Lisanna Moore's P. O. V

Only sixteen minutes.

Sixteen minutes left till the clock strikes five and I'm free to leave this office and go back home. The first thing I'll be doing will be changing into my pyjamas consisting of my sweatpants and a baggy t shirt and just simply relaxing in front of the television to get rid of the stress that's been accumulating this passed week.

That sounds like the dream but instead of feeling relaxed at the thought of going home, my muscles are all bunched up and a feeling of unsettlement gathers in the pit of my stomach. The thought of going home being anything but relaxing and I'd rather wait the entire day out in my office.

Why? Some may ask. Well I was supposed to get the details on my client and my brand new project by lunch at one, however, I've heard not even a peep of what's to come and that's just causing my nerves to slowly fry. My boss hasn't said anything to me yet which means she hasn't heard anything from the higher ups and that's just digging a bigger hole for me to settle comfortably into my grave.

Mrs. Cunningham can't simply give me a client if her boss hasn't said anything about it. Hell, I have a feeling they're reconsidering the proposal and instead of giving me a second chance, they're throwing me to the wolves.

The paranoia starts to get too much for me and I can feel the tears gathering at my lash line which I furiously blink back. Pushing myself and my seat away from my desk, I come to my full height from the desk and push my brown hair over my shoulder, already feeling the urge to put it up since the messy strands are starting to make me feel suffocated. Turning around, I head towards the window and take a deep breath while placing my hands on my hips, trying to calm the raging thoughts in my head. Usually glancing down at the view of the streets and people going on with their lives calms me down but I don't feel that same sense of serenity now.

Deciding to focus on my breathing, I start to take deep breaths, putting more attention on my deep inhales and exhales that for a second, I don't notice the subtle knocking on my door. Only when it happens for the second time do I confirm my suspicions to which I call out with a shaky, 'come in.'

Glancing over my shoulder, I catch sight of Stella who pops her head through the door. The haughty smirk on her red painted lips falling off of her face as she lets herself into my office fully.

"Lis, are you okay?" The concern in her voice has me letting out a half hearted scoff. I really must look like I'm on the edge of sanity if even Stella is worried about me.

"Y-yeah."

Damn it. I can't even control my voice right now.

Stella doesn't appear to be convinced with my words as she frowns deeply, stepping closer to where I am but still maintaining her distance. The both of us gazing at each other perturbed but not saying anything. The air around us turns awkward rather than the bitterness that one can usually taste whenever we're both in the same room in a professional capacity.

"Cut the bullshit Lisanna. Take a deep breath and relax," Stella practically demands of me with a stern voice. I nod my head and follow her actions even though that's what I've been trying to do since the past few minutes. "I came here to tell you that Juliet asked for you. I'm pretty sure it's good news." She continues to inform me softly.

Just like that, the tightness around my chest slowly starts to dissipate but not completely, the stiffness still present since I'm not completely in the clear at the moment. With one final deep breath, I let out a low and nod to Stella in a form of thanks who rolls her eyes at me in return.

"Stop frowning so much. You already look like an old hag and we can't have you getting even more wrinkly." The woman says in a smooth voice while turning around, purposely showing me her back as if she doesn't intend to give me the time of day.

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to look like you now would I. Thanks for nothing." I quip back but the effort is half hearted as I follow after her out of my office. Stella doesn't bother to reply and merely stops off at a random door but before entering, she glances back at me while I send a thankful smile her way. I can tell she tries to glare at me but I don't miss the slight twitch of her lips as she tries to hold back her smile.

Oh I caught it you little shit.

Of course neither of us are going to act like we have a kind bone in our bodies towards each other, except on certain occasions like that just happened a few moments ago.

Clearing my head of any stray thoughts, I make my way towards Mrs. Cunningham's office. One part of me already tired of the continuous back and forth I've been doing when it comes to my performance with the firm. I'd just like to get it over and done with instead of balancing on a fine line.

"Ma'am." I announce my presence softly, followed by a gentle knock as the woman in question raises her head from her laptop and motions for me to enter with a wave of her fingers. Closing the door behind me, I head over to the chairs that I've been sitting in unusually a lot, making me feel like a school child getting a scolding from the principal for some prank or what not.

"I've found a client for you."

Her words take a moment to settle in my brain since I honestly thought I was coming here to get fired on the spot. No second chances for me. Clearly I've been proven wrong.

"You have?" Comes my unintelligent reply, no thanks to the shock that has rendered me almost numb. Luckily for me, Juliet isn't in the mood to berate me as she merely throws an amused glance my way.

"Indeed. Although I wouldn't rejoice just yet." Her monotonous yet somehow sharp tone penetrates through me with enough tenacity that I nearly wince visibly at her words.

"Of course ma'am." I say softly, not expecting anything less. Just the chance of even being giving a client after messing up exponentially is a blessing I couldn't have even asked for.

"I don't think you quite understand the importance of your assignment," Juliet says as she closes the lid of her laptop shut and pins me with her sole attention, that amused expression still present and now tugging at her lips although her tone within the words remain flat, emotionless.

It's freaky to say the least.

"I know that everything I can possibly imagine is on the line with this client. If I mess up in any which way, I'll be fired without a second glance back and I understand that. I'm grateful for this chance as it is." I reply back solemnly, hopefully being able to convey both the sincerity and thankfulness in my tone towards her.

