12. Alice

12

ALICE

" C lose the door," Derek commands, his tone sharp.

The look on his face tells me everything I need to know—he's not happy. Not one bit. I comply, my hands shaking slightly as I turn to face him. His eyes bore into mine.

"What the hell were you thinking, bringing that thug here yesterday?" he demands, slamming his hand on the desk. "Do you have any idea how unprofessional that was?"

I flinch at his words, my cheeks burning with shame. "I'm sorry, Derek. I didn't know he was going to show up like that."

"I don't care what you knew or didn't know," he snaps. "That man has no business being here, and I won't tolerate it. You can consider yourself fired if he ever shows his face here again. Do you understand me?"

I nod my throat tight with emotion. "Yes, sir. It won't happen again."

"It better not," he warns, his eyes narrowing. "I expect my employees to always conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism. And that includes keeping their personal lives separate from their work lives."

I feel a surge of anger at his words. As if he has any right to dictate what I do outside of work. And I had no fucking control over Lars turning up. But I bite my tongue, knowing that arguing with him only worsens things.

"I understand," I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "It won't be a problem."

He nods, his expression still stern. "Good. Now, get back to work. And Alice?"

I pause, my hand on the doorknob. "Yes?"

"If I hear even a whisper of that man's name around here, you'll be out on your ass faster than you can blink. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," I reply.

I exit his office, my mind reeling from the confrontation. I know I need to talk to Lars to make sure he stays away from my workplace, but a part of me rebels at the way Derek just spoke to me.

I head back to my desk and slump into my chair, burying my face in my hands. How did things get so complicated so quickly?

"Hey, Alice. You okay?" Jenna asks.

She works for one of the other attorneys and is standing by my desk. Her brow is furrowed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lie, forcing a smile. "Just a little stressed, that's all."

Jenna nods. "Let me guess. Derek gave you a hard time about that guy who showed up yesterday?"

I sigh, nodding. "You could say that. He threatened to fire me if Lars ever shows up here again."

Jenna rolls her eyes. "Typical Derek. Always overreacting and being a total asshole."

I chuckle at her bluntness. "You've got that right."

"Seriously though, don't let him get to you," Jenna says, her tone more serious now. "Derek's always been like this. He loves to throw his weight around and make everyone feel like shit. But at the end of the day, he's just a sad little man with a fragile ego."

I nod, feeling a little better already. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who sees through Derek's bullshit.

"Thanks, Jenna," I say, smiling genuinely this time. "I needed to hear that."

"Anytime, girl," she replies, grinning. "Us secretaries have got to stick together, right?"

We both laugh, the tension in my shoulders dissipating. For a moment, I forget all about Lars and the chaos he's brought into my life. I'm grateful to have a friend like Jenna to help me through the rough patches.

"Alright, I better get back to work before Derek finds another reason to yell at me." I roll my eyes.

"You and me both, Kevin, can be just as bad sometimes," Jenna agrees. "But seriously, Alice. Don't let Derek get you down."

I nod, feeling a surge of determination. She's right. And no matter what happens with Lars, I refuse to let anyone make me feel small or powerless.

I try to focus on my work but can't stop thinking about the confrontation with Derek.

What if Lars shows up again? What if Derek makes good on his threat to fire me?

Just as I'm about to lose myself in a spiral of anxiety, I hear the door to the office open. My head snaps up, and my heart nearly stops when I see who it is.

Lars.

He strides into the office like he owns the place, eyes scanning the room until they land on me. I feel a rush of heat that has nothing to do with the stuffy office air.

But then I remember Derek's warning and the blood drains from my face. If he sees Lars here, I'm done.

I glance quickly at Derek's office door, praying he's locked inside and won't come out. Then I jump up from my desk and rush over to Lars.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the door. "You can't be here, Lars. If Derek sees you, I'll lose my job."

Lars raises an eyebrow. "Relax, princess. I just wanted to see you."

"Well, you can't," I snap, my voice rising in pitch. "I'm serious, Lars. You need to leave. Now."

"Don't worry about your job, princess," Lars says with a smirk. "You won't be needing it soon enough."

