You Are Mine To Desecrate

Chapter 8---A crash with the devil

Five days.

That’s how long it’s been since the board dropped the noose around my neck and handed me the impossible. Since I’ve eaten more than stale coffee and dry toast. Since I’ve looked in the mirror and seen something other than exhaustion and desperation staring back.

I looked like hell.

Not the fire-and-brimstone kind. The slow, soul-sucking kind. The kind that drains you from the inside out. My eyes were hollow, shadowed with bruised circles like I hadn't slept—which was true. My skin had lost its glow. My cheeks were sunken. But my lips? Still pink. Because if I was going to go down, I’d damn well do it in color.

Outside, the city pulsed with indifferent energy. The sky was slate gray, heavy with the promise of rain, clouds curling like bruises across the skyline. My heels clicked sharply against marble floors as I stepped into the glass monolith of Helix Dynamics—the third company I’d begged for a lifeline this week. And the third one to slam the door in my face.

They didn’t even let me finish my pitch. They just gave me a polite decline, most had cold smiles etched on their faces. An empty "We’ll keep in touch." Liars.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and stepped into the elevator. My jaw clenched so tightly I was certain I’d crack a molar. My blazer weighed heavier than it should have. My legs ached. Don't break down, Ava. Fake it. Win it. Own it. That has always been my driving force. I straightened my shoulders anyway. It wasn’t about how you felt—it was how you walked.

The elevator hummed downward, floor after floor flashing by. I could see my reflection in the mirrored walls. My copper-red hair had dulled, curled limply over my shoulders. The fitted navy pantsuit I wore hung looser than it did last week. I looked like a woman trying too hard not to fall apart. And when the doors opened, I crashed into someone. The sharp pain I got from my head was enough to tell me how well built the person was. A hard chest, and fast breath. My eyes were still lowered, the person's shoe glimmered looking rich and I didn't need anyone to tell me that I must've offended a very high VIP of the company.

I heard a low grunt. My handbag clattered to the floor. I staggered back, shaking. I was already chanting in my head how to apologize to whoever it was. I blinked wildly, and looked up—

Straight into the last pair of eyes I ever wanted to see.

Alexander!!. I sighed. Of course it was him. Because the universe loved its jokes. It's cruel, ridiculous, darkly handsome jokes.

He stood there in all his six-foot-plus, broad-shouldered glory, flanked by two bodyguards in black. Their presence didn’t even matter. He stole the air. Wore power like a second skin. His tailored charcoal coat cut sharp against the rainy skyline behind him, collared high around his neck like he’d walked out of a noir film. Underneath it, a deep burgundy shirt peeked through unbuttoned just enough to expose that wicked sliver of his throat.

He looked like sin. And I looked like s**t.

Very typical.

“Watch where you’re—” I started to snap, but the words died in my throat as our eyes locked. For a long, unbearable second, neither of us moved. Just... stared. It was just as if time hiccupped. Like my heartbeat forgot how to function. His eyes—black coffee and midnight blue—scanned my face with that maddening calm. His head slightly tilted, lips just barely curling.

“Careful, red head,” he said after a long time, voice smooth as velvet after, “if you keep looking at me like that, I might think you actually like me.”

I blinked. My cheeks burned instantly. “Ugh—dream on. I was about to apologize,” I shot back, lifting my chin, “until I saw it was you.”

I heard him chuckle. It was low but infuriatingly amused. “Lucky me.”

I bent down to pick up my bag, but he beat me to it—stooping with that signature effortless grace and handing it back like a f*****g prince. A smug, arrogant prince.

“I didn’t peg you for a charity case,” he said, eyes narrowing slightly as he scanned the plaque on the office wall behind me. “What are you doing here, red head?”

“What I'm doing here has absolutely nothing to do with you, broody.”

That made his brow arch slowly. “Touchy.”

I held my bag tight, my eyes sharp. “What do you care, anyway? Planning to buy this place too?”

He ignored the barb, but his gaze flicked across my face again. Very slowly and thoughtfully this time. “You look like hell.”

I was so shocked he noticed. I rarely put on makeup but today I did and I thought doing so must've covered all my blemishes.

“Wow,” I said dryly. “Thanks, but I look fine.” I gave him a tight smile and made to leave. He followed me. Can he just leave me alone? I have a lot of things on my neck to sort out and I didn't have time for our squabbles today. What's with the universe and making this few five days feel like hell on earth.

