You Wanted Space! We’re Done, Dr. Whitmore Chapter 06

You Wanted Space! We’re Done, Dr. Whitmore Chapter 06

I caught the flight as planned.

Landed in the new city. Started the onboarding at Sterling Group.

It hit a wall from the start.

My name wasn’t on the onboarding list. System errors. Missing information. My paperwork dead-ended

before it even started.

Then the director dumped a side project on me-a KPI that was basically a death sentence.

A few days in, I pieced together the department’s real power structure.

On paper, the department manager was the corporation’s heir-brought in from headquarters for leadership training. Privately, people called him “Junior Emperor.”

But the real power sat with the director. Years of experience. Deep roots. Everyone knew him as “The

Regent.”

They kept up appearances. Collaborated publicly.

Behind closed doors? They were at each other’s throats.

My position had always reported directly to Junior Emperor. I just didn’t realize it until I was already inside.

Now I was on his team. Whether I liked it or not.

Then my project stalled. The approval process hit a wall in the neighboring department. My messages sat

there. Unread. Unanswered.

I opened the pinned chat. My thumb moved faster than my brain.

A crying cat emoji escaped.

I was already typing a long rant to Sophie-a mountain of complaints about everything falling apart.

Then three dots popped up.

“I’m here.”

“What happened?”

I blinked.

Sophie never replied like that.

She always started with the periscope emoji. Ears up. Gossip mode.

I checked the chat name.

Froze.

Wrong person.

Not Sophie.

Junior Emperor.

Who was supposed to be out of town on business.

My manager.

Chase Sterling.

The rumors painted him as sharp-tongued and ruthless. The kind of man who made people want to apologize just by walking into a room.

Apparently, he also had a face that looked like Leo and Brad Pitt’s love child.

But his expression never changed. Cold. Distant. Like everyone owed him something.

I hadn’t actually met him yet.

But I’d heard the stories.

At a business dinner, a male colleague bragged about dating two women at once. Everyone laughed it off.

Chase shot back, “Free escort treatment-that’s something to be proud of?”

During a department meeting, senior staff waxed poetic about their early career struggles. Told the younger

employees to “just be yourselves.”

Chase cut in, flat: “Be less yourselves. Be more human.”

And when someone on The Regent’s team made an amateur mistake, Chase didn’t pull punches.

“Great time to be alive. Ultrasound screenings used to be stricter. Back then, even a detailed prenatal

wouldn’t have passed.”

Great.

This was my first time dealing with a manager who replied within milliseconds.

Not even time to delete the message.

I scrambled for an explanation.

The chat bubble appeared-

Then a third message.

Two words.

“Wait for me.”

Me:

Three hours later.

The man who was supposed to be out of town stepped into the conference room.

Black suitcase propped against his chair.

He looked up when he heard me.

Fresh snow had dusted the city outside. A few damp strands clung to his forehead.

His eyes hit me.

“Trouble?”

The rumors hadn’t lied. Chase Sterling had the kind of face that made overtime feel almost worth it.

But he wasn’t quite the cold, cutting figure they’d described.

At least right now, his voice was almost warm.

I explained myself. The wrong message. The accident.

Chase’s mouth quirked.

“How come payroll didn’t accidentally send me your paycheck?”

Right. The rumors weren’t entirely wrong.

I seized the chance. Told him about the approval process. The dead-end.

Turns out.

One call from Chase. Minutes later? Approval cleared.

I exhaled.

“Thank you, Ju-”

Junior Emperor. Almost slipped out.

I caught myself.

“Thank you, Mr. Sterling.”

Chase raised an eyebrow.

He looked at me. Two seconds of silence.

Then the corner of his mouth ticked up.

“Claire.”

“You really don’t remember me at all, do you?”