Dangerously Yours

Lilly's POV Damn this traffic! I restlessly tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. My frustration was growing and I had no idea why this heavy traffic had to add to it! But wait. Hold on, this wasn’t even traffic. I stuck my head out of the window and looked ahead. The road was nearly empty. "Who the hell is driving that car?" I muttered under my breath. "Come on, come on, move already!" I yelled. It was late, all I wanted now was to collapse into my bed. But clearly, this i***t right in front of me had no intention of moving anytime soon. I repeatedly slammed my palm against the horn, its loud beeps pierced through the night air. Finally, the driver seemed to have gotten the message. It was about time, I thought as my car moved smoothly along the road. My mind returned to the conversation I’d overheard earlier. “She disobeyed a direct order, and what did she get? A promotion. How is that fair?” one of my colleagues had said. I could tell they were talking about me, but I remained silent, curious to hear more. Another voice chipped in. "I've worked on important cases, yet I didn't get a promotion." I knew where this was going, but the next remark caught me off guard. "Well, you aren't the ex commissioner's daughter." The other voice mocked. I couldn't believe what I had heard. Is that what everyone really think? That I don't deserve this? That I only got this because of my father? Typical. It reminded me of my early training days. Despite the demanding routines, endless training sessions, and constant criticism from my supervisor, I could never seem to escape her assumption that I had everything handed to me because I was my father’s daughter. “You think you can just sail through this, Grant?” she would say. “You think things will come easy for you just because you’re Matthew Grant’s daughter?” Even now, six years later, nothing had changed. My identity was still tied to my father’s, and I felt as though I were constantly living in his shadow, struggling to prove to everyone that I deserved my achievements. As I snapped back to reality, my eyes widened in shock. The car in front of me was practically crawling, Is he running out of gas? Having a medical emergency? Or simply oblivious to the fact I was right behind his car. As I drove, I couldn't shake the feeling that this person was intentionally trying to ruin my evening. Who drives that slow on a main road? I glanced in the rearview mirror, half-expecting the driver to give me the finger and confirm my suspicion that he was doing it on purpose.” But to my surprise, he seemed completely oblivious to my rage. He was just driving along, calm as can be, like he didn't have a care in the world. My patience had run out. I'd had enough of this sluggish pace. Ignoring the narrow road and the danger of overtaking, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I pulled into the oncoming lane, ready to zip past the driver and finally get moving, but just as I was about to make my move, the car suddenly surged forward, cutting me off with mere inches to spare. My heart skipped a beat as I reversed into my lane. "What the hell?" I slammed my palm again on the horn angrily. Few minutes later, We approached the next traffic light, the light turned red and the road opened up enough for me to pull up alongside the driver's car. I rolled down my window. “Hey!” I shouted, trying to get the driver’s attention. “What’s wrong with you? You could have caused an accident!” The driver rolled down his window. "Oh, sorry about that," he replied, "I didn't realized I was being such a menace." My anger sprang at his attitude. "Why you cut me off back there?” I demanded. “Why didn’t I get a courtesy tap first?” he asked. “Or don’t you know what a courtesy tap is?” He pressed his horn, producing a brief, light beep. "It's like that," he said, locking eyes with me. "Light and friendly. Not that ear-shattering blast you gave me back there." I couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. Who did he think he was? "Didn't you see the light turn green?” My voice slowly rose. "It's a public road, some of us have places to be." "Okay, I'll admit I was a little zoned out back there, lost in thought. I've been having a hard time lately." My anger only seems to ignite more at his nonchalant response, which was nothing more than a pathetic excuse. " Oh, poor you! Join the club, pal! We've all got problems and yours doesn't give you the right to drive like a ten-year-old.” I stared at him. "I am still waiting for an apology, Mister." "Apology?" The driver fired back and let out a little laugh. "Weren’t you the one trying to run me over through the narrow part? What do you think would have happened if you'd successfully cut me off, huh? There's absolutely no way you wouldn't have grazed my car. If anything you should be the one apologizing for not exercising patience." I was taken aback by his words, and for a moment, I had nothing to say. Before I could gather my thoughts and defend myself, the traffic light turned green, and the driver sped off. ....... Moments later, I slammed the door as I walked into my apartment, startling Lexie, who was lounging on the couch. "What the hell was that about?" Lexie asked, rising from the couch and approaching the door. "So he could move fast all along," I muttered , ignoring Lexie's question. Instead, I began to undress as Lexie's eyes sprang wide open. "Couldn't you at least wait until you got to your room?" she asked. "Don't, Lexie. I had a bad day.” I warned. “Clearly,” she muttered, folding her arms. “Care to tell me what happened, or should I keep guessing?” “Some i***t on the road nearly ruined my entire evening.” “An i***t?” She raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly did this i***t do?” “Drive like he had nowhere to be!” I threw my hands up in frustration. “The road was practically empty, yet he kept crawling along like he was taking a Sunday stroll. And when I finally confronted him, he had the audacity to lecture me about patience!” Lexie burst out laughing. I shot her a murderous glare. “I’m glad you find my suffering amusing.” “I’m sorry, but you should have seen your face just now.” “Very funny.” I grabbed my things and headed towards my room, eager to put the entire ridiculous encounter behind me. Meanwhile, the television continued playing in the background. “—and in other news, billionaire businessman Ethan Fraser has once again made headlines following the announcement of his latest business venture. The notoriously private CEO is expected to make a rare public appearance later this week.” Lexie glanced towards the television.“ This Ethan guy is weird for a billionaire, no body really knows what he looks like, is that shady?” she murmured, leaning back against the couch. But I was already out of earshot, besides, I had no interest in billionaires, business ventures, or whatever else was happening on television. As far as I was concerned, that infuriating stranger was the only man occupying my thoughts. And I hoped I would never have to see him again.