Why does she have to be so stubborn? Stubborn and sunshine-like. It's so annoying. And yet something keeps pulling me towards her.

Sierra is old enough to walk home by herself. She doesn't need a driver or someone to accompany her. But here I am, dropping everything, leaving my meeting early just so I can be sure she gets home safely.

"Sierra, you're going to tell me exactly where you're at. Now," I demand, already storming out of the meeting room.

I can hear her sigh. Softly and ever so lightly. "I'm around the corner from the OB-GYN."

Yeah, cause that narrows it down.

"Which one?" I'm pretty sure Seattle has a couple more doctor houses than just one.

"Mr. Storm, I'll be fine. I'm almost home."

This woman is going to be the death of me. I can feel it. She's not even really a part of my life yet and she's already about to make me lose my sanity.

"Sweetheart, tell me where you're at so I can come pick you up."

Sierra clears her throat. "Did you just call me 'sweetheart'?"

I guess I did. "No."

"Cause if you did, that would be completely inappropriate, sir."

Inappropriate, my ass. She's pregnant with our child. Think we already overstepped the "inappropriate" line.

I have to press my lips together in order to keep my usual mad guard up. "You're right, sweetheart. Whatever you say. Now, send me your location."

I hang up, not giving Sierra another chance to disobey. She'll have to learn that disagreeing with me won't get her anywhere. I always get my way.

I walk up to Athena, waiting until she finishes the call she's on. When she hangs up, her attention is on me instantly.

"Atlas," she says, narrowing her eyes at me.

"You didn't tell me Cody was Sierra's brother."

She chuckles, then puts her hands onto her hips as she looks at me with amusement.

"Well, Cody didn't mention it either, has he?"

He has not. Which is pretty much a shame given the years I've known him. The years he's known me. The years we've been best friends.

"So you guys hid her from me on purpose?" Not that it would have changed anything if I'd known her earlier. Though, I probably wouldn't have given her a job if I'd known.

Athena's amusement vanishes from her face in a second. Now, she looks pale and more than drained of any colour.

"Do you need something? More bitter coffee? A better personality?"

So mouthy.

"I have somewhere important to be. I need you to reschedule today's meetings. Don't think I'll be back, Ms. Coffey."

Athena nods, writing something down into her notebook. She's a great assistant, but a pain in my ass. Just because her fiancé is my best friend, she thinks she can tell me what to do and how not to act with certain people.

For instance, before I gave Sierra the job in PR, Athena kept telling me to be nice to her because she's a bit sensitive.

Like I care. Sierra Bloom wanted to work for me, she'll have to deal with the way I treat everyone. I'm not kind. I don't do small-talk. I hate speaking to people in general. It's way too tiring. Especially when isn't business-talk.

"Have a nice day then, Mr. Arrogant," Athena calls after me as I leave.

I think she's always called me that. Ever since the day Cody introduced me to his girlfriend, she's been calling me "Mr. Arrogant." And that solely because I refused to go to a fast food restaurant.

Checking my phone as I take a seat in my car, I'm pleased to find a message from Sierra. More specifically, find a message that states her location.

As it turns out, the OB-GYN is not right around the corner from her apartment. Why would she prefer to walk home for a good thirty minutes while it's pouring, instead of being happy I offered to pick her up?

She'll have to get used to having me around. There is no way I'd let her stay away and only ever see my child every once in a while.

Might as well start getting used to one another now rather than after the baby is born.

I know she dislikes me. I'm not really pleased to have one of my employees as the mother of my child either, but we'll have to live with it now.

Ten minutes later, I stop my car right in front of Sierra. She's standing under the open sky, didn't even bother to walk into the nearest café. The one that happens to be right behind her, by the way.

It makes my blood boil.

But what's pissing me off even more, Sierra doesn't even approach my car. She takes a step back and looks around, avoiding to acknowledge the car in front of her.

Though, she looks afraid. Maybe? I'm not sure. What I can tell, she doesn't appear to be at ease. Doesn't appear to be relaxed at all.

Has something happened?

So I roll down the window. "Would you get in already?" I speak in a harsh tone.

Only now does she look at me. She beams a smile and walks over to my car.

Not going to lie, this throws me off. The way her mood just switches is Stange to me. And frankly, a mystery about how that's possible.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know this was you, sir," she says as she takes a seat. "You had a different car yesterday."

"It's Tuesday," I answer like it's an explanation. "Did you consider moving in with me yet?"

I wish this wasn't even an option. Technically, it's the only option.

Sharing my house with anyone was never something I wanted. I always preferred to be on my own, have my own space.

Having to share a space always seemed stupid to me. Like, why would I want that? Why would I want my privacy somewhat invaded, when I could be on my own and live my best life?

Guess that will change. And it will. Sierra won't have any other option, I'm sure she'll realise it soon enough.

"I've had like half a day to think about it, Mr. Storm. It's unnecessary. And completely inappropriate."

"Can't get more inappropriate than being pregnant with your boss's baby," I remind her. Seriously, it can't get any worse.

We're having a child together. Even if it wasn't about her and my image, we should still live together for the sake of the child. At least until it's like three years old.

"Didn't your brother move in with Mrs. Coffey a day after he found out she was pregnant?"

Sierra's head snaps towards me, narrowing her eyes. I can't exactly look at her right now, but I sure would if I wasn't driving. "How do you know that?"

