The Lonely Devil

Chapter 4

Lyra decided to get a job at a café to avoid being idle at home.She, Olivia and Vicky had finally gone out for some drinks during the weekend. They told her how the company could not produce a good proposal and so lost the V.I.P client and the other investors suddenly pulled out. The company was almost going bankrupt. Lyra felt quite happy but also felt bad for all her co-workers that were at the brink of losing their jobs.

Morning came and she left for work as usual, as she walked into the café, she saw a familiar face sitting at one of the tables. It was Mr. Ezekiel, the V.I.P client that her former company had lost.

He looked up as she walked towards the counter and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous but at the same time she also had the urge to walk up to him and bash his face on the table. Shelby,her boss motioned her to go over to him mouthing the words. "It's you he wants"

Hesitantly, she nodded before approaching him.

"Excuse me, sir, can I get you something to drink?" She asked, trying to sound professional.

He looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Just a black coffee, please."

She quickly went to the counter and placed his order. As she waited for the coffee to brew, she couldn't help but wonder why he was here. Had he come to the café on purpose, or was it just a coincidence?

When she returned to his table with his coffee, he looked up at her again. "You. Do you want a job?"

Her eyes that had been avoiding his widened and looked up at him,"Excuse me?"

He took a sip of his coffee before continuing. "I asked if you want a job."

She stared at him incredulously, not sure what to say. This was the same person that got her fired from her previous workplace. So what kind of question was he asking?. They held each other's eyes for a while as she tried to read his expression.

"What do you mean by that?" She finally asked.

"I'm quite sure you're fluent in English but let me break it down for you, are you in need of an official work?" he said, his brows furrowed.

She couldn't believe it.. her mind was racing as she tried to process what he was saying.

"I'm not" she said folding my arms

"You're not?" he replied with a raised eyebrow. "I think you'll find this job to be a much better fit for you than your previous one or do you like working here...." He paused and looked around"....in a barely active café with no prospects for advancement?"

He stood up and placed his business card on the table . "Stop acting up,call me tomorrow to set up an interview," he said before turning and walking away.

As he disappeared from her view, she couldn't help but chuckle dryly, he must have a mental problem right?

She picked up the business card, not sparing it a glance before tossing it in the trash. After which, she went back to her normal work. Shelby kept giving her curious glances which she pretended not to notice.

The next day, she got ready and set out for work but when she got there, the shop was closed and no one was around. Lyra frowned in confusion, knowing It was almost opening time. She took out her phone and called Shelby. After a few rings, she answered,

"Oh hi Shelby"

"Ohhh right Lyra hi, I forgot to inform you as everything happened in such a quick way, I sold the café yesterday and I've been offered a job in France. Can you believe it?!! I'm on my way to the airport now so I'll reach out to you later. Byeee"

She ended the call. She stood still, dazed and confused about the whole thing. The café got sold all of a sudden?

She groaned, this meant she will need to start looking for another job again?? Arghh.

As she turned to hail a cab,she halted and gasped in shock, behind her stood the strange C.E.O, Mr Ezekiel.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, gathering her wits.

"I came to survey my new property"

She raised an eyebrow "Your new property?, Hold on.....Don't tell me...."

"Yes I own this rundown café now" he replied curtly. She stared at him for a while, her mind buzzing." It can't be because she rejected his job proposal right?" She thought .

"Will you accept my offer now?" He asked with a smirk playing on his lips.

"You must be crazy" Saying this, she turned and walked away.

As Lyra walked away, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of psychopath he was. She hailed a cab and made her way back home, trying to shake off the encounter. Once she arrived, she made herself a salad and sat down to browse the internet when her phone rang. The number was unknown, but she answered it anyway.

"Hello?" she said cautiously.

"Hello miss Lyra " A gruff voice replied.

"Who's this?"

"Why exactly do you refuse to take my offer?"

Her heart raced as she realized that this man was not going to leave her alone. Was he really a psychopath?

"Thank you for your offer, Mr. Ezekiel, but I already have a job," she said calmly, hoping to end the conversation.

