Face To Face With Death.
1477 Words
Adrian stepped into the room.
The conversations died instantly.
Not faded.
Died.
The air itself seemed to tighten around him as every gaze shifted his way.
Aliya's pulse stumbled.
This was Adrian Black.
The man whose name dominated headlines, business magazines, and every financial article she'd ever read.
The man she'd been stupid enough to hack.
His polished shoes echoed against the concrete floor as he approached.
One step.
Then another.
Each measured stride made the knot in Aliya's stomach tighten further.
He stopped in front of her.
Someone yanked the bag from her head.
Bright light stabbed her eyes.
She blinked repeatedly before finally looking up.
And immediately wished she hadn't.
Cold blue eyes met hers.
Not angry.
Not furious.
Somehow that was worse.
There was no emotion in them.
No hesitation.
Just the detached gaze of a man deciding whether something was worth keeping alive.
A strange shiver slipped through her.
God.
He was even more handsome than the photos.
Sharp jaw.
Dark hair.
Perfectly tailored suit.
The kind of face that belonged on a billboard.
The kind of face that shouldn't have looked so terrifying.
His gaze swept over her once.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Aliya suddenly became painfully aware of how vulnerable she looked tied to a chair.
One corner of his mouth twitched.
Recognition.
"The waitress," he thought.
His men removed the gag.
Aliya sucked in a desperate breath.
Before she could say anything, Adrian reached forward.
His fingers brushed her cheek.
The touch was light.
Almost gentle.
That terrified her more than if he had slapped her.
Her entire body stiffened.
His hand slid beneath her chin and lifted her face toward him.
The scent of his cologne reached her.
Clean.
Expensive.
Dangerous.
"Aliya Vanessa Bennet."
His voice was low.
Smooth.
Controlled.
The kind of voice that belonged in boardrooms, not torture rooms.
"Tell me."
His thumb brushed her jaw.
"Why shouldn't I kill you?"
The room disappeared.
Her heart slammed violently against her ribs.
“ Kill? ”
The word echoed inside her skull.
“ He couldn't mean that.
Right?
People like him threatened.
Intimidated.
They didn't actually... ”
The look in his eyes cut the thought short.
“ No... ”
“ He absolutely did. ”
“f**k!”
Because I hacked into his server?” She panicks.
“Pull yourself together Aliya, if you show fear here you'll loose before you even begin.
She takes a deep breath to calm herself down which doesn't work but helped her maintain a bit more composure.
"Go... good evening, sir."
The words escaped before Aliya could stop them.
Silence.
Then laughter erupted around the room.
A few men bent over.
Someone even slapped his thigh.
Heat rushed into Aliya's face.
God.
Of all the things she could have said while staring death in the face...
Good evening?
She wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole.
Only three people didn't laugh.
The woman who had kidnapped her.
The silver-haired man standing behind Adrian.
And Adrian himself.
His expression didn't change.
Not even slightly.
The laughter died the moment he shifted his gaze.
No warning.
No command.
Just a look.
The room immediately fell silent.
Aliya's stomach twisted.
That kind of authority was terrifying.
"Well."
Adrian's deep voice broke the silence.
"Good evening, Miss Bennet."
The corner of his mouth curved ever so slightly.
Not enough to be called a smile.
Enough to make her heart skip unexpectedly.
"Can you tell me why I shouldn't kill you?"
He gestured lazily.
A man hurried forward carrying a chair.
No.
Not a chair.
A luxurious single-seat sofa.
Aliya stared.
She was tied to a rusty metal chair while this man sat like a king receiving visitors.
The unfairness of it almost offended her.
Almost.
The way he settled into the sofa drew her attention elsewhere.
One leg crossed over the other.
Suit immaculate.
Expression unreadable.
Completely at ease.
As though deciding whether she lived or died was just another item on today's schedule.
This was Adrian Black.
The man whose name dominated the business world.
The man who looked like he belonged on magazine covers.
The man who could have her buried before sunrise.
Aliya swallowed.
His blue eyes settled on her.
Waiting.
Patient.
Dangerous.
She suddenly understood why people feared him.
Those eyes didn't look at people.
They evaluated them.
Measured them.
Decided their worth.
Her pulse quickened.
Think.
Think.
Panicking wouldn't save her.
Crying wouldn't save her.
She needed to become useful.
Fast.
Drawing a shaky breath, she forced her shoulders back.
