Clara was startled by Adrian's sudden burst. Her eyes widened as she watched him glare at her fiercely and she quivered within his hold.
"What did you mean then, Clara" she heard him say and she gasped as her lips trembled at the sound of his loud voice.
Adrian himself couldn't understand what had gotten into him, but watching her move away from him made his anger erupt. She wasn't this restrained when it was Austin, then why was she obliged to him?
Clara wriggled in his arms trying to break free from his hold but he was too strong for her to even move. She knew he was upset with her but she was just doing her job.
Being his assistant, she had to keep a tap on his life. Overstressing and working had already damaged his brain cells which is why he lost his temper for no reason.
He was suffering from so many health issues and if he kept on going like this, then she doubted, he would end up living a lonely life with no ounce of happiness in it.
"Sighing!... I am sorry but I have no other choice" She stopped struggling and looked at Adrian giving a sorry look before she lifted her leg and stamped on his foot.
"Ah..." Adrian whined and his arms around her waist loosened.
Clara took the chance and freed herself taking a few steps back and watching his stumble back.
"YOU..." Adrian gnashed his teeth shooting a glare at Clara who tucked her tongue out feeling sorry.
Adrian was about to charge her when his phone rang and his steps halted. Clara took that chance to run out of his cabin before he came back to punish her.
Pursing his lips, Adrian was damn ignited by her disobedience and he wasn't going to let this incident skip away. Taking a few deep breaths, Adrian calmed himself before he pulled out his phone.
"Hello my Addy teddy" a chirpy voice echoed from the other side of the call making Adrian roll his eyes. He knew who this person was and listening to him associated with a name that he never liked made him want to jump into the phone and smack that insensible head of this man.
"James..."
"Hehe... I know, I know you don't like me calling you Addy Teddy but trust me, Adrian, that name suits you very well" James teased Adrian annoying him further.
James Adler was not only Adrian's friend but also his business partner and the owner of Adler Corps.
"Did you call me to talk nonsense" Adrian walked back to his chair with difficulty and sat down expressing his displeasure.
Even though James was unbearable sometimes, still Adrian couldn't push him away. He was the only one who stood with him in the darkest phase of his life.
There was a long pause in between when Adrian rolled his eyes and said," Now don't go getting upset with me. It makes me puke"
James was like those girls who would get upset when pointed wrong. Though he was a handsome man sometimes he would act like a spoiled girl.
"You think I talk nonsense," James said in his grumpy voice.
"You always talk nonsense" Adrian muttered under his breath but it was enough for the already upset man to get more upset.
"Fine, from today onwards I won't be calling you and let you be on your own" James ended the call abruptly on Adrian's ace leaving the man in confusion.
"Tell me something that isn't going to happen" Adrian mumbled before pulling away the phone and keeping it back inside his pocket.
There was no way, James would ever leave him alone. If he wanted to, he would have done it long back when Adrian used to shove him away or scare him with his deadpan eyes. But the man was too strong to stand his indifference.
Adrian brushed off James' fake anguish words and looked at the time. The office hours had already been over, he thought and he then recalled Clara's words, 'It's time to leave' Though the words didn't come out of love but rather as a reminder, Adrian felt his heart squeeze.
It felt so strange for him to see Clara act as if she didn't remember him, and the moments they shared back then but purely kept her relationship professional without bringing up anything from the past.
"So she wants to play dumb" he mumbled and his eyes turned cold remembering how she stamped his feet just to get out of his hold.
Staring aimlessly for some time, Adrian's lips curled into an evil grin, and got from his chair before walking out of his cabin.
****
Inside her cabin, Clara kept pacing back and forth. She regretted acting defensive knowing how Adrian might target her for her disrespectfulness towards him.
"Will he fire me" stopping midway, she voiced her fear.
The way he shot daggers at her when she sneaked out of his cabin, Clara couldn't think of anything else.
Clara knew Adrian never liked to leave the conversation incomplete but she was too scared to face him at that moment. Those gaze intense were making her fall weak.
It was the same pair of eyes, that used to adore her once. But now, they held hate in them. But why? Shouldn't she be the one who should hate him, for lying to her?
She tried to dismiss her thought when her eyes caught the sight of Adrian passing through her cabin and she widened her eyes in surprise.
'Is he leaving already' she mumbled before picking up her bag and rushing out of her cabin following Adrian towards the elevator.
Panting, she stopped next to him and shot a glare before averting her eyes back at the elevator door.
'Doesn't he have any manners? She had been waiting for his instruction and here he was leaving without informing her
Clara so wanted to raise her thoughts out loud but she had to gulp her displeasure because had already made a mistake by provoking the devil.
Having no energy to deal with it anytime soon, she kept her mouth sealed and waited for the lift's door to open for them.
A few seconds later, the door finally opened and Adrian stepped in before he turned and looked at her saying," Stop," Clara halted her step before she could step in and looked at him in confusion.
"Get down using the staircase, and make sure you reach before me. If you fail to, then I will leave and you have to come on your own to my house" Passing an evil smirk, Adrian pressed the close button, and the door slid with Clara staring at Adrian in disbelief.