Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
“Unbelievable,” he roared.
“You think an apology is going to fix this?”
I would have yelled, too, if it would accomplish anything.
The security footage showed the exact thing Prescott had described.
A man in a cleaner’s uniform glided past the hotel staff with a mop in one hand and three stolen phones in the other.
He didn’t even slow his step as he swept them off the table.
I exhaled sharply and pressed my palm to my forehead.
“There were unreleased sketches on that phone. What am I supposed to do now?”
The girl behind the table looked like she was seconds from collapsing.
Her name tag read Madison.
“I’m so sorry, Miss Vance. We’ve reported it. The police are involved. We’ll do everything we can to recover it. We’ll compensate you, of course A new phone, but there’s a delay in procurement. We don’t have a spare device at the moment… but we promise you’ll get the newest model before the end of the expo. Three days, tops.”
She looked about twenty, and already halfway through a breakdown.
Tearing into her wouldn’t get me my sketches back.
I turned to leave, but Prescott stepped in front of me and held out his phone.
“Just got a message from the organizers. They want us at the dinner tonight. Same guest list as the panel. Speakers, sponsors, etc. Your mentor’s going to be there too.”
“Prof Veldman?”
He nodded.
“It’s next door, upstairs. Private room.”
We’d agreed to the dinner when signing up.
I couldn’t back out now.
I told Madison to send updates if they tracked the phone, promised not to press charges as long as they handled it.
Walking into that banquet without a phone was worse than I’d expected.
Everyone else had theirs out, scanning QR codes, swapping contacts.
I had nothing in my hands.
My pockets were empty.
The weight of it hit me like I’d forgotten a vital limb.
No device meant no messages, no calls, no camera, no access to my cloud folders.
I couldn’t reach anyone; I couldn’t be reached.
But the room buzzed with talk, and I kept pace.
Professor Veldman spotted me halfway through the appetizers and pulled me over.
Within minutes, he’d introduced me to three gallery owners, two tech founders, and a hedge fund heiress with sapphire nails and a limited edition Birkin.
I borrowed Prescott’s phone to log their numbers.
The private room on the second floor smelled of truffle oil and aged liquor.
Cassian stepped forward with both arms spread, grinning.
“Took you long enough. You’ve been dodging dinners like I’m trying to sell you insurance. You said you wanted to explore media, so I brought along the heads of three production houses. Big names. All sharp.”
Sebastian nodded once.
“Fine.”
He stepped in, his eyes sweeping the room.
Three men stood up immediately.
Their suits were tight across the chest, watches polished, smiles over-eager.
Then he saw her.
Rowan Hale sat at the center of the table in a wine-red blazer.
Her legs were crossed, heels sharp enough to puncture the carpet.
She stood slowly, smiling.
Cassian caught Sebastian’s look and chuckled under his breath.
“You two already know each other, right? Heard you reconnected in Riverbend. She’s back in Skyline now. Thinking of signing with us. Figured dinner would be… efficient.”
“We had dinner just a few days ago, actually,” Rowan said sweetly.
The producers” attention shifted.
One of them adjusted his cuff.
Another leaned slightly forward.
Cassian’s grin widened.
“Great, saves me the introductions. Let’s all sit.”
He nudged Sebastian from behind.
Sebastian stayed still for half a second, then stepped forward and took the nearest seat.
He didn’t look at Rowan.
He said the minimum: a few greetings, a few shallow questions.
The men answered eagerly, but the numbers they quoted, the projects they mentioned-all of it sounded dull and unimportant to him.
He looked at the dishes in front of him.
Lobster, black cod, some over-complicated beet salad.
He didn’t touch any of it.
“Excuse me,” he said abruptly, pushing back his chair.
Cassian caught up with him in the hallway outside.
“What the hell was that?”
“I needed air.”Cassian squinted at him.
Then he tugged Sebastian towards the corner staircase and out onto the narrow balcony.
The concrete floor was damp, and someone had stubbed out a cigarette on the railing.
“This about Rowan?” Cassian asked, his voice dropping.
“Didn’t realize you two had bad blood. I thought you got along.”
“We don’t,” Sebastian said, staring at the street below.
“If I’d known she’d be here, I wouldn’t have come.”
“You two have history or something?”
“We were photographed the other night. Whoever took it tried to make it look like we were seeing each other.”
Cassian winced.
“Shit. That was her?”
Sebastian gave a short nod.
“Brilliant. Now I look like a bloody idiot,” Cassian muttered, rubbing his forehead.
“So, you think she staged it? Got someone to follow you, take the photo? To get attention? I don’t want to sign her if she’s capable of scheming like that.
“That’s your guess, not mine,” Sebastian said.
“Sign her or don’t. It’s your company. Just keep her the hell away from me.”
“Noted.”
The tension between them started to loosen.
Cassian reached into his coat, pulled out a pack of Camels, and offered one.
Sebastian shook his head, “Quit.”
“Since when?”
Sebastian’s mouth curved, almost into a smile.
“A while ago. She can’t stand the smell.”Cassian’s cigarette twitched between his fingers. He scowled.
“Right. Must be nice. Here, let me light one just to piss myself off. Since no one cares if I die of lung cancer.”
He bit down on the filter hard enough to leave teeth marks, flicked the lighter, and leaned against the railing beside Sebastian.