My heart sank even further when I saw a woman with a picture of her two young children on her desk. What would happen to them? Would Warren be so heartless as to throw her out too?

Without a doubt… is what my mind told me, but my chest was tight with unease. Because that’s the type of monster Warren is… right?

Nick showed us to a conference room and motioned for us to come in, but Warren stopped me and pointed to the open desk to the side.

“You haven’t finished the emails,” he reminded me before grabbing his coffee from my hand. “Do that first.”

I tried to keep the distaste from my face and nodded.

Keeping me out of everything even remotely exciting, huh?

As annoying as it all was, I wanted desperately to see how Warren was going to do this. He was a professional. This was something he did every other month; at times, he was in the news nonstop for this very thing.

I guess he thought it wasn’t necessary for me to be there.

Inside, I pouted at how unfair it was.

“Just tell Francis, my assistant, if you need anything,” Nick said with a smile. “Monitors. Keyboards. Headphones. We have everything to make you comfortable.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll manage,” I said. “I’m used to Mr. King’s requirements,” I added without looking at Warren and sat down.

I felt his smirk nonetheless.

Asshole.

25

WARREN

Keeping Addi from this meeting was for her own good.

I just hope she slows the fuck down on her work.

I always knew what Addi could do, but seeing her in action again brought back pieces of our time together eight years ago. She had brought her own headphones, and even though she was obviously annoyed that I had stopped her from entering the room, she jumped right into work mode.

I was watching her progress on my phone.

Slowly, four hundred emails turned to three, and the numbers were steadily dropping every few minutes.

She was faster than even me. Starring things that needed immediate attention while labeling others. A smile threatened my lips when she replied to one of my more annoying vendors who had yet again asked for an extension and budget increase.

Please see the outlined terms of our contract above. You have already delayed the office renovation by a month. Another delay is unacceptable. Additionally, I looked at your funding request and do not see adequate proof that it is needed.

She was an incredible employee and able to adapt to whatever I threw at her. Both back then and now.

And at least this would get her mind off what her father had done. My chest ached just remembering seeing how distraught she had been after talking to Maxwell.