Chapter 88\u00a0<\/p>\n
75\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone who walks through these doors seems transformed, as if the space itself bestows an aura of importance. No wonder people fight\u00a0<\/p>\n
for positions here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I approach the reception desk, trying to ignore the flutter of nervousness in my stomach. \u201cExcuse me, could you tell me which floor Mr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sterling\u2019s office is on?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The receptionist\u2013sleek blonde hair, immaculate makeup\u2013looks up from her computer with practiced indifference. \u201cDo you have an\u00a0<\/p>\n
appointment?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I\u2019m here to deliver something to Mr. Sterling.\u201d I hold up the charger in my hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She examines me from head to toe, her gaze lingering on my modest blazer and pants. I see the judgment forming behind her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA delivery? What sort of delivery?\u201d Her tone has cooled significantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I place Ridley\u2019s charger on the polished granite countertop. \u201cThis.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The receptionist\u2019s perfectly shaped eyebrows arch higher as her lips curve into a barely concealed smirk. I know exactly what she\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
thinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve spent years as the Wright family\u2019s afterthought, enduring countless dismissive glances and thinly veiled contempt. This woman\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
disdain is nothing new.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m sorry,\u201d she says with artificial politeness, \u201cbut without an appointment, you can\u2019t go upstairs. You\u2019ll need to schedule one and return\u00a0<\/p>\n
later.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I meet her gaze steadily. \u201cMr. Sterling specifically asked me to bring this. Perhaps you should call up and verify?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She gives a short, humorless laugh. \u201cIf I called Mr. Sterling every time someone claimed he was expecting them, I\u2019d never get anything\u00a0<\/p>\n
done. If he\u2019s truly expecting you, I suggest you call him yourself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fine. I pull out my phone, find Ridley\u2019s contact, and initiate a voice call.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Sterling, I\u2019m in the lobby of your headquarters. The receptionist won\u2019t allow me upstairs. Could you come down, please?\u201d My voice is\u00a0<\/p>\n
cool and professional as I end the call.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The receptionist doesn\u2019t bother hiding her eye roll. I don\u2019t blame her for her skepticism. In her world, people with direct access to Ridley\u00a0<\/p>\n
don\u2019t look like me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stand silently, waiting. The lobby bustles around us, business conversations and clicking heels creating a symphony of corporate\u00a0<\/p>\n
ambition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:18 Sat, Jan 31 \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 88\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then the crowd parts, and there he is.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley emerges from the elevator bank, his imposing figure drawing every eye in the vast space. His tailored charcoal suit accentuates\u00a0<\/p>\n
broad shoulders, the crisp white shirt a stark contrast against his tanned skin. Even from a distance, his presence commands attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I notice the receptionist\u2019s eyes widen in disbelief as he strides directly toward me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There\u2019s something in his expression I can\u2019t quite place\u2013a hint of amusement, perhaps? As if he\u2019d been watching the entire exchange and\u00a0<\/p>\n
found it entertaining.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I straighten my posture as he approaches, professional mask firmly in place. \u201cMr. Sterling, here\u2019s your charger. I should get back to work\u00a0<\/p>\n
now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ridley takes the charger, his fingers brushing mine for the briefest moment. \u201cPerfect timing, Ms. Wright. Come upstairs\u2013we need to\u00a0<\/p>\n
discuss the details about the design exhibition.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve already finalized most aspects of the design exhibition proposal, but questioning Ridley isn\u2019t an option. I nod and follow him\u00a0<\/p>\n
toward the elevators.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we reach the elevator, Ridley suddenly stops and turns, his gaze ice\u2013cold as it lands on the receptionist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Mr. Sterling?\u201d she stammers, color draining from her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Wright is to be given immediate access whenever she arrives. Understood?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, Mr. Sterling!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Special treatment? Really? That wasn\u2019t going to make things awkward at all. Now people were definitely going to talk about us. I honestly\u00a0<\/p>\n
didn\u2019t want to keep coming back here anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He better not think this gave him a free pass to call me in whenever he wanted. This was getting way too complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our UnfiAnished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 88 Chapter 88\u00a0 75\u00a0 Everyone who walks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-zero-stars-for-daddy-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30487\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}