I turned around and was met with a face I didn't recognize—at least, not right away.
To be fair, she was attractive, but in that overdone, Instagram-influencer kind of way. You know the type: flawless but forgettable. Definitely not someone I'd remember from my circle.
But then my gaze dropped a little lower, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
That… figure. The same one that had been wrapped around Noah earlier today. Yup, it was her.
"Well, well, look who it is!" she said with a sugary smile, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
"Hi there, and you are...?" I replied, keeping my tone neutral. What I really wanted to say was: We don't know each other, so why are you acting like we're besties?
Her grin widened. "Oh, come on, Aria. Don't tell me you don't remember me. It's Renée. Renée Vance!"
Renée Vance? That name sent a shiver down my spine. It was like hearing a ghost from the past.
My eyes narrowed. High school Renée had been a far cry from this surgically-enhanced bombshell. Back then, she was cute, sure, but this? This was next-level.
"Oh my God, Aria, it's been what… ten years? You haven't changed a bit! Still rocking that same look, huh?"
"Yeah… I guess you could say that," I said, faking a smile. "You, uh, look… different."
"Better, right?" she shot back without missing a beat. Of course. Same old Renée—no filter, no shame.
"Yeah, sure," I replied, my voice flat. I wasn't about to argue, but I also wasn't giving her the satisfaction of any real compliment.
She let out a giggle that made her chest jiggle. Seriously, are those real?
"You wouldn't believe how many people say that!" she gushed. "The diet's really paid off, huh?"
Diet? Yeah, right. If a diet could do that, I'd throw my money at it right now.
"Oh, hey! Remember Cole?" she asked, throwing his name out there like it was nothing. "He was just talking about you the other day. Said he wondered how you were doing."
Cole. There it was. The name that I hadn't heard in years but would never forget. My heart gave a painful little thud, but I forced a calm expression.
"Yeah… I remember Cole."
She smirked, twirling her hair like this was just casual girl talk. "You two were, like, so cute together back in the day. Shame things didn't work out, huh?"
I clenched my teeth. Renée wasn't here to reminisce. She was here to gloat.
Before I could respond, she continued, "We've been seeing a lot of each other lately, you know. Talking about the future… marriage, actually."
There it was. The smug little bomb she'd been dying to drop.
I raised an eyebrow, keeping my expression as neutral as possible. "Oh yeah? Congrats. Let me know when you need a flower girl."
Her eyes flashed for a second, and I knew I'd hit a nerve. "Actually," she said, leaning in, "I was thinking of asking you to be a bridesmaid. It'd be so fun, right? Like, a real reunion!"
I blinked, the sheer audacity of it all momentarily stunning me. She wanted me to be her bridesmaid? For their wedding?
I plastered on my best fake smile. "Wow, that's sweet of you to think of me, but I've got my own wedding to plan. I'm getting married soon myself."
Her jaw almost dropped, but she caught herself quickly. "Oh? Really?"
"Yup," I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Looks like I'll beat you to the altar."
Renée blinked at me, clearly caught off guard by my response. She looked like she'd heard wrong for a second, but quickly composed herself, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Oh, really? You have a boyfriend now?" Her voice was syrupy sweet, but her eyes were sharp. "Funny… I haven't heard anyone mention it. Who is he? What does he do?"
What am I, your gossip column? I thought, but outwardly I kept my expression cool and collected.
I gave a little shrug, tilting my head slightly like I was trying to be coy. "Oh, it's nothing serious. We've only been dating a little while, so it makes sense you haven't heard."
She wasn't buying it, though. "Well, what's he like? Where's he from? I'm sure he's got to be pretty impressive, huh?"
Classic Renée. Always fishing for something to compare. It wasn't enough to have the last word; she needed to know she had the best word.
Just as I was about to reply, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Perfect timing. I gave Renée a quick, apologetic smile before answering.
"Hey, babe!" I said in my most saccharine voice, loud enough for Renée to hear every word. "Work going okay? You must be exhausted! Miss me yet? When are you coming back home? I haven't been sleeping well without you…"
Even I was cringing at the sound of my own voice, but the effect was immediate—Renée's smug expression wavered as doubt flickered in her eyes.
"Oh, and don't forget that C-brand purse we talked about, okay? I'm thinking the red one. But if you see something even cuter, you can get me that too. You know what I like! Love you, babe! Mwah!"
I hung up, practically glowing with fake happiness. "Sorry about that. He just can't stand not knowing where I am."
Renée forced a smile, clearly trying not to choke on her words. "You two must be so happy together. Really… I'm jealous."
"Oh, he's a sweetheart," I replied, casually tucking my phone back into my pocket. "Always so worried if I'm okay. Kind of like your Cole, I guess."
Her lips twitched, but before she could say anything else, a cold, clipped voice interrupted us from the door.
"So, it seems both of you have plenty of free time on your hands for idle chitchat."
I turned to see Noah standing in the doorway, arms crossed, his expression unreadable, though the hint of amusement in his eyes didn't escape me.
Renée straightened immediately, a little too eager. "Oh, Mr. Lander, we were just catching up! It's been so long since Aria and I—"
"Hmm," Noah hummed, stepping toward us. "I believe I mentioned that personal conversations during work hours would have consequences. You can kiss this month's bonus goodbye, Renée. And Aria… since you seem to have time to kill, why don't you familiarize yourself with these?"
With one hand, he dropped four massive folders onto the desk in front of me. "These are the most recent reports. I expect you to know them inside and out by 9 a.m. tomorrow."
My jaw almost hit the floor. "Wait, all of this? By tomorrow morning? That's..."
Before I could finish, Noah leaned in, his voice low and teasing. "You're not already making excuses, are you?"
He was way too close. His scent—clean, fresh, with a touch of spice—filled my nose, and I froze.
Noah's gaze locked on mine, and for a second, the world shrank to just the two of us. "Or is this too much for you?"
I swallowed hard. "No, I'll get it done."
He straightened up, giving me a small smirk before turning away. "Good. And Aria... flattery really isn't your strong suit. Leave that to the pros."
I was left fuming, watching him walk away. The nerve of that man! Did he really just throw that kind of insult at me? In front of Renée, no less?
As I was about to snap back, I caught a glimpse of Renée's face—her narrowed eyes, the tightness in her jaw. She was furious.
I glanced down at the papers on my desk, then back at her, and something clicked. In her eyes, I wasn't just some random office worker anymore. Noah had given her something to think about—something that looked a lot like jealousy.
With a sweet smile, I smoothed out Noah's tie—just a little too gently—and said in a soft voice, "Thanks for the advice, Mr. Lander. I'll make sure to keep that in mind."
The flicker of surprise in Noah's eyes was worth every second, and when I turned to see Renée's expression, it was like the cherry on top of the whole moment.
"Oh, Aria," Renée said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as Noah left. "Looks like you and Mr. Lander are pretty close, huh?"
I just smiled, taking my seat behind my desk. "Well, I guess when you're good at your job, the boss tends to notice."
As I watched her simmer, I allowed myself a small, satisfied grin. This wasn't just office politics—it was personal, and I wasn't going to lose.