#Chapter 27: Soft Spot

Aria The CEO strode over to us with quick steps, his gaze stern. Good, I thought, letting out a tiny breath of relief. The cavalry had arrived. “I… uh… Alph—I mean, Mr. Avarise! I didn’t see you there,” Arthur stammered as he shot to his feet. Stopping in front of Arthur’s desk, Darren crossed his arms over his chest and glanced back and forth between the two of us. “Is something the matter here?” he asked. “I heard shouting.” Arthur let out a weak laugh and patted me on the shoulder. It took every ounce of my willpower not to slap his hand, although I did move away before his touch could linger. “Oh, we were just having a laugh, weren’t we?” he chuckled. Dark eyebrows raised, Darren turned to me. “Is that true? Because Aria here doesn’t seem to be laughing.” Arthur opened his mouth to say something else, but I spoke up before he could. “No, we weren’t just ‘having a laugh’,” I snarled, shooting the supervisor a death glare. I held up my ruine