EMMA

My alarm rang for the second time as I turned it off and got up from the bed. Another morning, another day. A day I now dreaded to face but I must admit, the past few days hadn’t been that bad. It had already been a week since I started working for him and besides some rude remarks and our small encounters, nothing was different. Maybe the reason was he went on a business trip in London the very next day after our elevator incident. The same day he saved me from bruising my head and then threw that one good act of kindness right out of the window with his mocking comment.

Miss Seville was along with him on his business trip so my office was calm and peaceful and I liked it that way. No glaring looks from that blond secretary, no smirking lips of my jerk boss, and not much to work. If this was how my year was going to be spent, I was more than happy to oblige.

After taking a long relaxing shower, I stepped in front of my small wardrobe. My eyes raked through the line of ironed clothes that I had pressed during the weekend. I took out my sky-blue shirt and paired it with my black slacks. 

“Maybe I should let my hair down,” I muttered, looking myself in the mirror. "Yup. Let's do that."

Changing my clothes, I combed my shoulder-length hair and slipped my feet into my white slip-on. I wasn’t wearing heels, not again, not after that incident.

I looked in the mirror one last time.

Perfect!

“Someone’s in a good mood!” Kate grinned as I walked into the kitchen.

“Yup! My boss is out on a business trip and isn’t returning for two more days.” I grinned back. Two more days of freedom! It wasn’t that much but for freedom, every second counts. 

“Well in my case, I might have missed seeing his handsome face every day.”

“Kate! He’s not even that good-looking.” I grunted and drank a glass of juice. 

She laughed and handed me a plate of toast and egg. “Tell me that at the end of the year.”

“End of the year or a decade, my mind won’t be changing.” I asserted and she laughed. I don’t know why she was so determined to change my mind. Since the last week I had started working for him, Kate had mentioned my so cold boss in every one of our conversations. She couldn’t just let me forget him for once. She was even more annoying than Alice!

After having breakfast, I took the subway to the Wilton Corporation located in Midtown Manhattan, just at the center of the business empire. 

I entered the building and headed to my office. As I walked past Miss Seville's empty table, my lips curled into a smile. I could give anything to see this sight for the whole year. 

I entered my office and sat down in my chair. “I love life.” I grinned as I swirled around. Okay so now, I have to set his schedule for the next week, adjust all the pending meetings, reply to his new emails, and arrange a meeting with the board of directors as soon as he returns. I wrote all the tasks on a checklist. Easy! I could do that. 

I plugged in my earphones and played my playlist. I hummed along to the lyrics while giving the new emails resting in his inbox a standard reply.  

“Oh, God!” In between I would stop and close my eyes, focusing on the singer as he would melt my heart with his soothing voice. I'm convinced that songs have the magic to make you feel alive - or I was really just in a good mood. That’s how I had spent my past few days without him. In tranquility and peace. 

Two more days un-

A hand brushed past my cheek and with that, my heart halted along with my dream of freedom. My eyes widened as the left side of my earphone was plugged out of my ear.

“Now that’s not a voice to make you moan like that,” his minty breath fanned my cheek as he listened to the song I was hearing. I instantly stood up and my earphones fell, now dangling from my phone. Why was he here?

He straightened up and brushed something off his jacket. “Missed me, sweetheart?” His eyes landed on mine and I saw the same spark of amusement dancing around his blue orbs. How long had he been standing there? And how much did he see? Did he hear me sing along to the lyrics? Did he see me dance my head along the chorus?

Now that was embarrassing.

What was he doing here? And this early? Wasn’t he supposed to return tomorrow night? 

“To answer your coming question, I wrapped things up pretty early there.” He answered my unspoken question and walked around my seat. “I think someone enjoyed my absence a bit too much to my liking.” He stopped in front of me as his blue eyes raked over my shocked face. I instantly composed myself. 

“Best days of my life.” I sneered. 

“Too bad, you won’t be getting them again.” He chuckled and took a step closer. “We have a meeting with the board of directors at three. Be prepared.” He declared and brushed past me towards his office. 

---------------

My phone vibrated on the table and I grabbed it to see a message.

Come to the meeting room

Now that was an unknown number but the way this one sentence demanded my presence, I could sense it was no other than my precious boss. Was this his business number? But my phone already had that saved up. Maybe a second number.  

I looked at my wristwatch showing thirty minutes past two. We had a meeting at three and he was already there. Thirty minutes early. I guess I was right. He was a time freak. 

