge to date, Miss van Gowen,” he remarked calmly, though his eyes were burning with intensity, as though his gaze alone could consume her whole. “I wonder… do you do it on purpose?”

“Do what?” she said, her tone devoid of emotion.

But on the inside, she was seething. She resisted the urge to snap at him for using her former name to taunt her once again. He seemed to enjoy provoking her, so she refused to give him the satisfaction.

He raised an eyebrow. “I see…” he said slowly, moving closer until their breaths mingled in the small space between their faces. “Well, then. Though it pains me to do so, I think I must teach you a little lesson this time. This way, you’ll never act against me again. Even my patience has its limits, Miss Parker.”