Sierra doesn't know I'm her brother's best friend? Now that's even ruder than finding out he hid her from me.

But clearly, Cody doesn't want her to know, otherwise he would have mentioned something, right?

"Mrs. Coffey has been working for me from day one. I've met your brother before and I have overheard them talk about moving in together because of her pregnancy."

It's not a complete lie.

Cody asked me if that would be the most responsible thing to do. Of course I had no clue. I was twenty-four by that time. And if I was him, I probably would have fled the country.

Being a father has never been something I wanted to become. Having a child was a complete horror scenario for me. Especially at the age of twenty-four.

But now that I'm (almost) five years older, and I'm good seven months away from becoming a father myself, I start to understand why Cody felt obligated to be there for Athena. And his (unborn) child.

Anyway, I did overhear Athena and Cody talk. I didn't intentionally try to listen in on their conversation, but it was quite impossible not to.

Five years ago my office building was about the size of a two story coffee shop. It had a total of two offices, a front desk and a waiting room. Having some space wasn't on the building's agenda.

"I know Athena has been working for you for quite some time. Doesn't mean you should have been listening in on her conversations." Sierra crosses her arms over her chest, turning away from me.

She's kinda adorable when she's mad.

"I wasn't trying to," I tell her. "If it makes you feel any better, I used to have a heart five years ago. I gave her off for her entire pregnancy and still paid her."

And I did that on my own behalf. Cody didn't have to ask for a favour for me to do so. That's been a whole year of me having to handle my own paper work. Fucking annoying.

"So where did that heart go?"

I'm not sure. Where did it go? Honestly, I don't think I've had one then. I haven't felt joy or happy since my father died when I was younger.

Perhaps I just wanted to be sure nothing would happen to Athena, given that Cody would have murdered me if she had lost the child from stress at work.

I continue to drive in silence, completely ignoring Sierra's question. It doesn't bother me much not to talk. In fact, I have been talking way too much for one day already. It's time to keep my mouth shut.

And just when I think Sierra agrees on silence, she speaks. "Where the hell are you taking me? This is not the way to my apartment."

I want to groan. Possibly even throw her out of the car. But I can't do either of those.

I can't groan because then Sierra would know I can experience other emotions than grumpiness and anger. Though, to be fair, annoyance would fit right in as well. And I can't throw her out of my car for very obvious reasons.

"You're coming home with me." Perhaps showing her where she'd live will quicken her procrastination.

It's been a day, Atlas. Give her some time.

"I am not."

-♡-

She came home with me.

Like I would have given her a choice not to. She also didn't exactly complain any further, so I'll take that as a more-or-less good sign.

Sierra is sitting on one of the barstools in my kitchen like a lost little duckling, looking around with fascination. I think?

At least she doesn't look like she hates it here. Which is good. I did not spend millions for this place just so someone would tell me it was a waste of money.

I live somewhere hidden by trees in the south-west of Medina, in a modern mansion with dark exterior. Or as Cody said it before, I live in a house that represents me. Rich and gloomy.

The interior, however, is kept a bit brighter. It's mostly white and some grey. As stupid as it may sound, I even have a favourite part of the house; the flooring and stairs.

I spent way too much money on white marble flooring and stairs with LEDs underneath every single step. It's not the entire house that has marble flooring. Only the bathrooms, entry, living room and kitchen. The bedrooms and my office have a darker wooden floor.

"This is so weird," Sierra mumbles as she continues to look around. "I look so cheap in here."

My eyebrows draw together in a frown. "Cheap?" I take a bottle of water from my fridge and hand it over to Sierra.

She takes it without arguing. Which surprises me. I kind of thought she'd deny taking anything from me. Unlike I asked her to, Sierra didn't use my Credit Card to buy the baby clothes yesterday.

"Yes, cheap," she repeats back to me. "My entire wardrobe probably costs as much as this apple." She points to the fruit bowl on the kitchen island in front of her.

"It's an apple. I paid like what? $5 at most for a few of them." I pause, watching as Sierra continues to stare at the fruit bowl. I almost want to chuckle. "Sierra, if you want anything from that bowl, just take it. I'm pretty sure I'll survive the loss of a fruit."

Her eyes snap to me. She smiles bemused, looking me up and down. "Was that some humour I've heard there, Mr. Storm?"

"That can't be, sweetheart. You know I'm always serious." That only makes her smile even more. Not quite sure why, and it kind of startles me, but I suppose I can live with it.

And why the hell is she still calling me "Mr. Storm"? I've told her to use my first name like a hundred times by now.

"Do you have a basement?" she asks, throwing me off. Again.

"No." I have enough storage space as it is, I'm in no need for a basement. "Why?"

She shrugs. "Figured you would. You know, for all the dirty work you do, to pay for—" she waves her hand around "—this."

"I own a whole office building for my dirty work. And I have a hell ton of employees to help me."

Another smile spreads across her annoyingly beautiful face. I don't think I've ever seen someone smile as much as she does.

Sierra always seems to be smiling. She literally beams one at everyone she passes. She is always in a rather good mood, jumps around when she's happy.

Like I said, the black sheep in my company.

I know a lot of my employees are actually looking forward to speak to her. Unlike with me. When one of them has to speak to me, I can feel the fear that's radiating off of them in the room.

"And that's what I'm there for? To cover up?"

"Precisely."