Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 31

Porter drove Audrina to the TV station, his nerves completely frayed the entire way.

He was terrified she might ask about Zachary's recent whereabouts.

Porter glanced in the rearview mirror multiple times to find her entirely focused on her phone, a faint, lingering smile occasionally touching her lips.

He assumed she was texting Zachary.

But the screen actually displayed a chat with Sebastian, who had texted her at 7:03 AM:

*Are you going to the anniversary gala?*

She was just now replying: *Of course.*

The moment the message was sent, the typing indicator appeared at the top of the screen.

A moment later, her phone buzzed: *Then I'll keep you company.*

She looked down and typed: *With so many people on the cruise, how exactly does Mr. Hawthorne plan to do that?*

His reply was instant: *How do you want me to keep you company?*

Audrina bit her lower lip, instinctively glancing up at Porter in the driver's seat.

He was gripping the steering wheel, completely focused on the road ahead.

She tapped out a few words: *Guess.*

Before he could reply, she sent another: *There's a prize if you get it right.*

Sebastian replied within a second: *What kind of prize?*

They arrived at the station. She didn't respond, simply locking her screen and stepping out of the car.

Porter let out a massive sigh of relief as he watched her go. Ms. Monroe clearly had no intention of asking about his boss.

She really was too easy to handle; Mr. Sutton just needed to coax her a little, and everything would be forgiven.

...

Audrina took the elevator up. The moment she pushed open the office doors, a shower of confetti exploded in front of her.

"Surprise!"

Half a dozen party poppers went off at once, raining colorful paper into her hair.

"What is all this—"

Applause erupted. Someone whistled, and another shouted, "You killed it, Audrina!"

"Audrina!" Roland squeezed his way through the crowd, a massive grin plastered on his face. "Congratulations! The ratings for yesterday's exclusive interview skyrocketed. The station director personally called our department this morning to commend you!"

Smart girl.

No rush. He could take his time. He'd give her a little taste of sweetness now; there would be plenty of opportunities later.

He waved a hand magnanimously. "Approved. The holidays are coming up anyway, so go spend some quality time with your family."

"Thank you, Mr. Ladd."

Audrina pulled the door shut behind her and took a few steps down the hall.

The corridor was empty.

She braced a hand against the wall, bent over, and dry-heaved.

Roland was utterly repulsive.

...

After work that evening, she headed downtown to a high-altitude revolving restaurant as planned.

Exiting the elevator on the seventy-sixth floor, a host guided her inside.

Willow had just arrived moments before.

The tall woman was rocking four-inch stilettos. Beneath her cashmere coat, she wore a black off-the-shoulder mini dress, holding a limited-edition seasonal bag. She looked ready to walk a runway.