I stare at him in stunned silence for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

He leans in close. "By the time the carnival moves out in just over one week, you'll be coming with me."

I pull back, shaking my head. "You're crazy. I won't leave my life behind like that."

Lars's eyes glint with amusement. "It's not a matter of whether you want to, princess. It's a fact. You belong with me, and you know it."

"I don't belong with anyone, Lars. And I'm certainly not going to uproot my entire life because you say so."

He steps closer, pressing himself against me. "You'll see things differently soon enough. I have a way of getting what I want, princess. And what I want is you."

I open my mouth to argue, but I hear a door slam behind me before I can get a word out. Derek storms out of his office toward us, his face red with anger.

"What the hell is going on out here?" he demands, his eyes darting between me and Lars.

Oh shit.

"Derek, I'm sorry. Lars was just leaving."

But Lars doesn't move. Instead, he stands his ground with his eyes locked on Derek's. "Actually, I was just telling Alice about our plans for the future. She won't be needing this job much longer."

Derek's eyes narrow, his fists clenching at his sides. "I thought I made myself clear yesterday. You're not welcome here, and if you don't leave right now, I'll call the cops."

Lars laughs. "Go ahead and call them. By the time they get here, I'll be long gone."

He's crazy.

Why isn't he scared of the cops?

"Lars, please. You need to leave. Now," I beg.

But he doesn't move. He just stands there, a smirk on his face, his eyes locked on Derek's.

I turn to Derek, desperation in my voice. "Derek, I'm so sorry. I had no idea he was coming here. I swear, I've got no control over this guy's actions. I don't even know him, not really."

But Derek isn't listening. His face is red with anger, his eyes narrowed to slits. "I don't want to hear your excuses. I warned you what would happen if he showed up here again."

I feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "Please, Derek. You've got to understand. I didn't ask for this."

Lars steps forward, his voice low and menacing. "Watch how you talk to her, asshole. Alice is done for the day and is coming with me."

Derek scoffs. "Like hell she is. She's not going anywhere with a psycho like you."

Lars moves so fast I barely have time to blink. He grabs my purse and jacket from my desk and takes my arm, marching me toward the exit.

"Let go of me!" I shout, trying to pull away, but his grip is like iron.

"Alice!" Derek calls after me. "If you walk out that door, don't bother coming back!"

I look back over my shoulder, tears streaming down my face. "I'm sorry, Derek. I didn't want it to be like this."

But Lars is already pulling me out of the office, his hand tight around my arm. I stumble after him, my mind reeling with what just happened.

As we step out into the bright sunlight, I blink back tears. I can't believe this is happening. My job, my life, everything I've worked so hard for—it's all crumbling away before my eyes.

"Where are you taking me?" I demand, trying to pull away from Lars's grip.

He doesn't answer. He just keeps walking, his jaw set with determination.

I feel a surge of panic rising in my chest. What have I gotten myself into? And how am I ever going to get out of it?

Lars drags me toward a deserted parking lot, gripping my arm like a vise. In the distance, I can see his motorcycle parked, sleek and menacing.

"Let go of me!" I yell, trying to free my arm, but he's too strong.

We reach the bike, and he shoves a helmet into my hands. "Put it on," he growls. "We're getting out of here."

I look at the helmet, then back at him, anger boiling inside me.

How dare he order me about after what he just did?

With a glare, I chuck the helmet right back at him, feeling a surge of satisfaction as it bounces off his chest. "Screw you, Lars!" I spit out. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Before he can react, I turn on my heel and take off, running as fast as possible.

"Bad idea to run, princess!" He calls after me, his voice unnervingly calm.

But I don't stop—I can't stop. Not until I've put as much distance between us as possible.

My heart pounds in my chest as I race across the parking lot, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I've got no idea where I'm going, but I don't care. All that matters is getting away from Lars, as he's insane.

As I reach the edge of the lot, I hear the roar of a motorcycle engine and glance over my shoulder to see Lars on his bike, revving the engine as he prepares to give chase.

With a surge of panic, I pick up my pace, darting onto the street and weaving between cars. I can hear the bike getting closer, the engine's roar like a predator closing in on its prey.