Fated Series. Book #2
"Be possessive of me, own me, keep me, because if you do then nothing and no one else can." - Maddox.
My name is Maddox Vallero, and I'm dead.
Well, that's not quite true. I'm alive in the breathing, walking, talking sense-but...
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Sophia.
"Of course." I nod, jotting down the information for show. I really had no need for it because I have it memorized, but it's all about calming the irritated CTO who's steaming at me right now. "I will pass all this information onto Mr.Vallero right after this meeting, but as he's not here himself today, you'll have to present the information to me. Could we start by running through the strategies you've outlined in developing the new software team Mr. Vallero wanted formed?" I asked, lifting my head back up from my laptop, and putting on the most impassive expression one could form.
The CTO, Elijah, sighed as if I had asked him to tell me how he plans to prevent world hunger all together. I, of course, understand that he's not keen on having to present his strategies to me, a basic assistant, but I'm quite sure I could do his job in my sleep. And since Maddox has been hounding him, nitpicking everything this man does, I'm sure he's double irritated. To be fair, Maddox is much more qualified and motivated to do Elijah's job, and has much more spirit about this project than his whole job. Just yesterday, I had to practically drag him away from the IT department and get him on a phone call; he pouted the entire time, even walked down to his car to pull out a whole box of M&M's I wasn't even aware he kept on stock. 'Basic necessity for life', he called it.
Resting back comfortably in my conference chair, I waited. And Elijah, across from me, yanked the binder he had in front of him closer, putting on his reading glasses, before flipping the binder open and beginning to read from it outloud. After a moment, I realized he's point blank reading word by word as if the same binder isn't sitting right in front of me also. "Elijah." I cut him off sharply, "Thank you for reading the reports to me, but I'm quite capable of doing it on my own. I'm asking for your strategies, thoughts, options, and I'd like to have an open conversation with you about them. I appreciate your reading material, but I'd appreciate a discussion more."
Light blue eyes flicked up at me, narrowing on me as if I once again asked him what he plans to do with the lack of viable drinking water in the Middle East itself. "Miss. Larovich," he sighed, pressing his thin lips together in annoyance, "to be frank with you, I don't understand what you want me to discuss with you. All the information you need is in the binder before you."
To be frank with you, I think you're an asshole. Instead of giving him exactly what he wants, I remained polite and respectful, taking a moment to regard the older man. "Who's running this project?" I asked after a second of letting him sit there uncomfortably under my unbothered gaze.
"Me."
The awkward silence was interpreted by the conference room being opened, and before I could go on with my awesome conversation, my focus shifted to the door. I wasn't expecting anyone considering this is a one-on-one meeting, and the only other person who cared for it was Maddox himself, but he's taken the day off and gone snowboarding. To my suprise, I found Mateo strolling past the doorway, crisp black suit tailored to him and carrying a largely assertive attitude. Even the air in the room seemed to shift in his presence, creating a sense of fearsome anticipation I can't understand, because underneath it all is an undeniable calm I couldn't ignore either. Always, no matter what room he enters, you know he's there. Like a black cat. You love them, think they are the cutest, but they're also cursed, and are bad luck. It's on you whether you believe in the superstition, but you know it. Like the cat, you know Mateo's there. You feel the chills that run down your spine when he's near. If you ignore it and choose to pretend he's not dangerous, you take that risk on a well known understanding of who he is.
