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Chapter_20
Sadie froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat at the commanding tone in Micah’s voice. The sharpness of his demand sent a shiver through her, and for a brief second, she considered ignoring it and walking away. But something in the way he looked at her—cold, calculating—made her hesitate.
She wasn’t sure what game he was playing, but it was clear he was testing her, and Sadie wasn’t about to lose her composure in front of him.
With a deep breath, she set aside the cleaning supplies and walked toward the pool, her movements slow and deliberate. The water gleamed, its surface untouched by anything but the reflection of the city skyline above. The ring, a black gold band, lay submerged like a challenge thrown at her feet.
Sadie didn’t hesitate long. She knelt by the edge of the pool, her fingers grazing the cool water before she reached for the ring. It was heavier than she expected, cold against her skin as she pulled it up. Micah hadn’t moved from his spot on the lounge chair, watching her closely, his sunglasses hiding his eyes but not the sharpness of his attention.
“Here.” Sadie stood, holding the ring up to him, trying to mask the unease she felt in her chest.
Micah didn’t immediately take it from her. Instead, he regarded her with a faint, unreadable smile. “You have a lot of patience for someone so…disobedient,” he said softly, his voice carrying an edge of amusement.
Sadie’s jaw tightened. She knew he was referring to the incident earlier with his car, but she wasn’t going to let him get under her skin. “I didn’t mean to be late,” she replied, keeping her tone neutral. “But it’s a bit ridiculous to punish me like this.”
Micah tilted his head, his lips curling into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Life isn’t fair, Sadie,” he said, his voice smooth and deliberate. “And I enjoy making people…remember their place.”
Sadie’s heart hammered in her chest. There was something about the way he spoke that unsettled her, and she felt the weight of his words settle like a heavy burden on her shoulders. She quickly lowered her gaze, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her discomfort.
Without another word, Micah finally took the ring from her hand, his fingers brushing hers ever so briefly. “You may leave now. Clean up the mess you made elsewhere,” he added dismissively, as if she was nothing more than a passing inconvenience.
Sadie nodded stiffly, turning on her heel and heading for the exit. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was changing, that the game was shifting in ways she didn’t fully understand.
As she descended the elevator, the weight of his words echoed in her mind. “Remember your place.” It felt like more than just a reprimand. It felt like a warning.
But Sadie didn’t know what exactly she was being warned about—or how long she could keep up this precarious balance between doing her job and keeping her distance from the enigma that was Micah Clemens.
