Edge of Deception

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ilario reached into his pocket to extract his access key and pressed it to the card reader. Tanya saw the panel glow green from the other side and then he pushed the heavy glass inward.

Within a few determined steps he was standing right next to her.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded, his voice low with a hint of anger, perhaps? Whatever it was, it sent a frisson of foreboding through her and she felt her tummy curl.

"I was just leaving for the day."

He brows furrowed in suspicion. "Leaving for the day? I saw you leaving about two hours ago." He took a step forward. "Why are you back?"

Tanya was genuinely taken aback. She couldn't understand why he was sounding so angry, if anything, employees who work late are generally applauded for their dedication. But that didn't seem to be the case with Ilario.

"I took a break at seven. I returned after an hour. Everyone was gone by then."

"So why didn't you leave as well?" He asked harshly.

Tanya took a deep breath. Why was he grilling her like this? Is it because he disliked her?

"You warned me this morning not to give any excuse and delay the meeting set up for next week. It is already Thursday and I am way behind."

His stare was very close to being suspicious, as he observed her with narrow gaze.

He is trying to decide whether to believe me or not.

Why but? What does he think I was doing?

"Hmm." He responded at last. "A wake up call for you, huh?" His lips curled in that oh-so-familiar contempt he reserved just for her.

Tanya felt like her face was burning. She knew what he was referring to, but after working her ass off the whole day and trying to win his approval for the whole of her career, albeit short, his words stung. Oh boy! Did they sting!

She squared her shoulders and looked up at him in challenge.

"Care to explain that remark, Mr. De Russo?"

His eyebrows slanted at her decidedly insolent attitude.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Not to me, no, Sir."

Say it! Say you think that I am stupid!

"You really want to hear it, don't you?"

"It's Miss Singha, Tanya Singha." She threw her name like a challenge, knowing he was intelligent to pick up on her reference that he never called her by her name.

He did pick up on that, and Tanya relished to see that he wasn't happy.

Something was boiling inside her. A lifetime of listening to what a waste of space she was, Milan and this job was supposed to be her salvation. She had indeed poured a lot of effort in being an ideal employee. She was occasionally praised by her boss, pretty well liked by her colleagues and no one had once accused her of slacking off.

All of the boost she had received went all whoosh! upon hearing a veiled criticism from this one man; the only man who mattered. And he hadn't even said anything directly to her yet. Just insinuated. And that had been enough!

She was angry but bewildered too.

Why is he always putting me down? Why does he dislike me so much?

She continued the stare down.

"And yes, I do want to hear why you think working is a wake-up call for me."

She didn't what was stopping him from calling her useless or stupid, irresponsible or other similar adjectives people usually reserved for her.

They stood face to face, like two wrestlers weighing each other up. While Tanya was sure he could see the belligerence emanating from her in waves, his face gave nothing away. He kept looking at her, coolly observing her, assessing her.

The air grew hot, did they switch off the air condition? Or maybe she was just exhausted. Tanya suddenly wanted to run a finger under her collar to free her thick pelt of hair from the severe ponytail. The glittering onyx gaze trained at her did nothing to cool her.

Her breath hitched and she inhaled deeply.

His eyes narrowed and the next second his gaze dropped down to follow the movement of her bosom.

She stopped breathing and he looked up at her face.