"My name is Aliya Vanessa Bennet."
Her voice sounded steadier this time.
Good.
"Graduated top of my class in Computer Science."
Adrian remained silent.
Watching.
Listening.
The weight of his attention felt almost physical.
"I also studied Software Engineering. I don't normally boast, but I'm considered exceptional in my field."
A brow lifted.
"Yet you're a waitress."
The words were calm.
Not mocking.
That somehow made them sting more.
Aliya's fingers curled against the armrests.
"Yes."
She forced herself to hold his gaze.
"My intelligence is actually what caused that situation."
For the first time, genuine curiosity flickered in Adrian's eyes.
A small change.
Barely noticeable.
Yet she caught it.
And strangely, that felt like a victory.
"I was blacklisted."
His gaze sharpened.
"By whom?"
Aliya hesitated.
Memories surfaced.
The expensive restaurant.
The fake interview.
The disgusting smile.
The realization that her qualifications had never mattered.
"I'm sure you've heard of Johan."
"Jexenburg Tech."
A cold look flashed through Adrian's eyes.
Aliya noticed it immediately.
Interesting.
"He personally requested an interview after reviewing my portfolio."
Her laugh came out bitter.
"Turns out it wasn't an interview."
The room remained silent.
"Mr. Johan wasn't interested in hiring me."
She lifted her chin.
"He was interested in owning me."
A dangerous stillness settled over Adrian.
Not anger.
Something colder.
Far colder.
Aliya couldn't understand why.
After all, it had nothing to do with him.
"So."
His voice dropped lower.
"It was your appearance that got you blacklisted."
Aliya nodded.
A muscle shifted in Adrian's jaw.
"So why lie?"
The question struck like a whip.
Aliya's pulse jumped.
Because she wanted him to see her intelligence first.
Not her face.
Not her body.
Not the same thing every other man seemed to notice.
"I wasn't trying to lie."
She swallowed.
"I just wanted my abilities to be what mattered."
For a moment Adrian simply looked at her.
His gaze lingered.
Long enough to make her aware of every strand of hair out of place.
Long enough to make her wish she'd never looked up.
Then
"Hm."
The sound was unreadable.
"You still haven't explained why you deserve to live."
The reminder crashed over her like cold water.
Right.
Death.
She was still negotiating with death.
Aliya inhaled slowly.
Then met his gaze head-on.
"Because killing me would be a waste."
A few men exchanged looks.
No one spoke.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"Go on."
"Your system has vulnerabilities."
Nothing changed on his face.
But the room itself seemed to freeze.
Aliya pressed on.
"Serious vulnerabilities."
The silver-haired man behind Adrian frowned.
Several guards shifted uneasily.
Yet Adrian simply watched.
"And you know this how?"
His voice was dangerously soft.
Aliya forced herself not to look away.
"Because I got in."
Silence.
"I've seen your security architecture."
She leaned forward as much as the restraints allowed.
"And honestly?"
Her pulse thundered.
But she kept going.
"For a company your size..."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"It should have taken me a lot longer."
For the first time all night...
Adrian smiled.
It was brief.
Dangerous.
And entirely without warmth.
But it was there.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Any competent hacker with enough patience could eventually do what I did."
She held his gaze.
"That's the problem."
The room fell silent again.
Adrian studied her.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Under normal circumstances, Aliya would have looked away.
But she didn't.
Something about those cold blue eyes challenged her.
Dared her.
Finally, Adrian spoke.
"I could simply hire better cybersecurity specialists."
His voice was calm.
Reasonable.
Deadly.
The worst part?
Aliya had no answer prepared.
Adrian leaned back into the sofa.
One arm draped lazily across the armrest.
Completely relaxed.
As if discussing the weather.
As if her life wasn't hanging by a thread.
"Your proposal is interesting."
Hope flickered inside Aliya.
Then he smiled.
A small smile.
The kind that never reached his eyes.
"And entirely insufficient."
The hope shattered.
"Convince me."
Silence swallowed the room.
Adrian's gaze locked onto hers.
Cold.
Patient.
Merciless.
"Or die."
Aliya's mouth went dry.
For several seconds, no words came out.
Then something clicked inside her.
Fear wasn't going to save her.
Begging wasn't going to save her.
Only value would.
Slowly, Aliya lifted her chin.
If this was a game of survival...
Then she would have to make herself indispensable.
- Writer