I grabbed my purse, a notepad in my hand along with my new non-cat-shaped pen, and headed towards the meeting room. I entered the elevator and pressed the twenty-eight floor. In this few days' time, when my boss was gone, I asked Violet to take me on a tour around the company. I came to know ten different departments were operating in this building and each one of them had their small meeting rooms located on their floors. Along with that, there was a gym as well located on the floor just above the cafeteria. The twenty-eight floor consisted of a large meeting room and adjacent to it was a presentation room and a conference room. This was the floor where international conferences were held, deals were signed and projects were approved, all by the CEO, Edan Wilton. 

As the elevator opened, I stepped out and moved towards the meeting room at the end. My eyes landed on him as soon as I opened the large frosted glass doors. His back was facing me as his face stared out the window. My eyes traveled down his neck, his broad shoulder - blocking a fragment of light with his presence - and down to his long legs. His hands were tucked in his front pocket. It was a shame such a jerk possessed that perfect body and that perfect face. It should have been a crime. He didn’t even deserve that. He should be punished. No. He should be hanged for this. One less jerk on earth.

“If you had enough time checking me out, start setting up the meeting room,” he snickered and warmth crept up my neck and on my face.

I wasn’t checking him out! 

I was just observing him. 

There’s a difference. 

Jerk!

“In your dreams.” I rolled my eyes and picking the bundle of filed documents from the corner. I checked down the names as I walked around the large rectangular table, placing one file at each seat.

“Believe me, sweetheart. In my dreams, you’re doing more than just checking me out.” A chill ran down my spine and my body shuddered. Did someone open a window? Because I think the temperature fell a few degrees low. I hated how his words affected me. It's like they knew where to trek down deep in my body, through my nerves, and right into my soul. They knew where to strike. I hated this. 

“I am sure it involves some blood, a knife, and your dead body.” I deadpanned as I walked past him and grabbed the water bottles from the side. If he thought he could play with my mind and cloud my thoughts with his nasty remarks, he was wrong. His tricks do not affect me, his words do not stir me and even if they did - which I was sure they didn’t - he won't be knowing that. 

I halted as his hand touched mine. His fingers brushed mine delicately as he grabbed the bottles and placed them on the table front. 

“Kitten,” he whispered seductively from behind and my legs trembled. His cologne wrapped me up from behind like a death trap. His earthy aroma laced with woody musk crawled on my body and into my mind. What was he doing? And how the hell he moved here so fast? He wasn’t touching me, he wasn’t holding me and yet I couldn’t move. 

What the fuck! 

What was wrong with my body? It never acted this way in all those past years!

I felt his lips brush against my ear and my eyes shuttered close.

Why the hell my eyes closed? You traitor!

“Do you hate me that much?” His silvery voice glazed my ears and I grabbed the edge of the seat to steady myself. My legs were about to give away and I couldn’t allow that. I couldn’t let him see the way he was affecting my traitorous body. I tried to step away but my feet felt too heavy to move. I tried to speak but my tongue felt too heavy to speak. I sensed his lips turning into a smile as they brushed on my earlobe. His hand touched mine as he caressed his way up my hanging arm. My grip on the seat tightened, my knuckles turning white. 

Stop!

“Oh baby,” he whispered and I froze. My eyes opened and whatever my body felt moments ago broke.

Baby! Come here!

Don’t worry, babe. I got you.

Em! I like you.

I am here for you, always and forever. 

I love you, baby!

Stop. Stop! Stop! Stop!!! 

I internally screamed as memories started to rise back from the ashes of my past. 

My nails dug deep into the black leather as my eyes blurred with tears. The surroundings of mine started to blur down and whatever words someone was saying, they were muffled. 

A hand touched my arm and my body shuddered. Do not touch me. Do not come near me. I yanked his touch away. I wanted to run. I wanted to get out of here. I wanted to hide. And so I did. I stepped aside and ran outside the door. I stepped into the elevator and pressed the ground floor button. I needed to get out of here. I needed to run away. I hung my head low, hiding my trembling lips and my eyes filled with tears. I couldn’t let anyone see me like this. I couldn’t let them see how weak I was, how much pathetic I was. Not again.

I hated this. I hated how I had become. A mess. 

I hate myself.

Tears threatened to leave my eyes but I controlled them. Not now. Not here.

Stepping out of the building, I looked for a cab. I needed to leave. Luckily, a taxi pulled by the road and I walked towards it. As I was about to step in, a hand grabbed my arm. The touch burned my skin. 

“Emma!” He whispered and my heart dropped. Why was he here? Why he followed me?

