Defying The Devil

Chapter 4: The Web of the Devil

Xavier’s convoy roared away from the coffee shop, leaving behind a trail of smoke and a chilling silence. Aria stood like a statue, her eyes fixed on the empty road where the tires had scorched the asphalt. Her mind was a chaotic storm of rage and confusion.

"ARIA!" The manager’s voice shattered her thoughts.

Aria flinched, the sudden roar of Mr. Harris pulling her back from her trance. She turned her gaze toward him, finding him shaking—not with anger, but with a paralyzing fear.

"Listen to me, Aria," the manager stuttered, his face pale. "I don’t want to invite my own death because of you. That man... he is the devil himself. Please, leave my shop this instant. You are fired!"

Aria looked into his terrified eyes and a cold smirk formed on her lips. "You’ve already lost to him, haven't you, Sir? You’re afraid of a monster, but you don't realize that those who live in fear have already stopped living. There is no point in existing like a coward."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out. The walk home felt endless. Each step was a battle within her mind. 'This devil will not let me live in peace,' she thought. 'But as long as there is breath in my body, I will fight him. I will never surrender.' Yet, her heart sank when she thought of her father. If he found out about today, the stress would destroy him. She resolved to hide the truth and act as if everything were normal.

Inside the Hummer, the atmosphere was suffocating. Xavier stared out the window, his reflection showing a face twisted with obsession. He turned to Jack, his voice low and dangerous.

"Jack... do you know how many men I have ended with these hands?"

Jack bowed his head. "Many, Sir. Countless. People flee the city just to escape your shadow."

"Then why?" Xavier hissed, his voice rising in fury. "Why couldn't I kill that girl on the first day? What is in those eyes of hers? Every time I look at her, I feel... weak. Why doesn't she fear me? Why hasn't she fled? Why won't she just BREAK?!"

In a sudden burst of uncontrollable rage, Xavier slammed his fist into the back of the car seat with a sickening thud. "I have to crush her attitude! I will break her by any means necessary!"

"Sir, please... calm down," Jack whispered.

Xavier snapped, his eyes flashing red. "Calm down? I am losing to a mere girl for the first time in my life. I am becoming weak, and you tell me to be calm?!" He turned to the driver, his voice a roar. "Take me to the bar! Now!"

At the bar, Xavier poured drink after drink. The amber liquid burned his throat, but it couldn't numb his mind. He was focused on nothing but her. Every clink of the glass reminded him of her voice; every shadow reminded him of her defiance. No matter how much he drank, the fire in his soul refused to die out.

Aria reached home, stopping at the door to take a deep breath. She adjusted her clothes and forced a smile, making sure her face didn't betray the war raging inside her.

"Back so early, Aria?" her father asked as she entered.

Aria laughed softly, her voice relaxed. "Dad, I had a bit of a headache. The manager was kind enough to tell me to go home and rest. Don't worry."

Mr. Miller’s mind was still clouded by the incident at the office. "You aren't hiding anything from me, are you?"

Aria hugged him, her voice filled with confidence. "Nothing at all, Dad. If you don't believe me, call my friend Zara. She was right there." Aria had already told Zara everything, ensuring her father would stay in the dark.

Her father sighed with relief. "Good... as long as there’s no trouble." Aria smiled and slipped into her room, closing the door as the mask fell from her face.

Freshly showered, Aria sat on her bed, the reality of being jobless hitting her like a tidal wave. 'I managed to handle Dad for now, but if I don't find a job soon, he will know. But who will hire me? Who can stand against Xavier Knight?' She searched online frantically, but the city seemed to have turned its back on her.

That night, Xavier was haunted. He couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, Aria’s fierce, red-rimmed eyes appeared in his dreams. He bolted upright, sweat dripping down his face. He lit a cigar, the smoke thick in the midnight air.

"Aria... I won't let you go," he whispered to the darkness. "But how do I break you?"

Suddenly, a sinister, devilish idea took root in his mind. He would open a new office—a dummy corporation under a different name. Aria wouldn't know it belonged to him. He would offer her a job there. He would become her master without her even knowing it.

He summoned Jack to his room immediately. "Jack, I need a new office. Use a fake name. Bring in staff from other branches—people she has never seen. Aria is jobless and desperate. She will take any offer she gets. I want her as my employee. That is the only way I can break her spirit. I won't sleep in peace until I see tears in those eyes."

Suddenly, the door burst open. Isabella stormed in. Xavier’s temper flared. "Don't you know how to knock?! I am in an important meeting!"

Isabella, stung by his coldness in front of Jack, stood her ground. "Don't forget, Xavier, we are engaged. I have the right to enter your room whenever I want."

Xavier’s eyes narrowed into lethal slits. "You forget, Isabella, we are not married yet. One more word against my authority, and I will cancel this wedding before the sun rises."

Isabella froze. She knew that if the marriage were canceled, she would lose access to the Knight fortune. She softened her voice, her pride wounded. "Forgive me... I was stressed after the client meetings. I didn't know Jack was here."

"I'll deal with the clients later. Get out," Xavier commanded.

Isabella left with a forced smile, but once outside, her face twisted in rage. 'He’s obsessed with that girl. He’s becoming weak because of her. I have to tell my father to hurry the wedding date.' She rushed to her car and sped home.

Inside the room, Jack turned to Xavier. "Sir, don't worry. I will arrange everything. The trap will be set by tomorrow."

With Jack’s departure, Xavier looked out at the city, a dark, predatory laugh echoing through the room. He was playing a dangerous game, and he was ready to win.