“Luca!” she admonishes as she straightens and pushes away from me.
“You’re going on a fucking date?” I ask, my voice simmering with anger. She looks away, but I grab her chin and turn her face back toward mine. “Answer me.”
“It’s a private matter,” she snaps, instantly making me regret the words I uttered when Natalia came to my office.
“Who is it?”
She grits her teeth and glares at me. “That’s none of your concern.”
“You don’t have time to go on a date tonight,” I tell her, racking my brain to come up with an excuse. “I need you to double check the information we’re supplying to the auditors.”
“I’ve already done that.”
“The budgets for our next quarter need to be adjusted.”
“I’ve already finalized those and had meetings which each department head to discuss them.”
I pause. “I need detailed meeting minutes for every single meeting we’ve attended this week.”
She raises her brow. “I’ve already emailed them to you.”
Frustration crawls up my spine. Why the fuck is she so good at her job? “I want to see the plans for Salazar Finance’s IPO.”
Valentina frowns. “That isn’t due until next month.”
“I want it now.” That’s at least a week’s worth of work. She’ll have to work overtime to get that done, making it impossible to go on her date.
She crosses her arms and stares at me for a moment. “Very well,” she says hesitantly. “I suppose you’re in luck. I’ve already drafted the plan. I’ll put the finishing touches on it and email it over within an hour.”
“W-what?” I stammer.
She smiles at me in that polite way I despise. “Now, if that’s all, I’ll go ahead and grab some coffee with Raven before I get back to work.”
She turns and walks away, her stride confident. What the fuck is happening? In all the years we’ve worked together, I’ve never once heard of her dating anyone.
The door closes behind her, and I stare at it for a moment, my thoughts reeling. What the fuck do I do? I can’t keep her from going on that date.
I hesitate for a moment before picking up my phone and calling our Head of Security, Silas Sinclair. He picks up almost instantly.
“Windsor,” he says, his tone as monotone as it always is. I’ve never seen him act animated around anyone but his wife. I have no idea what Alanna sees in that wooden block of a human.
“Silas.” I hesitate for a moment. “I need you to find out where Valentina is going tonight, and withwho.”
He falls silent for a moment. “Have you tried asking her?”
I hate this guy. He’s so fucking irritating, but he’s the best at what he does. “Of course I’ve fucking tried, Sinclair. She wouldn’t tell me.”
He sighs, clearly irritated by my request. “Have you considered that it might just be none of your goddamn business what Val does in her private time? Aren’t you engaged, anyway? Congrats, by the way.”
I clench my jaw. “I don’t pay you to question me.”
“You don’t pay me at all,” he replies. “Your grandmother does.”
I run a hand through my hair and stare up at my ceiling. I finally understand why Ares hates Silas so much. “I need a name and a location.”
Silas sighs. “My wife isn’t going to like this. She’s friends with Val, and you know it. Don’t do anything fucking weird. If you do, and Alanna finds out, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
This motherfucker. He has no loyalty to anyone but his wife. He’s as rich as I am, so he can’t be bought either. I hate people I can’t control, and Silas Sinclair is a wildcard.