Chapter 48

Gabriela hadn't expected there to be other people in Wesley's office.

Everyone was dressed to perfection in tailored suits, their stern faces carrying the authority of seasoned corporate elites.

But right now, those stern faces were all wearing shocked expressions.

Feeling awkward, Gabriela glanced at Wesley in confusion.

The think tank members also shifted their attention to him.

Wesley, calm as ever, closed the file before him.

His normally cold expression softened slightly. "Feeling better?" he asked.

His voice was nothing like the decisive, commanding tone he'd used moments earlier.

Gabriela couldn't read his expression. She nodded nervously, scrambling for a way to explain why she'd fallen asleep on the job.

Aaron reached for the coffee pot, shooting a quick, puzzled look at Billy.

What on earth was going on? They'd only been away for a little over two weeks, yet Westey seemed different.

Billy kept his posture straight, giving Aaron a subtle look that said to stay calm.

But Aaron was far from calm.

After working with Wesley for a couple of years, he knew his boss had no interest in women. Not even the most dazzling actresses could earn so much as a sideways look from him.

Yet here was a woman, fresh from his private lounge. Aaron's eyes dropped, catching sight of Gabriela's bare feet.

She'd clearly been resting inside.

How close was their famously aloof boss to this woman, bringing her to work like this?

Aaron and his team weren't in the office often, so they had no idea Gabriela had recently been reassigned as Wesley's secretary.

Following Aaron's gaze, Gabriela noticed her bare feet too. Embarrassment prickled as her toes curled.

Once again, she'd made trouble for Wesley.

His brow tightened. "Put your shoes on."

The weather was cold. Maybe he should have someone lay down carpet in here.

Startled by his sharper tone, Gabriela's shoulders hunched.

She'd slept during work, taken over his lounge bed, and now the company's top staff had seen her like this.

Would Wesley fire her?

Without a word, she spun around and dashed back into the lounge.

Her quick, fluid movement carried a natural grace that drew the eye.

Wesley gave her a brief look, then turned to Aaron. "Is she pretty?"

Still reeling from the sight of his unapproachable boss behaving almost tenderly, Aaron blurted,"Absolutely!"

How could he possibly challenge Wesley's taste?

But Wesley's lips pressed into a thin line, his voice suddenly heavy. "You're so distracted by her that you spilled coffee all over my desk?"

Aaron flinched as a scalding splash seared the back of his hand, yanking him out of his daze. Only then did he realize he'd been absentmindedly pouring coffee long past full. He jumped up, fumbling for tissues, only to knock the cup over completely, drenching the documents.

He scrambled to clean It, making an even bigger mess.

Billy and the others were speechless at Aaron's clumsy behavior.

Only minutes ago, they'd been deep in a tense debate over a critical project, no one willing to back down.

The air seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for something inevitable to unfold.

Then Gabriela had stepped out of the lounge, and the entire room had lost its focus.

They said nothing,pretending it was business as usual.

Wesley offered no explanation. "Meeting adjourned," he said evenly.

For them, that meant they could leave for the day. The think tank members rose quickly and filed out.

Wesley surveyed the mess on his desk, rubbing his temples. "You can come out now," he called toward the lounge.

Gabriela emerged slowly this time, shoes on, head lowered like a child caught misbehaving.

He gave her a sideways glance. "Sober yet?"

She nodded."I'mn really sorry, Mr. Moss."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I shouldn't have slacked off during work, shouldn't have slept in your bed, and definitely shouldn't have interrupted your meeting."

A faint, resigned chuckle escaped him. She still didn't understand the real issue.

Wesley demanded, "Will you drink that much again?"

If he hadn't been around her today, she could have found herself in serious trouble.

"No," she replied quietly. At least not when she was with Wesley.

Her alcohol tolerance was usually fine-this must have been the wrong kind of drink for her.

Wesley motioned toward the hangover tea he'd set aside. "Heat this up and drink it."

Gabriela hadn't expected him to prepare this for her, and the gesture left her touched. It seemed he wouldn't fire her-at least not for now.

She quickly brought the tea into the kitchen.

Wesley's gaze shifted to Billy, who lingered at the edge of the room, all but melting into the background."Call my driver. Have him drive Gabriela home," Wesley said.

Although she seemed fine now, he couldn't risk letting her take the bus alone.

"Yes, sir," Billy replied smoothly, though his mind was spinning.

The executive office was a hive of activity-year-end loomed, two major projects raced against tight deadlines, and annual reports poured in from every department and subsidiary.

Everyone was so swamped they hardly had a moment to grab a sip of water, and even Wesley was practically living at the office these days.

Yet Gabriela had spent the afternoon sleeping, and now she was being sent home in a company car.

As a seasoned professional, Billy maintained a composed exterior, though beneath the surface, his thoughts churned in restless currents.

After contacting the private driver, Billy turned to Gabriela with a courteous, businesslike tone. "Miss Haynes, since you're unwell, Mr. Moss has arranged for you to be driven home."

Gabriela quickly thanked Wesley and followed Billy out.

Only in the hallway did she whisper, "I didn't... do anything inappropriate to Mr. Moss earlier, didl?"

Her memory was hazy-she only remembered leaning on Wesley's shoulder as if it were a pillow, refusing to let go, and attempting to sleep on the kitchen floor before he carried her to the lounge.

The rest was a blur.

Billy's eyes narrowed slightly.

Her uncertain tone made him wonder-had she done something improper with Wesley without his knowledge?

"You might want to go easy on the drinking next time," he advised.

Gabriela's heart sank.

So she had done something wrong.

With the company so busy, the fact Wesley wasn't asking her to work overtime could only mean one thing-he doubted her reliability.

How could she fix her image in his eyes?

A $28, 000 monthly salary wasn't something she could replace easily.

Lowering her voice, she asked, "I'm actually feeling pretty okay, Mr. Clarke. Is there any work I can help with?"

"Your health comes first," Billy said firmly. "Just rest and come in on time tomorrow."

Like hell he'd allow Gabriela to work overtime after Wesley told her to leave.

With no other choice, Gabriela headed home, her mood heavy.