Juliet 'hmm's' at me briskly before opening her laptop back up once more while her fingers fly across the keyboard, the clicking and clacking reverberating within me as she taps away at the keys that I know have something to do with my next project. "You do realise the severity of failing. That much I have gathered but you fail to realise the difficulty of your project and client," she says simply to which I furrow my bro. My face the epitome of confusion as I tilt my head in questioning before I clear my throat and voice what I have in mind.

"I'm not quite sure I'm getting at what you mean." I voice out hesitantly to which she nods as if she suspected it all along.

Not bothering to give me a verbal reply, she deftly picks up her laptop with the shining logo and flips it towards me, leaving me staring at the lightened up screen that has familiar news articles and sites popped up all over it in different tabs. I continue to stare at it for a few seconds, gathering all the information bit by bit for my slow processing mind to analyse and store. When the process is complete, my eyes go, most probably, comically wide as I continuously glance to and fro from the laptop to a solemn Juliet.

It can't be.

Nope.

Not at all.

In front of me and displayed vividly on her illuminated screen is a man that has me holding my breath for just a teeny second. The only visible portion of the man being his side profile which is enough for one to deduce the naturally good looks he sports. From this angle I can see his razor like sharp jaw dotted with a bit of scruff that comes from a few days left of not shaving. His body adorned in a navy blue suit with a long black winter coat covering the majority of his outfit except a slight bit of his slacks. Not only are his looks enough to leave one breathless but is rapidly raising stature nearly causing me to fall out of my chair then and there.

My company wants me to take him on as my client?

The man who has the entire media and country buzzing around him like flies to food left out in the open air. The one who no one knows next to nothing about and people barely knew of his existence until it was plastered everywhere till not even a single person in this country doesn't know who he is now.

The man now next in line to the throne.

The 'new' member of the royal family.

The King's heir.

Thaddeus Sinclair.

"I-U- He'll be my new client?" I finally stutter out, the words simply refusing to leave my sealed lips nor my mind actually allowing me to believe what I'm supposedly asked to carry out.

The woman purses her lips at me before tilting her head down at the screen where my gaze is fixated. I don't think I'm even blinking at this moment since I'm enraptured in some sort of daze. I do admit that it's not the most professional of ways to appear gobsmacked but I currently can't really help myself.

"It might seem to be stupid and rather unprofessional move on our part when it comes to allowing you to take the lead on this especially with the way you let things go out of control so easily last time. However, the fact remains that you're one of the best workers we have here. As I've stated numerous times before we needed you to be challenged and to see if you're worth not only keeping on board but also promoting. You'll be taking the lead on this but Rose will be working closely with you." The image of the woman runs through my head, someone I'm not too close with but as far as I can remember we do get along quite well. Nothing to write home about though.

"Let's just say she'll be keeping an eye on you and will be reporting directly back to me so if anything goes awry, I'll be notified and based on your credibility, if not in the best light, we'll have to let you go effective immediately." The words hang heavy in the air but that doesn't deter me in the slightest and before I know it, I'm wrapping up with Juliet and agreeing to the task, not as if I had much choice in it.

I barely realise what's happening as I make a beeline back to my office and pack up my things since it's time for us all to head out. My mind so full of everything that's going on that I hardly remember saying goodbye to everyone, not missing their worried gazes as we all go our separate ways back home. The Uber ride is quick and I only zone back in when I'm freshly showered and not staring at the blaring television nor feeling the warmth leaving my quickly turning food, cold.

A ping coming from my laptop has me nearly dropping the bowl of rice as I tear my eyes away from my crème coloured bedroom walls and focus on the open electronic besides me. The only other noice coming from the fashion show blaring on the television but not enough to distract me from the email notification I've just received. Tapping onto the popped up bar, I wait patiently as it takes me to my email and opens up, the contents of it confirming everything that Juliet Cunningham told me today but in an office email from the company.

I scan over the words of why and how our company was chosen for the job. Me not really interested in the facts of our firm representing the Royal Family in one way or another but instead, settling on where my name pops up alongside Rose's for heading the task in rehabilitating the image of our client; Thaddeus Sinclair.

This is really it.

Placing the laptop back down on the bed, I continue to stare at the email in disbelief while taking a forkful of the somewhat cold rice.

This time my phone pings from my bedside table as I scramble to reach over and see why someone's texting me at this time. Grabbing my phone, the notification takes me to a message from an unknown number. Quickly scanning the text, my lips quirk up as I realise it's from Rose, the woman who'll be 'keeping an eye' on me for the most part of the project. We'll be working side by side for this but I'll be taking the main lead on this.

I find myself distractedly eating the rice while I add Rose's number to my contacts, a smile forming onto my face as we converse slowly, the both of us loosening up with each text even though it's to a professional extent. We go over each and every step for the coming week where everything will commence. The slight anxiety I was feeling now slowly calming down into excitement. The nerves pushing me to do my best but also have that level headed caution I'll need to keep my head screwed on my shoulders.

Our conversation slowly drifts from our work to silly conversation as we get to know one another and by the end of the night when I'm back in bed, I had never really left it I'm being honest, about to go to sleep, a wistful smile comes onto my face. The bad feeling in my stomach loosening up somewhat.

Maybe this will work out for the best.

—————-

AN: Hi everyone. I apologise for the update being a few days late but I hadn't even realised it was time to update since the days go by so fast lol.

Question: Should I change the description/ synopsis of my story a bit?

Question: Would you rather have three feet or three hands?

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