TILL SHE BURN

CHAPTER TWO

HIS PROPERTY

Sheila’s POV

When I got back to my office, everything felt… off. The chair I usually found comfort in suddenly felt stiff.

The air was heavier than usual, as though something invisible was pressing down on my chest.

I tried to focus, pull up reports, answer emails, think about literally anything else. But my mind… it wandered. No, it rested, somewhere far away.

I froze for a moment, the cursor blinking on the screen like it was mocking my paralysis.

What does this man take me for?

Does he think I’m weak?

Does he think I can be bought, played with, controlled like some pawn on his expensive, glossy chessboard?

I leaned back in my chair, biting down on the edge of my pen.

Was Demian one of those CEOs you read about in the papers? The ones with iron hearts and gold-plated lies?

The kind who made their employees' lives a nightmare suffocating them under pressure and pretending it was all "business"?

Was that what he came to do to me?

Make my life miserable?

But then… his eyes came to mind.

Those damn eyes.

Deep, mysterious, filled with a storm that promised both danger and shelter. And his smile, God! that smile.

Soft yet sharp. Honest but hiding so much. And those teeth, white as fresh snow, flashing just enough charm to weaken even the strongest woman.

I hated how my heart skipped thinking about it.

What am I even thinking? Why was I imagining his face… his voice… the way he looked at me like I was the only woman in the room?

No. I needed to snap out of it. I wasn't going to be another girl dragged into some fairytale built on power and lust.

But as I closed my eyes, his voice whispered through my thoughts like silk:

"Your job... is me."

what did he mean by “your job is me”?

I couldn't concentrate.

Every time I blinked, his image flashed in my mind, that devilish smile, those grey eyes that seemed to see straight through me.

It was as if his voice still echoed in my ears, smooth and intoxicating. I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of it.

Am I overthinking things?

My phone vibrated on the desk, breaking the trance.

I picked it up and I heard the voice of the one person who could ground me.

“Hello, baby. Can you come to my place after work?” I asked, already craving Olivia’s energy.

“Oh, don’t bother. I’m here already,” came her voice, casual and confident.

“What?! Don’t you have a house or a job or something?” I said, playfully rolling my eyes.

Knowing Olivia, she probably let herself in, raided my fridge, and was now lounging like she owned the place.

“I came to help you rearrange your wardrobe and stock your freezer,” she said with mock irritation. “But clearly, my services aren’t needed. I’ll just leave.”

I smiled. “I’m sorry, my love. What would I ever do without you?”

“Absolutely nothing,” she replied proudly.

I felt lighter already. She always knew how to pull me back from the edge.

“I feel better talking to you. But I have something to tell you when I get back.”

“Okay, babe. Love you,” I said softly.

“I love you too, fish head,” she shot back with her usual sarcasm, making me laugh.

I got home early that evening. Before I could even sit down, Olivia appeared from the kitchen with a steaming plate of jollof rice and grilled chicken.

“What’s going on?” she asked, eyes sharp. “You look stressed. And disturbed.”

I sighed and dropped my bag. “It’s about my boss.”

Olivia raised a brow. “Which one?”

“The new one,” I said.

Her curiosity instantly ignited. “The CEO?”

“Yes.”

She grinned, sitting beside me like she was about to hear the juiciest story of the year. “Okay, spill.”

I exhaled. “There’s something about him, Olivia. I don’t understand it. I’m both… drawn to him and terrified of him.”

Olivia gasped dramatically. “Girl! If I ever had to work that close with a man like him, I’d probably be in his bed by tonight.”

I chuckled. “Oh, I’m very aware of that.”

But my laughter faded just as quickly as it came. Deep down, I didn’t know what scared me more, the way Demian looked at me, or the way my body responded to that look.

Back at the Office

Demian made his interest in me painfully clear.

And it wasn’t professional.

His actions were deliberate, calculated. He didn’t even try to hide it.

The obsession had started long before I ever stepped into that boardroom. It began the night he saw me at the resort. That one accidental gaze across the walkway had led him to do the unthinkable:

He bought the company.

Just to have full access to me.

The office I once knew was no longer mine.

Overnight, my furniture was replaced with luxury pieces, imported wood, ergonomic leather, and rare art on the walls. He had a brand-new car delivered to my apartment, a sleek, black SUV with my name on the license plate.

Designer perfumes. Diamond earrings. Limited edition handbags. All delivered without a note but with a message that screamed I want you.

I returned them all.

Because I wasn’t a woman who mixed business with pleasure. No matter who the man was. Even if he was tall, dark, powerful, and devilishly magnetic.

But still, my body betrayed me in his presence. I was losing the war I swore I wouldn’t even fight.

My phone rang.

“Hello, Ma’am. The CEO would like to see you in his office now,” said the crisp voice of his assistant.

I took a deep breath and stood up, smoothing my dress.

Stay strong, Sheila. Stay professional.

Demian’s POV

Why is she being so difficult?

She rejects every gift. Every advance. Things women in this city would kill to have, she dismisses like they’re nothing.

And yet… It only makes me want her more.

I sat behind my desk, fingers steepled beneath my chin, her name playing over and over in my mind.

Sheila Lan.

So composed. So self-contained.

The fire she hides behind those intelligent eyes… I want to be the one to bring it out.

A soft knock snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Come in,” I said.

She stepped in, graceful as ever, her heels clicking softly on the floor. She looked polished, professional, and stunning.

“Have a seat, please,” I gestured.

She sat down, her legs crossed neatly, hands folded on her lap.

“How’s work going? Is the monthly report ready?” I asked casually, though my eyes never left hers.

“Yes, sir. It’ll be on your desk before close of work today,” she replied, her voice calm and firm.

She stood up to leave.

But I couldn’t let her go. Not yet.

I reached out and gently caught her wrist.

She froze.

Her eyes widened slightly as she turned to look at me.

“This is inappropriate, sir,” she said, her voice steady but her pupils dilating.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, reluctantly letting her go. “But I need to ask… why have you been rejecting my gifts?”

She said nothing at first.

I stood and slowly walked around the desk, each step intentional. I didn’t touch her again. But my eyes were on her, only her, as if I were reading her soul.

“You think I’m trying to buy you?” I asked.

“No,” she replied, lifting her chin. “But whatever you’re trying, it won’t work.”

Her voice trembled ever so slightly.

I saw the way her breath quickened as I came closer. Her eyes flickered to my lips before she blinked and looked away.

She was fighting it.

But I saw the fire.

And I wanted it all.

Before either of us could talk ourselves out of it, I moved.

I leaned in just enough. Our lips touched. Once. Then twice.

A deep, electric kiss.

Her lips were soft, warm and they didn’t pull away immediately.

But then, just as fast, she gasped and stepped back.

She fled from the office, her heels clicking furiously as the door slammed behind her.

I stood there for a long time, breath heavy, heart racing.

Run all you want, Sheila.

I’ll still be here, waiting… until you come burning.