"What job?" he interrupted, his tone becoming more insistent.

The woman hesitated for a moment, not wanting to reveal too much about herself to this pushy stranger. But she knew that she needed to be firm with him.

"I believe that's none of your business, so please leave me alone," she said firmly before ending the call.

As she hung up, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. There was something about Mr. Ezekiel that made her feel uncomfortable, and she knew that she needed to be careful around him. She made a mental note to avoid him in the future, hoping that he wouldn't try to contact her again.

Days turned into weeks, and the woman tried to put the encounter with Mr. Ezekiel out of her mind. She went about her daily routine, going to work and spending time with her friends. She had found another job halfway across town. It was a receptionist job at well-maintained hotel which had been built a year ago. It was not quite popular yet. She did not want to bump into that psychopath C.E.O.

The day before, she had received an important call from Damien. He informed her that the firm they had been working on for months was finally ready to open in just three days. Although Damien sounded exhausted, she could sense the excitement in his voice. She congratulated him and thanked him once again for the opportunity.

Later that day, after finishing work, she went to a boutique to find something to wear for her first day at the new job. She knew she couldn't show up in her old clothes and wanted to make a good impression. She carefully picked out an outfit that she felt confident in and couldn't wait for the big day to arrive.

Two days went by in a haze and the day of the opening finally came, she woke up early and got dressed in her new outfit. She felt confident and excited about her first day at the new job. As she approached the building, she noticed something strange. The lights were off, and the doors were locked.

Confused, she tried calling Damien, but he didn't answer his phone. She decided to wait outside the building, hoping that someone would show up. After a while, the sun began to set, and she realized that no one was coming.

Feeling frustrated and confused, she decided to investigate further. She walked around the building and noticed a window that was slightly open. She carefully climbed inside and started to look around.

As she walked through the dark and empty hallways, she heard strange noises coming from one of the rooms. She followed the sound and found two people in the middle of a heated argument.

They stopped talking as soon as they noticed her presence, and she realized that they were Mr. Ezekiel and Damien .

Lyra stood frozen at the doorway, unsure of what to do next. Mr. Ezekiel and Damien were two of people who had recently been entangled with her life , and she didn't want to get caught up in their mess. But the argument she had stumbled upon seemed too intense to ignore.

Damien was pacing back and forth, his face twisted in anger. Mr. Ezekiel, on the other hand, was sitting calmly on a chair, his eyes fixed on Damien. Lyra took a step closer, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"I can't believe you're doing this," Damien said, his voice shaking with rage. "You know how important this is to me."

Mr. Ezekiel's expression didn't change, but Lyra could sense a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Damien, but I have to think about what's best for the company."

"The company?" Damien scoffed. "This is about your ego, not the company."

Lyra tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, but Mr. Ezekiel's gaze shifted towards her. "Can we help you with something, Lyra?" he asked, his tone polite but firm.

Lyra took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I heard noises and came to check if everything was okay," she said, her eyes darting between the two men.

Mr. Ezekiel smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Everything is under control, thank you for your concern," he said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

Lyra hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should push further. But something in Mr. Ezekiel's demeanor made her think it was best to leave. She nodded at the two men and quickly made her way back to the cab, her mind racing with questions. What were they arguing about? And why did it seem like there was more going on than what met the eye?

Damien attempted to go after her, but Ezekiel stepped in to block his path.

"Lyra wait," Damien pleaded, but Ezekiel stood firm.

Clenching his fists tightly, as if struggling to restrain himself, Ezekiel warned Damien, "Do not... she's mine."

Damien rolled his eyes, irritated by Ezekiel's possessiveness. "I didn't know she was branded with your name," he quipped sarcastically.

Ezekiel's expression darkened. "Don't test me," he growled. "Do not go anywhere close to her." Damien backed away, realizing that he was no match for Ezekiel's intensity. He watched as Ezekiel turned and stalked off in the direction Lyra had gone, wondering just what kind of hold Lyra had over him.