Chapter 7: Who the Hell is That Woman?

*Claire*

I braced myself for Aiden's verbal onslaught, half-expecting him to launch into a monologue about his genetic superiority and why every woman with a pulse should worship the ground he walked on. But nope. Silence.

Aiden glided over to his leather throne - I mean chair - with the grace of a panther, not a single hair out of place. Without saying a word, or sparing a single glance my way, he settled into his seat. He picked up a stack of documents, his strong jawline tightening as he scanned the pages, scribbling furiously.

Hostility, I could deal with. But silent treatment, that always drove me mad, because then I had no idea what he was thinking. What was his end game anyway? Was he trying to put me in time-out like a child? Did he summon me here just to watch me squirm like a bug under a microscope?

I chewed on my bottom lip, stealing glances at him from the corner of my eye. His steely gaze remained fixed on the papers, strong fingers gripping the pen.

Well, if he wasn’t going to tell me what he was thinking, maybe I could just ask. I opened my mouth, but what came out was a tiny squeak that sounded like a mouse caught in a trap. This only earned me another steely look from him.

I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the awkwardness. “Mr Katz...” I began, my voice coming out as a shaky whisper. I cleared my throat, attempting to channel my confident alter ego.

Aiden’s head snapped up at the sound of my voice, his piercing eyes locking onto mine with intense focus. One perfect eyebrow arched upwards, waiting for me to continue. Those delicious lips of his pressed into a thin line.

I almost smacked myself after that thought. No! We do not think Aiden’s lips are delicious.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the traitorous thoughts. “Mr Katz,” I began again, my voice cracking slightly. I cleared my throat for what felt like the millionth time. “I just want to start by saying how much I admire your leadership.”

Aiden leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking softly. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, the movement causing his crisp white shirt to stretch, exposing broad, powerful muscles.

His full attention was on me now, and I felt like a raccoon being sized up by a lion.

“Do you, now?” His deep voice rumbled through the office, sending a rebellious shiver down my spine.

“Of course!” I beamed, my voice unnaturally high. “You’re such an inspiration to us all. Your work ethic and dedication are truly inspiring. You’re the kind of boss anyone would be lucky to have.” The words tumbled out in a rush, and I could tell by the look on his face that I sounded utterly ridiculous.

A ghost of a smirk played at the corners of Aiden’s mouth. “Oh really?” he drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “And do you count yourself lucky?”

“Definitely!” I exclaimed, and then sagged my shoulders, sighing for effect. “That’s why I deeply regret the misunderstanding. I shouldn’t have been so quick to jump to conclusions, and I definitely shouldn’t have spoken to you in that manner.”

I waited for him to say something, anything, but he only stared at me in that cool, calculated way that always did something to me. It was as if, just by staring at me, he rewired my brain and caused me to do and say things I wouldn’t normally do.

“Well...” I continued, even though I wasn’t sure I should. “It’s all Lucas’ fault anyway. After thinking it over, I realized that this entire mix-up started because of him. His letter was so ambiguous. Anyone could have made the same mistake I did.”

“Anyone right? Go on.”

It sounded sarcastic, but I didn’t know what else to do, so I obeyed. “Well, he could have been more clear. His signature was so confusing, and he didn’t even address me by name. It felt like a setup.”

“You’re saying this is all Lucas’s fault, and you had nothing to do with it?”

“Exactly! He put me in an impossible position. And frankly, it’s unprofessional. How can we trust someone who causes this kind of disruption?”

“You’re right. Lucas’ behavior was unacceptable,” he commented, leaning in. “We can’t have clients propositioning employees the way he did you. It’s damaging to my company and to me.”

I stared at him in shock. I didn’t expect him to agree with me easily. But he didn’t say anything about the part I played in it. He didn’t say anything about that monstrous TV interview where I basically called him a sexual predator and a pervert.

At the end of the day, I damaged his reputation, hopefully not beyond repair. But how do I get out of this?

I waited for him to calm down before buttering him up for the next phase of my plot. “Mr. Katz, um, like I said before, I really admire you. And, your composure throughout this whole... mess.” I fumbled with my words, feeling my cheeks grow warm. “The way you've handled everything is just... wow, you know? Pretty amazing, actually.”

I paused, watching Aiden's face. But there was nothing. He said nothing either, just stared at me with the same indifferent look.

Nervous, I pressed on, my words tumbling out faster.

“Your leadership skills are kind of... well, they're revolutionary. Especially with all this craziness going on. I mean, most people would've freaked out, right? But you're just so... so cool about it all.”

Aiden raised an eyebrow, and watched me silently for a moment. Then he stood up from his chair, leaning on the edge of his table, barely inches away from me.

“Is that so, Claire?” His voice was stern, but there was something else. As if he was egging me on. “Then perhaps you can explain why you felt the need to accuse me of sexual harassment? How does that fit with your... admiration of my 'coolness'?”

