VAL'S POV
Dan is really blessed. Hearing the conversation between him and his girlfriend brought back memories that hurt more than I could bear.
I opened my door and almost froze in shock. I stood there, completely speechless, unable to believe what I was seeing.
My house was unlocked!
What?
How?
A flood of questions rushed through my mind, but the most pressing one was, How can someone unlock-?
"You left your spare key on your desk," a voice interrupted my thoughts.
He stood up and held out the bunch of keys, his expression unreadable.
"Don't you think that's very careless? It could've been anyone," he said, his voice firm as he towered over me.
I had to tilted my neck backwards just to look up at him-the giant, annoying boss of mine.
Flashing him an awkward smile, I reached for the keys and mumbled, "Thanks."
My tone betrayed the frown I was trying to hide as I turned to leave the sitting room.
"Valerie."
I froze, my stomach twisting into knots.
Closing my eyes, I cursed inwardly. I didn't want to talk about anything-not now. Even though I had defended myself, I still felt guilty for slapping him back then.
I shouldn't have raised my hand to a man, no matter what.
What do expect, he will let that slid away easily?
Taking a deep breath, I turned slowly, gathering every ounce of courage to meet his gaze.
He looked... uncomfortable.
His eyes darted to the side, avoiding mine, as his hands slid into his pockets. I could tell he was nervous, something I never thought I'd see from him.
"I'm sorry," he began, his voice quiet and uncharacteristically soft. "For being so hard on you at the company. The kiss... it was a mistake. I shouldn't have acted like I own you. And I deserved the slap."
His words hung in the air like a weight. I said nothing, letting the silence stretch, knowing it was probably driving him crazy.
"Are you deaf?" he snapped, his tone annoyed.
I shot him a sharp look.
"You shouldn't be rude, sir. I was just surprised," I retorted, my voice laced with irritation.
His expression softened.
"Sorry, I did it again," he muttered, almost to himself. I couldn't hear the words clearly, but I could tell from the movement of his lips.
For a moment, I felt a pang of guilt. Maybe I should be nicer to him. He seems like someone struggling with his own personality.
"You need to feel more comfortable," I replied, trying to sound as gentle as I could. "Please, have a seat. I'll be right back."
"I only came to return your keys," he said, his tone colder now. "I've been waiting here for almost an hour. You must've been busy with Dan in his car."
The bitterness in his voice startled me.
"Oh, um... maybe that was when we stopped by the roadside," I stammered, feeling a wave of panic rise in my chest.
"Doing what?" he asked hoarsely, his voice carrying a dangerous edge that reminded me of a wounded animal.
I froze, struggling to come up with an answer.
"Never mind," he said suddenly, his tone softening. "Sorry for asking such a stupid question. I don't care what you were doing in the car with him."
Grabbing his suit, he flipped it over his shoulder and tucked one hand into his pocket. He was halfway to the door when I blurted out, "Wait! I should give you something. This is your first visit to my home, boss."
He stopped in his tracks, his side profile illuminated by the soft light in the room. He looked like something straight out of a magazine cover, effortlessly perfect even without the aid of lighting or edits.
"It's Prince outside the office," he corrected, not looking at me. "And like I said, never mind."
"No, no, no!" I protested quickly. "You're my guest, and I can't let you leave empty-handed. That's how we do it here in Nigeria. Also..." I hesitated, offering a small smile. "Your apology is accepted."
He looked at me, surprised, and then a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Slowly, he walked back to the couch and sat down.