Her Right Mistake

(29) Vren

***Hi! This book is under MAJOR revision, so some things WILL NOT ADD UP in the next chapters (especially in chapters that aren't labeled 'REVISED.') Please read on with this in mind.

I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH: it isn't an inconsistency in the plot, there's just a revision.

Vren slouched in his swivel chair as the call went on unanswered. He doesn't want to sound desperate but he's been ringing her phone three times in a row. He turned to his computer, his fingers drumming on the mahogany desk. He swore he would stop at three. And technically, calling her assistant is not breaking the standard he set for himself. He spun his chair and focused on the view out the glass walls of office. His thumb hovered over his phone.

A brief knock on his door interrupted the peace in his office.

"Come in." He twirled his chair back around and greeted his secretary standing in his doorway.

Regina's almond-shaped eyes wrinkled on the corners when she smiled at him. She was over her 40s when he took over as the CEO of one of the largest hotel chains. He earned the title along with the secretary. "Conference in fifteen minutes."

He nodded.

"And what's going on with that?" Regina motions a hand over her face.

Vren chucks his phone on his desk. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Audrey Danler is not talking to you?"

He threw up his hands. "How is that related to my entire face?"

"I have three sons, Mr. Parkinson. Every single one of them once had that look when some girl doesn't respond to a romantic gesture."

"What look?"

"The look of impatience and desperation to get a hold of the girl. And also, Robin had that same look today."

One of his brow lifted. "The intern?"

"Yes. Robin, come over here for a sec," she called over her shoulder.

A skinny freckled boy with a blonde hair and a thick rimmed glasses appeared in the doorway next to his secretary. "Yes, Mrs. White?"

"Are you waiting for a call from a girl?"

He nods, tipping his head down to hide the disgruntled furrow between his brows and the thin line on his lips. "Yes, I am. I tried calling her though."

"Did she answer?"

"No."

Regina nodded. "Okay. Dismissed."

The boy exited his line of sight. "I don't look like that."

"I will try to be clear here. The mixture of a discontented pout and the longing puppy eyes? That's exactly what you look like." She snorted. "Don't make me bring you a mirror."

Vren shakes his head despite himself. "I am not."

Her hand went over her chest as if in awe. "Is Audrey Danler giving you a taste of your own medicine? Not so long ago you were the one dodging calls from women."

"Didn't you say I have a meeting?" He straightened his tie and ran a hand through his hair.

"You still have five minutes," she pointed out. "So, this Audrey, she's really something, huh? First time in my career I see you worked up over a woman."

His lips threatened to form a thin line across his face. "This is not helping with my mood. Shouldn't you be lifting my spirits?"

"Why should I? You're the one clearly mooning over her. You're a grown up. Deal with that." She checks her watch. "Three minutes, Mr. Parkinson."

Vren groaned. He was irritated – even more irritated that what his secretary is saying could be true.

Goddamn it.

***

"Hi, Kylie. Hectic day?" Vren made his usual stop at Kylie's desk. There was a half-eaten box of doughnuts next to a bouquet of flowers.

"Strangest day." She arranges some of the folders on her desk, a sticky note falling off in the process. "You here to see Audrey?"

"Yup."

"She's in a meeting right now."

He slides his hands to his pockets. He makes reasons out of it as to why Audrey hadn't been answering his calls. "My brother still sends you flowers?" He pointed at the bouquet.

A crackle on the keyboard stopped. "Oh. That's not mine – fortunately. I think you're having a rival."

"What? Can I see it?"

"No. Audrey would kill me." Some stacks of documents fell over and scattered on the floor. She was about to crouch down to collect it but took the flowers with her. "Just in case."

He sighed. "I just need to know who sent it."

Papers rustled under her desk. "The sender delivered it himself. Talk about effort, huh?"

For a heart-stabbing moment, Vren was... jealous. Full-blown jealous. Who the hell sends his girlfriend flowers? Sure, their status is a made-up story they have established together. But his knowledge of that didn't stop him from turning green with jealousy.

Kylie rises from behind her desk and puts the documents with a thud. "You okay?" She tilted her head, the flower perching on her chair.

He had a searing gaze trained on the bouquet.

"Oh. You want to know who sent the flowers. Like, really badly." She picks up the flowers. "A guy came looking for Audrey just hours after she instructed me not to let a particular someone bother her. Hold on, I had his name on a sticky note. I think it's on the floor somewhere. You want to hold this while I look for it?" She held out the flowers to him.

Vren shakes his head, frowning.

"Okay. That's a no." She placed it on top of the documents and kneeled to the floor, disappearing behind her desk. "You know, Audrey might be rubbing off on you. This is the first time I see you frown."

He stood stiff behind her desk.

"Found it." Kylie appeared, dusting her knees. She squinted at the yellow piece of paper. "He's called Mark Sinclair."

There's an agonizing wringing in his gut. That guy. The do-gooder Mark Sinclair. Audrey's ex-fiancé. "Did he said anything?"

"Anything? By that you mean?" She pasted the note to the far edge of her monitor.

He shrug. "Just anything. He's staying in the city for a while? Did he came to visit?"

"Is this a murder investigation?" She questioned innocently.

"Please, just tell me what you know."

Kylie burst out laughing. "Okay, fine. Just don't beg." She flops down her chair and trails a finger down the scarf of her Scrunchie. "He came to see her and I said Audrey is not available. But of course, not after asking for his name. He said he's the new sports editor of Bachelor. He desperately wanted to talk to her but I was strictly instructed to fend him off. He left these flowers instead." She grab the bouquet and examines it. "Sadly, no card. Audrey didn't bat an eye when I showed it. She told me to get rid of it."

His teeth grinded. "This is not good," he breathes.

Mark Sinclair has miraculously lessened the three hour distance to not more than ten minutes. The guy is two floors away from Audrey's office. He snuck right out the lesser he was expecting him. Hell, he was not expecting him at all.

Mark, two; Vren, one.

Hiya! A little challenge for our champion. I have a feeling our darling Vren is going to up his game. 💪 Happy reading, you guys! Don't forget to vote and tell me what you think. XOXO!