Schedule

Olivia's POV 

"LILY!!!" The scream ripped out of me before I even realized I'd opened my 

mouth.

Everything happened so fast. Lily looked up in confusion.

The driver slammed on the brakes the tires shrieking against the pavement.

I dropped everything. The grocery bags hit the ground. Oranges, tomatoes, and apples scattered in every direction as I ran. I reached her before the SUV stopped.

I threw my arms around her, pulling her against my body with all the strength I had. The force sent both of us stumbling onto the sidewalk.

"Oh my God!" 

"Is the little girl okay?"

Voices rushed back all at once around us.

The driver jumped out of the SUV, his face drained of color. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see her…I swear, I didn't see…"

I couldn't hear him. My whole body shook so violently I could barely breathe. I pushed Lily back just enough to look at her, both my hands cupping her cheeks. "Lily..." My voice trembled. "Look at me."

She blinked, still in shock.

"Are you hurt? Did the car touch you?"

"No..." She slowly shook her head

I searched her from head to toe with frantic eyes…No bruises. Thank Goodness.

A sob escaped me as I pulled her against me so tightly she let out a tiny squeak.

"Mom..."

My face buried itself in her curls. "Don't..." My voice cracked so badly. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

She wrapped her small arms around my neck. "I'm sorry, Mommy." She hugged me back as tightly as she could. "I wasn't trying to."

Tears burned behind my eyes.

-----

"Mom?” Lily's small voice pulled me back.

We were sitting on a bench near the edge of the parking lot while a store employee gathered the groceries that had scattered across the pavement.

My hands still wouldn't stop shaking. Even now, I could hear the screech of tires. What if it hit her? What would I have done?

No…I can't lose Lily, not to anyone. I wrapped my arms tighter around Lily as if someone might try to take her away the moment I loosened my grip.

"Do you think my daddy would've carried me like that?” She sniffed. “The way that girl's dad did?” She added.

My hands stilled, the question catching me off guard. 

"Or…do you think he would've been scared too?”

My fingers curled against the fabric of my skirt.

Scared? My heart gave a bitter laugh. Why would he be?

"It was just a game to him."

The memory hit me without warning. "She means nothing to me, Dad."

"It's just a game."

The words still cut as deeply as they had seven years ago.

I never stayed to hear the rest. I walked away before he could see me. I never told him about the baby, never gave him the chance to know. How could I tell a man who had just admitted I meant nothing to him?

Lily turned to look at me. For a seven-year-old, her gaze held too much understanding. "It's okay, Mom.” She smiled, a little sad around the edges. "I've got you.” she slipped her hand into mine, squeezing them gently.

I looked down at our joined hands, blinking hard against the sudden sting in my eyes.

“Can we go home now?” 

“Yeah.” I nodded. “Let's go home.”

That night, I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard tires screeching across the pavement and every time I opened them, I saw Adrian Kingston's face.

My mind was so messed up and by morning, I was exhausted.

-----

I reached Kingston Holdings forty minutes before work officially started.

I tightened my grip on my handbag and glanced at the clock above the reception desk. 7:20 a.m.

Good…After yesterday, being late wasn't an option. Not if I wanted to keep the promise I'd made to myself every single day since Lily was born…that no matter how hard life got, she would never have to carry my burdens.

I drew in a slow breath and stepped toward the elevators. 

“Just get through today.” The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime. I stepped out onto the executive floor, expecting the usual quiet.

"Miss Carter." A woman in a navy skirt suit approached me with a tablet tucked neatly against her chest. It was Mr. Kingston's secretary. She offered me a polite, professional smile. "Good morning. Mr Kingston is expecting you."

My stomach tightened. "Right now?"

She nodded once. "As soon as you arrived."

A dozen possibilities raced through my mind. Had I forgotten to send an email? Or made a mistake in yesterday's meeting notes?

Worse... I'm I about to get fired?

The secretary stepped aside, gesturing toward the large black doors at the end of the hallway. "He's waiting for you."

I swallowed hard, tightening my hold on the folder against my chest and forcing my feet forward.

I stopped outside the double doors and knocked. 

"Come in."

I pushed the door open and there he was..Seated behind his desk, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, his attention fixed on the documents spread before him. I quietly closed the door behind me.

"Sit."

I lowered myself into the chair opposite his desk.

Without looking at me, he picked up a black folder and slid it across the polished surface. "Your schedule."

I opened it. It looked like I was going to be occupied all day. Emails before review, executive briefing, investor call, board preparation, lunch meeting, contract review, a site inspection across the city.

The final line was what really caught my attention.

8:00 pm…. Kingston Foundation Charity Gala.

I looked up before I could stop myself. "The gala too... tonight?"

He finally lifts his eyes from the papers, those familiar grey eyes meeting mine. "Is there a problem?"

"I just thought..." I hesitated. "I didn't know executive assistants attended evening events."

"They do…when they're my assistant."

I looked back at the schedule. It wasn't something I could negotiate. Every hour of my day...already belonged to him.

"I expect you to know where I am before I ask," Adrian continued, signing another document. "If I have a meeting, you're there first. If I leave the building, you're already prepared. I don't wait for people to catch up." He closed the file in front of him, leaning back in his chair. "Can you do that, Miss Carter?"

My fingers tightened around the folder.

"Yes."

His gaze stayed on me for another long second. "Good."

I tightened my grip on the folder. "But Mr Kingston..."

"Yes?"

"My schedule ends at eight." I hesitated. "The charity gala usually finishes much later than that."

"Mhmm.."

"I was wondering if...I have somewhere I need to be after work."

His expression didn't change. "So?"

"It's... important."

He studied me. "More important than your job?"

My fingers tightened around the folder. "No but.."

"I don't employ people who watch the clock." He reached for another document. "You'll stay for the entire gala."

I took a slow breath, forcing myself to remain calm. "I have family waiting for me."

This time, he didn't answer immediately.

His eyes rested on me for a long, quiet second. "I don't mix my personal life with work."

I swallowed. "Understood."

His lips curved into the faintest smile."I suggest you don't give me a reason to."

Before I could ask what he meant, he'd already lowered his gaze back to the document in front of him. "You may leave.”