The office was in the midst of its morning rush as Carlo walked with his usual elegance toward the elevator that would take him to his floor. The doors opened and, after a few seconds, another person entered as well. Carlo instantly recognized him—the same person he had seen in videos and photographs that Annalise had shown him before.
His eyebrows furrowed, and his gaze turned cold as he tightened his grip on the briefcase in his right hand. Images of Adrien with this person flashed through his mind like a slow-motion film, causing a growing discomfort within him as he recalled the moments they had shared.
The elevator stopped, and they both exited on the same floor. Carlo wondered to himself what this person was doing there. At first glance, he seemed serene and happy, with an aura of tranquility that disconcerted Carlo. As he walked behind him down the wide hallway, observing him carefully, Carlo questioned what Adrien saw in someone so ordinary and common.
The friendly voice of Adrien's secretary interrupted his thoughts as she mentioned the name "Cedric." Carlo stopped in his tracks, incredulous and surprised by what he had just heard.
"Good morning, Mr. Cedric," the secretary said, drawing Carlo's attention, who decided not to ask anything and continued walking slowly. "Mr. Adrien is inside, you may enter."
At that moment, Carlo's steps stopped completely, and his incredulous gaze fell upon the secretary.
"Thank you, but don't tell him I'm here."
Cedric winked and entered the office, taking two mints from the candy jar on the secretary's desk before heading inside. The girl sighed as he walked away and placed both hands on her chest, reacting in an exaggerated manner for someone as ordinary as Cedric.
Carlo waited for the door to close before approaching the secretary, who was still absorbed by the person who had previously entered her boss's office. Carlo's clearing of his throat snapped her out of her reverie, causing her to sit up quickly and a slight nervousness to take hold of her.
"Mr. Carlo, how are you?" the secretary asked, her voice laced with anxiety as she adjusted her posture.
"Do you think that's the right attitude toward a guest? Sighing like that over someone in your employment is not appropriate, miss," replied Carlo, his voice cold and his gaze piercing, causing the secretary to tremble slightly.
Carlo Mancini possessed an undeniable attractiveness, and all the secretaries secretly sighed over him. However, none had dared to take a step beyond the professional. They knew that if they did, Adrien Gautier, their boss, would fire them without hesitation, which kept them cautiously reserved.
"Yes, I'm so sorry. It won't happen again," the secretary replied quickly, trying to correct her behavior.
Carlo observed her for a few seconds before turning his gaze toward the door of Adrien's office.
"I didn't know Adrien had arrived today," commented Carlo, expressing clear surprise.
"No, no, he's been here for over a week," answered the secretary, noticing the coldness in Carlo's eyes and feeling uncomfortable.
"Over a week?" Carlo showed disbelief. He was still in communication with Adrien's secretary for work matters, and the information didn't match.
"Yes, sir, he arrived a week and five days ago," clarified the secretary, feeling the weight of the situation.
"The person who was here just now, has he come to see him every day?" asked Carlo, showing his concern as he connected the dots in his mind.
The secretary found herself in a delicate situation. While it was an open secret that Carlo Mancini and Adrien Gautier had a relationship that went beyond the professional, no one knew the true extent of that intimacy. Furthermore, Adrien was her direct boss, which limited her ability to talk about his private life. Since Adrien had arrived, he hadn't mentioned Carlo at all, leading the secretary to assume that something had happened between them.
"I asked you a question, miss."
The measured words, the expressionless face, and the cold voice made the secretary shrink back in her seat. She swallowed, trying to decide whether it would be right to say anything about Mr. Adrien's guest. She opened her lips slightly, but before she could say anything, a cold voice interrupted her.
"She doesn't have to answer that question." The pair of eyes turned their gaze toward the door. Carlo and the secretary saw Adrien watching them from the threshold of the cedar door. His face was the same as before: distant and cold.
Adrien always gave that same impression. Someone calculating and distant with everyone, however, if one observed closely and for a long time, one could see the loneliness and the desire to be loved that dwelt within him. Or at least that was what Carlo had seen in him.
"You didn't tell me you were back," said Carlo as he took a step forward. It had been six months of mutual ignoring. Six months in which his younger sister had been showing him from time to time the life that Adrien was leading abroad.
"I was going to, but the message couldn't be sent." Adrien crossed his arms and leaned back against the wood. Carlo didn't say anything; after all, any explanation would be taken as a stupid joke. Besides, he was embarrassed by the stupid and childish way he had acted. How old was he? Twelve? Even he couldn't explain his behavior, and by the time he regretted it, a day had passed, and it seemed even more stupid to unblock him, so he preferred to leave it that way.
"You arrived over a week ago, Adrien. You could have told me through the secretary so we could resolve work matters in person."
The atmosphere in the office became tenser with Adrien's presence. His eyes, as cold as ice, seemed to pierce any emotional barrier. The secretary, feeling the weight of both men's gazes upon her, struggled to maintain her composure as she tried to deflect attention from the conflict that was brewing.
"Ah, sir, about the pending matters from yesterday..." The girl looked at Adrien with a worried look. However, the warning look she received from her boss made her backtrack on her words and look at her computer, as if the screen displayed the most impressive thing she had ever seen.
"Well, now you know, and besides, it's not my obligation to tell you anything. Carlo, don't forget that I'm your superior." Carlo tensed instantly, and his eyes, originally cold, darkened even further, as if a dark cloud had covered the beautiful blue. "Besides, you don't care, right?"
The question posed made him clench his hands at his sides. All that time without communicating had been helpful for him, thinking about Adrien all day and trying to do different things just because he didn't want to admit that maybe he missed him a little. But his ego and pride were greater than those little feelings that grew inside him.
He smiled arrogantly and brushed his hair back with his right hand. "Yes, you're right, I don't care."
After that, he turned around and continued walking towards his office. His face was completely dark; that annoyance dared to ignore him after four years behind him. Besides, he was irritated by the indifference with which Adrien had spoken to him just now. He was used to Adrien, after a business trip, coming back and asking him to pick him up at the airport, hugging him, and, as soon as they were in a secluded place, throwing himself at him. However, after six months of not seeing each other, Adrien didn't even give him a smile.
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Comments
Andro
that that I love that 😈😈😈
2025-02-12
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