I didn’t look at him, I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to see him. I didn’t want him to see me. I winced as the burning sensation on my arm increased. His touch hurts. I yanked my arm from his hold and closed the cab’s door. I gave the driver my address and he looked at me and then at him standing outside.

“Go,” I said and the driver nodded. As soon as the car pulled away, tears rolled down my cheeks. I circled my arms around me, hugging myself tightly as memories from years back came back haunting me. I hated how a single word evoked memories of that person. I hated what he made me into - a crying mess. I hated how he broke me, how he took my heart, shattered it, and made sure that I would remember it forever.

I loathed him.

You are strong.

You can do this.

It won’t happen again.

You are safe now.

Those were the words I whispered to myself every time I would wake up from one of my nightmares but now I didn’t even know how much truth they held. The facade I wore every day was just another one of my lies and my boss just proved that. 

I wasn’t strong.

The cab pulled in front of my apartment and after paying the fare, I stepped out. I unlocked the door, went into my room, and locked it. A sob escaped my lips as my body rolled down to the floor. Memories of him flooded my brain. His sweet kisses, his warm hugs, his feathery voice. Him whispering words in my ears, making promises he swore to keep. But here I was with a broken heart and a wounded soul. The foolish girl was crushed by the boy she ever fell in love with.

EDAN

My eyes widened as she pulled her arm from my hold and ran towards the elevator. What just happened? One moment, I was sure I had her where I wanted her to be. I knew how she felt when I whispered those words. I knew how her eyes closed when I brushed my lips against her ear. I knew how her body trembled when I caressed her arm. Then what made her react like that?

I wrapped things up early in London because I wanted to return as soon as possible. I wanted to see her. I wanted to see her glaring eyes and hear her witty voice. I wanted to see the rage in her eyes morphing into something new every time I would step close to her. I wanted to see her challenge me with her counter-attacks bringing out that one thing in me that I didn’t know existed. But I never expected something like that to happen. 

No! I was not letting her leave. Not like that.

I marched out of the room and taking my private elevator down, I reached the ground floor. I wasn’t even sure if she did come here or stopped at some other floor but my sixth sense said she was here. The way she ran out of the room, a part of me said that she would leave this building. She would run to a place where she could seek comfort. 

My eyes caught the blue shirt of hers as she walked out of the doors. I followed her out of the building. I watched her as she walked down towards a cab but before she could sit in, I grabbed her arm. “Emma!” I whispered, stopping her.

Look at me, Emma! Tell me what happened. I wanted to say those words but she didn’t turn her head. She didn’t speak, she didn’t look. I wanted to know why she was acting this way, why she was running away, and from whom she was running away? Me? 

She winced and for the first time, my heart sank. It felt like my touch burnt her up, like my presence was what she dreaded the most. I was the reason behind those tears she was trying her best to hide. It felt like... I was right. She was running away from me.

She freed herself and sitting in, she closed the door. She didn’t look at me while I stood there and watched as the car left. 

"Fuck!"

I raked a hand through my hair. A part of me wanted to follow her but another part of me knew it wasn’t right. It knew I wasn’t the one to chase after girls and yet, I chased her till here.

What the hell was wrong with me?

This wasn’t going as I planned. The plan was to show her she was no different but as another day passed, I was getting more and more convinced that she was not like the others. She wasn’t like the women I met in my life. 

She was weird. She was like a challenge - a complex one - I had yet to face.

I walked back into the building and headed straight to my office. 

“Cancel today’s meeting,” I growled as I walked past Miss Seville’s table. I didn’t stop to hear what she said nor did I care. 

I couldn’t relax, not until I know what happened. 

I heard a knock on my door followed by Miss Seville coming in. “Sir! You can’t cancel the meeting. It’s with the-“

“I fucking know with whom it is!” I growled. “You don’t need to tell me that. Just do what I asked you to! That’s your fucking job!”

She jolted by my sudden outburst and stared at me. 

“Leave!” I growled under my breath and she hurriedly walked out. 

“Fuck!” I grumbled, clenching my hands in a fist. World did know me as a ruthless businessman but that wasn’t because of my anger. It was because of my intolerance of mistakes and all the things I could do while perfectly composing that anger of mine. It was my smiles followed by that cold look in my eyes that the world feared the most, not the wrath locked behind those eyes. 

I wasn’t the one to lose my temper that easily but that brown-headed, grey-eyed girl ruined it all. I didn’t even know at whom I was mad now. Her, for running away like that, or me, for not knowing how to handle that. 

But one thing was sure, whatever this was, it was fucking hell annoying!

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Hey! Anna here!

Can I please have your thoughts on this chapter and the overall story?

Thank you!