Page 25 of Auctioned to My Bratva Boss

I looked at Miranda's smug smile and felt dizzy. I quietly tucked my sketchbook into my drawer. At least it was still okay, right?

"So can you move?" My voice was so flat it surprised even me. "I need to clean up."

Miranda stood there stunned. By the time she realized what she'd done, I'd already left her shrill voice behind.

In the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face.

"Okay, Riley. Relax." I told my reflection. "You're here to learn, not make friends."

The coffee stain wasn't too hard to clean, and the uniform fabric didn't absorb much. My clothes were tidy again soon. But my burned skin and that helpless feeling still made my nose sting.

"Crybaby." Matvey's low voice suddenly surfaced in my mind.

I felt inexplicably wronged. I suddenly wanted to see Matvey.

"Pull yourself together!" I wiped my eyes, straightened my shoulders at the mirror, then walked out with my head high.

I'd just gotten back to the design department when I saw a middle-aged man standing by my desk.

My cheap coworkers were all heads-down working.

The man walked toward me. He said he was the new supervisor. I marveled at the company's efficiency—or rather, Matvey's efficiency.

"There's a design proposal meeting at three this afternoon. Mr. Bykov specifically requested that you come take notes. Make the most of this learning opportunity," he said.

A design proposal meeting? I'd finally get to actually work on design? Excitement flooded through me. I could barely keep from jumping. I didn't want to make a bad impression on the new supervisor.

"I will." I nodded slightly, suppressing my smile.

He went back to his office, but my coworkers' eyes never left me.

"See, I told you..." that voice started again. "None of us have ever been to those meetings."

"Shut up! If she hears you, we'll all be out."

"Miranda, did you hear..."

"Shut up!" Miranda hissed through clenched teeth.

Oh, so this was what having privilege felt like? Turned out they weren't so united after all.

It seemed whenever Matvey appeared, my life got better. Sweetness bloomed in my chest, even my breathing felt lighter.

At two-fifty, I stepped into the elevator.

"Riley?" I'd just reached the twenty-seventh floor when someone called out. "You here for the meeting too?"

Adrian, from the office next to mine. We weren't close, but we'd run into each other a few times in the break room and chatted.

He had blond hair and golden eyes. His short hair was casual and natural, his gaze open and warm, his features defined but not aggressive. He looked sunny and cheerful.

"Hey... quite a crowd!" I smiled politely.

We walked into the conference room together. Polished wood table surrounded by leather chairs. An entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows let sunlight flood the room without reservation.

Nearly every seat was taken. Adrian and I found two empty chairs next to each other at the end of the table.

"Quite the production." Adrian lowered his voice, leaning close. "You nervous? This your first time up here?"