I Fell for the Man Who Ruined Me, Then He Forgot He Ever Loved Me Back novel Chapter 185

"I ordered my favorite artisan matcha latte for you. Drink it later."

"Sienna..."

A harsh, raspy voice called out.

Mindy was still looking at her phone and burst out laughing. "It's just called matcha, you don't actually have to sound like a frog."

When she looked up, she froze at the sight of Janice York's face.

Mindy's smile vanished. "J-Janice, your cold still isn't better? It's been a week."

Janice looked miserable.

A simple cold had dragged on, and due to a lack of rest, it had only gotten worse.

When she woke up this morning, she could barely speak.

Janice turned back to Sienna, touching her throat. Just as she tried to force a word out, Sienna handed her a phone.

Understanding the gesture, Janice typed out a message and handed it back.

[There's a report I need to present at the meeting today. You're familiar with it, and I trust you. Prep the materials and come with me. You'll deliver the presentation on my behalf.]

They had done the exact same thing last week, though Janice's voice hadn't been this far gone. Sienna had just helped with taking notes back then.

Sienna remembered that meeting being led by Vice President Davis, an approachable man in his forties who had been very understanding of the situation.

Sienna agreed.

However, once she gathered all her files and arrived at the conference room, she realized VP Davis wasn't in charge today.

The man walking through the door.

Was Jorrod.

Dressed in a tailored suit, Jorrod casually swept his gaze over the two women.

His eyes locked onto Sienna's face, pausing for a fraction of a second.

He showed no emotion, but Janice's heart dropped.

The meeting was for senior management. Entry-level staff like Sienna weren't supposed to be there. Assuming the CEO was annoyed, Janice frantically tried to explain, "Mr. Vaughn, she..."

Jorrod stared right at Sienna, his brow furrowing.

He spoke his first words to her in days.

"What are you doing here?"

"Then you definitely need to speak up more, Mr. Vaughn," Sienna shot back. "But if you're willing to swallow your pride and ask nicely, I can make some time to teach you."

"Teach you how to communicate properly."

Their gazes clashed, one looking up, the other glaring down. The thin air between them pulled taut with electric tension.

Jorrod's expression darkened completely. His predatory gaze narrowed, the sheer weight of his stare making Janice's skin crawl.

She had never seen an employee talk back to the CEO like this.

Sienna sounded exactly like she did when she used to rip into her ex-boyfriend!

Seeing Sienna wind up for another shot, Janice slapped a hand over her mouth the second the word "Mr." slipped out.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Vaughn... she's new and a bit blunt... but she absolutely respects you... I'll send her back to her desk right now... I'll do the talking..."

Janice's voice was hopelessly raspy.

Her Donald Duck impression shattered the high-stakes tension, making the whole situation suddenly comical.

"No need," Jorrod said.

"Since she's so talkative, let her speak." He cast one final glance at Sienna, dropping a cold parting shot. "I'm looking forward to it."