When I stepped out of the company doors, the breeze was a gentle caress on my skin, its cool tendrils weaving through my hair, refreshing my senses. Yet, despite its soothing touch, my nerves remained taut, like frayed strings vibrating with anxiety. The calm it brought to my skin didn't penetrate the turmoil brewing inside me.

“I mean it,” he added behind me, and there was something softer almost dangerous—beneath it. “You're pale. You’ve got bags under your eyes. I can practically see the bones in your cheeks. What have you been doing, starving yourself for power?”

I bristled. My nails dug into the leather strap of my purse. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve been working.” I barely turned to look at him, as I tried waving down a taxi. I didn't drive with my car today. I wasn't in the mood to have an accident because I was thinking so much. I haven't recovered from the trauma of almost having one last two days.

I was so stressed on that day about a meeting with a potential investor that I was a hair's breadth from getting into an accident. The company had turned down my proposal for a unique marketing strategy, and the disappointment was still simmering in my mind, clouding my focus as I drove home. I've never felt so frustrated in my life.

“Working yourself into the grave?”

I stopped and turned to him crossing my hands over my chest “Its better than whoring myself out for help.”

His eyes gleamed at that. And instead of being insulted… he smiled. “Still got that fire,” he murmured. “Good.”

God, he was so smug. So confident. Like he knew every damn button to press. “You need to eat,” he said suddenly, nodding to his car where his sleek car awaited. How didn't I see that car when I passed there? I noticed he had changed his Maybach to a burgundy Maserati which was a perfect match for his outfit. Of course the driver opened the car like I'm a damn princess.

“Come on. I’ll take you.” Alex said.

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Food. Restaurant. Fork. Mouth. It’s not complicated, little red. You are not that dumb”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I stood my ground.

“I wasn’t asking.”

I scowled. “What, are you going to kidnap me now?”

He stepped closer, the scent of his cologne hitting me like a damn weapon—earthy, masculine, warm with a hint of danger. “Don’t tempt me, little red. You’d look good tied to my car seat.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re insane!”

He shrugged. “And you’re starving. Come eat before I throw you over my shoulder and make a scene.”

I blinked rapidly, looking around. A few people were already staring. I didn’t want to draw attention. Not to myself. Not here, not now. I already had a lot on my neck. The two bodyguards hadn’t moved an inch. The two hulking men still stood beside him, their faces expressionless yet radiating an air of intimidation. One, with a clean beard and a menacing scowl, seemed to take pleasure in his role as enforcer. The other, leaner but no less imposing, eyed me with a mixture of curiosity and hostility, as if daring me to refuse his boss's request. Their presence only fueled my revulsion towards the man they protected and I felt a surge of defiance at the thought of being coerced into dinner with him.

Damn him. “You’re shameless,” I hissed.

He leaned in closer, his mouth brushing near my ear. I breathed in deeply. “I’ve been called worse, baby.”

A jolt of adrenaline coursed through my veins setting every nerve in my body ablaze. He pulled back and smirked, walking straight to the car with that proud elegance he possessed. The driver was back in the driver's seat while Alex held the car door open like he knew I’d follow.

And the worst part was that… I did follow.

Because the last thing I needed right now was more public attention. And Alexander Thompson? He drew it like a flame draws moths. So I stepped into his car not because I wanted to. But because I couldn’t afford another scene. Not today.

Not when I already felt like I was hanging by a thread.

He closed the door behind me with a soft click and I could feel his gaze on me, burning, steady. The car was sleek and very warm.

Silence settled for a moment, thick and loaded. I stared out the window, the storm finally broke outside—soft rain tapping against the glass like a warning. I could feel him watching me.

“What do you want for dinner?” He asked me.

“It doesn't matter. I eat anything, everything."

Infact, I really wasn't in the mood for food now. My only concerns right now was how to save my company from being handed over to my crazy brother. Food was the last thing on my mind.

“I would love to see you eat me”

I turned my eyes to Alex with a confused expression on my face, “What—”

“You said you eat everything," his eyes were amused. " I would love to see you eat me, red head.”

That's when I understood. I gasped. What was I expecting.

“Shameless,” My voice was a little louder than necessary. I turned to check if the driver had heard his shameless words but thankfully, the driver was so focused on driving. I hope he was actually focused. The two bodyguards weren't with us. They were behind us, driving with another car. I slouched back to my seat and gave Alex a mad glare.

“Still taste like fire when you’re mad,” he said. I rolled my eyes and went back to staring out the window. I know he must be grinning now.

And I hated how my stomach did a flip.