Chapter 2 The man I shouldn't have crossed
Aria's POV
I didn't sleep that night .
Everytime I closed my eyes ,I saw his face . The way he'd said my name,like he was memorizing it,echoed in my skull until the dark ceiling felt suffocating.
“Aria”
I groaned and rolled over, clutching the blanket tighter. Caleb coughed in the other room and guilt rushed in to strangle me. I couldn't afford to lose this job ,not when his medicine was already running low. And the rent was due in three days .
“ But my mouth,God! ,My stupid mouth won't stay shut ,betraying me every time” .
I guess silence wasn't meant for me .
By the time morning came ,my eyes burned from lack of sleep,I forced myself up ,tied my apron around my waist and prayed that yesterday was a nightmare.
I was wrong.
The shift had barely started when my manager swooped down on me like a hawk.
“ Aria” He shouted angrily
“ Office. Now.”
My stomach dropped. “ I just checked in…”
“ Office,” he shouted.
Inside the office,I expected a lecture or maybe a query or even a termination slip.
What I didn't expect was to see him.
The Man from yesterday.
He sat in the leather-like chair like he owned it. Like he owned the hotel,the street outside,maybe even the whole city.
His suit was different today,a charcoal grey suit,just sharpened and intimidating as always.
His eyes lifted when I entered. That same gaze. Cold and Calculating.
My lungs forgot how to function.
My manager cleared his throat “ Mr Blackwood,this is Aria”
“Aria ,this is Mr Damian Blackwood”
No it can't be Damian,the richest man in the country.
“Leave us”Damian said not even glancing at my manger
“ But sir,I..”
“Now”
My manager nearly tripped over his shoes running out.He closed the door shut and silence pressed down .
Damian leaned back, steepling his fingers.
“Aria”
Hearing my name from him again sent a shiver through every nerve.
I forced myself to say “ If you're here to complain, fine. I'll apologize. I'll even quit if that's what you want . Just ….don't make a scene”.
His lips quivered “ you'll think I came here for an apology”
I swallowed “didn't you?”
“ No”. His voice was silk over steel “ I came to make you an offer.
I blinked “ An offer”
He stood up. He was taller than I imagined and the moment he stepped closer the room seemed to shrink around him.
“ You insulted me,” he said quietly.
“ In public ,no one does that and walks around untouched”
“I already said I'm sorry” I snapped, though my voice trembled.
“But,sorry doesn't interest me young lady,what I want is you”
My heart stopped “excuse me”
“You heard me …..,you are going to marry me ,but for a number of years tho” he moved closer and laughed.
The laugh ripped me out before I could stop it.
“Marry you ?. Are u insane?”
His expression didn't change “Call it what you like but you will”
“No,I won't…you don't even know me!. I flew up in disbelief.
“ Oh,I know enough” His gaze looked possessive and far more dangerous.
He leaned closer,his voice dropping and he whispered “ I know the way you bite your lip when you're nervous . I know you work double shifts because your brother's medicine doesn't pay for itself . I know you pretend you don't care about money but you are drowning in it and you are too proud to beg”
“You…..,Did you run a background check on me?” I caught it.
“And” he interrupted smoothly ,taking a step closer. “I know that right now,you hate me enough to slap me and will definitely hate me for what comes next.
Before I could move away,his hand caught my chin tilting my face up. The heat of my breath brushed my skin.
“Don't” I said fastly.
But he did. His lips claimed mine in a kiss that was not gentle,not asking but taking. It was possessive, leaving me breathless,as if he had just signed the contract with his lips instead of ink.
Then he pulled back “see I know you better than you think”
Rage flared into my veins.
“How dare you” I shoved him back ,my voice shaking.
“ You can't just walk in here and kiss me like that . You can't force me into this”
“I can” he said simply, smoothing his suit as if the kiss hadn't rattled the ground beneath me.
“Why me?Of all the women in this city, why me!”
He stepped closer again, lowering his head until his lips brushed my ear,his words sinking like honey and poison at once .
“ Because you dare to insult me,and now I want to own the woman who thought she could stand against me ,else”
“Else what” I asked
“I would close down this hotel tonight ,I'll make one phone call and ensure no hospital in this city admit your brother let alone selling medicine to you, you know exactly what that means Aria”
My knees nearly buckled “ you have three days, Aria. Thin
k carefully. For Caleb's sake.
And then he was gone.
Three days.