My stomach did a somersault. I opened my mouth, then closed it again, looking like a fish out of water. Aiden's eyes sparkled with a mix of challenge and curiosity, waiting for my response.

“I... um... well...” I stammered, frantically searching for words that wouldn't come. Was this his end game? Call me into his office, embarrass me and turn me into a stuttering mess?

I definitely wasn’t going to go down easily. “Well, I only do things I’m willing to take responsibility for.”

He leaned in even further. We were so close, that if I moved, my knees would brush against his. I held myself still, trying to keep my body in one position.

“Oh really? And how do you plan on taking responsibility for this?”

I fluttered my eyelashes for effect as I stared at the ground. I placed a pitiful hand over my forehead, trying to look as distraught as possible. “I’m willing to offer financial compensation.”

He laughed. He actually laughed. “You make five dollars a month. How do you plan on offering financial compensation? Are you going to starve yourself and then tell the world that I was responsible for that too?”

Utterly frustrated, I rose to my feet, putting some much-needed distance between us. “Well, what else do you want from me? Lucas should pay the financial compensation then. I’m sure he can afford it. The letter was so confusing, anyone could have made that mistake.”

“Okay, that’s fair.”

I turned to look at him. I was glad that at least he agreed that Lucas was indeed to blame for this. But I needed to get out of this situation.

The best way was to introduce another culprit! An idea began forming in my head.

I sighed again, staring down at the carpet. “I wouldn’t have been so gullible if I hadn’t bumped into Katie.”

For the first time since I stepped into his office, he frowned in confusion. “Katie? The receptionist? What does Katie have to do with this?”

“Why do you look so confused? She wanted to confess her feelings to you...”

“What feelings? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how Katie’s feelings were hurt. She heard that you were pursuing someone you liked. So, when I saw that letter, I connected the dots wrong.”

I waited for a second, then two, and then I gasped, placing an unsuspecting hand over my mouth. “She didn’t confess to you?”

If looks could kill, then the glare Aiden shot my way would’ve turned me into a premature corpse. “No.”

His response was so chilling, and the once playful glint in his eyes was gone. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked such a stupid question.

I’ve done enough damage to his reputation already, I really shouldn’t be messing with him too. I had a one-night stand with the man I loathed for years, potentially ruining his marriage, and I proceeded to act like a child about it.

“I’ll give you a chance to make things right,” he finally said, moving back to his chair and picking up the documents. “You can start by helping Ethan figure out who the woman in my tent that night was. Since you did see her face.”

I plastered a sugary smile on my face. There was no way I would let him figure out that the woman he was looking for was me. We could go on a wild goose chase for all I cared, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d let that happen.

Over my dead body.

...

*Aiden*

As soon as Claire walked out of my office, I loosened my tie, trying to ignore the restlessness clawing at my insides. Being around her always seemed to tear at the control I’d mastered for years.

Her scent still lingered, and I could feel my wolf reacting, pushing me to go after her. I’d planned to tell her about my feelings, but after that debacle of an interview, I was certain it wasn’t a good idea.

I stared at the clock, willing it to move faster so I could escape to the safety of my home.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. “Come in,” I said, wincing at the growl that escaped.

Ethan, my beta and the only person privy to my secret, entered cautiously. I could smell his nervousness—another unwelcome side effect of my... condition.

“Sir, I have some information about the incident on the camping trip,” Ethan said, closing the door behind him.

I felt my ears prick up, a habit I was still trying to curb in my human form. “Go on.”

“It turns out it wasn't an accident. Dolores Hart, our finance director, she... she drugged your water.”

I felt a low rumble building in my chest. “What?”

Ethan swallowed hard, his heart rate spiking. I could hear it clear as day. “The drug... It's designed to create an intense physical desire. To make someone want to... sleep with another person.”

Suddenly, the events of that night came rushing back. The overwhelming urge I'd felt to be near the mystery woman, to touch her, to... No. I shook my head, trying to clear it. I'd chalked it up to my wolf's growing strength, but this... this was something else entirely.

“So, Dolores is...” I trailed off, waiting for Ethan to confirm it.

Ethan shook his head. “No. She apparently got lost and fell into a cave. Security had to pull her out. By the time she was out, you were already occupied with the woman we’re looking for.”

“How about the surveillance footage, can we get our hands on that?”

Ethan nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I didn’t think about that. I’ll look into it right away.”

“You know Claire Madden?” He nodded, and I continued. “She’s the only one who has seen this woman’s face. You should look at the footage with her.”

“Alright then. I’ll contact her.”

“Thank you, Ethan,” I said, dismissing him.

As I took off my tie, thoughts of Claire Madden flooded in, and I caught my reflection in the window. For a moment, my eyes flashed brilliant gold.

I needed to gain control, and focus all my energy on finding this mystery woman, whoever she was.

Little did I know, the truth about that night was far more complicated than I could imagine, and Claire held a secret of her own – one that would turn both our worlds upside down.