Confessions in the dark

Chapter 11-The devil’s offer

Ashley

I was alone in that room, staring at the door Sebastian had just walked through, and for the first time in a long time, I had absolutely no idea what to think.

Who the hell did that man think he was?

He had walked into my life out of nowhere, watched me dance, found my name, found my number, followed my movements, and then offered me enough money to change my life.

And somehow, the most embarrassing part wasn’t the money.

It was the fact that I was turned on by him.

I hated that.

Everything about Sebastian Voss felt wrong.

The arrogance.

The confidence.

The way he looked at me like he already knew what I was thinking.

The way he touched me as though he expected me to let him.

The way my body betrayed me every time he got close.

He was dangerous.

I knew it.

Somewhere deep inside, I knew there was something about him that I should stay far away from.

And yet, I wanted him anyway.

I stood and adjusted my dress, trying to collect whatever dignity I’d left behind.

Then I walked out of the room.

Marcus glanced at me from across the hallway.

I simply nodded.

He didn’t ask questions.

Good.

I went into the dressing room and changed quickly, removing the white lace outfit and putting my regular clothes back on. I stuffed my things into my duffel bag, grabbed the roll of cash Sebastian had given me, and stared at it for several seconds.

Was I actually considering his offer?

Become his personal assistant.

Work for Sebastian Voss.

Leave Velvet Noir.

Get paid enough that I wouldn’t have to count every dollar before spending it.

It sounded almost too good to be true.

Which meant it probably was.

But what would it mean for my life?

My classes?

My degree?

My plans?

I couldn’t simply throw everything away because a rich, mysterious man had decided he wanted me around.

Could I?

I drove back to campus with those questions running through my mind.

When I reached the dorm, I parked Theresa and sat behind the steering wheel for a moment.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the cash.

Then I counted it.

Again.

And again.

Two thousand dollars.

I stared at the bills.

In less than twenty-four hours, Sebastian Voss had given me two thousand five hundred dollars.

And I hadn’t slept with him.

Not once.

That thought made me pause.

Was this what I should expect from him going forward?

Money simply appearing whenever he wanted something from me?

I didn’t know whether that excited me or terrified me.

Maybe both.

I stuffed the cash back into my bag and headed upstairs.

When I opened the dorm room door, I wasn’t surprised to find Maya still awake.

She was sitting on her bed with her laptop open.

“I was about to call you.”

“I told you not to stay up.”

“You also told me you weren’t going to fall for a mysterious billionaire.”

I froze.

She grinned.

“I’m joking.”

I dropped my bag beside my bed.

“Did McCullough send the assignments?”

“Finally.”

She practically jumped out of bed.

“We got them!”

I smiled.

“Already?”

“Yes. Pull up your laptop.”

I sat down and opened mine.

Maya practically bounced beside me.

“Mine is campus assault cases. I’m investigating how universities handle them, especially cases that get mishandled or buried.”

“That’s actually a good one.”

“I know.”

She looked over my shoulder.

“What’s yours?”

I opened the email.

Then stopped breathing.

For a moment, I thought I was reading it wrong.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then I read it again.

My stomach dropped.

“No.”

Maya leaned closer.

“What?”

I couldn’t answer.

She grabbed the laptop.

Then her eyes widened.

“Oh.”

I stared at the screen.

CASE STUDY: SEBASTIAN VOSS

My heart began pounding.

The assignment required me to investigate the life and business dealings of Sebastian Voss, including longstanding allegations of criminal activity surrounding his international operations.

There was no hard evidence.

No conviction.

No official proof.

Only rumors.

Whispers.

Unexplained connections.

Missing pieces.

My professor wanted me to find out whether there was something beneath the polished public image of one of the most powerful businessmen in the country.

I slowly leaned back in my chair.

This couldn’t be real.

I had just been offered a position working directly for Sebastian Voss.

And now my professor wanted me to investigate him.

Maya was staring at me.

Then she screamed.

“ASH!”

I jumped.

She grabbed my shoulders.

“You got Sebastian Voss!”

“I can see that.”

“Do you understand how insane this is?”

“Unfortunately, he asked me to be his personal assistant “.

“You’re going to be working with him!”

I looked back at the screen.

“Apparently.”

She started pacing.

“This is perfect!”

“No, it’s not.”

“How is it not?”

“Because I would have to investigate him.”

She stopped.

Then slowly smiled.

“Exactly.”

I looked at her.

Maya’s eyes widened with realization.

“You’d have access.”

I didn’t respond.

She continued.

“You’d be around him. You’d see how he operates. You’d meet the people around him. You could actually investigate him from the inside.”

I stared at the assignment.

She was right.

This wasn’t simply a case study.

If I did well, it could determine whether I received an internship with one of the biggest news agencies in America.

That internship could change everything.

It could lead to a real career.

A real salary.

A way out.

My future was sitting on that screen.

And somehow, that future required me to deceive the one man who had spent the last twenty-four hours making it very clear that he wanted me.

Maya was still smiling.

“I’m so jealous.”

I looked at her.

“Why?”

“Because you actually get Sebastian Voss.”

She paused.

“Wait.”

Her eyes widened.

“Did you say he asked you to be his assistant?”

I slowly turned toward her.

“Yes.”

She stared at me.

Then threw her hands into the air.

“That’s even more perfect, Ash!”

I frowned.

“Is it?”

“Yes!”

“Maya.”

“Think about it.”

She sat beside me.

“Do you know how hard it is to get access to a man like Voss? You literally have him offering you a position where you’ll be around him constantly.”

I looked down.

“But I’d be lying to him.”

“You’re investigating him.”

“I’d still be deceiving him.”

“You’re a journalist.”

“Student journalist.”

“Same difference.”

I sighed.

She was right.

And that was the problem.

This wasn’t just about money anymore.

It was about my future.

My entire life had been about surviving long enough to build something better.

This was an opportunity I couldn’t ignore.

But accepting it meant stepping into Sebastian’s world while secretly searching for the darkness hidden beneath it.

I didn’t know what scared me more.

What I might discover about him.

Or what he might discover about me.

Maya nudged my shoulder.

“Did you say yes?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“He gave me twenty-four hours.”

She stared at me.

“Then don’t think about it too long.”

I looked at her.

“Why?”

“Because you know this is your only chance, Ash.”

She pointed toward my laptop.

“That case could make your career.”

I looked at the assignment again.

She was right.

I needed this.

More than I wanted to admit.

As the night dragged on, Maya eventually fell asleep.

I stayed awake.

The room was dark except for the faint glow from my phone.

I stared at the ceiling and weighed every option.

My degree.

My mother.

Our finances.

My future.

The internship.

The investigation.

Sebastian.

Especially Sebastian.

I thought about his eyes.

His voice.

The way he had looked at me when he said he wanted to take me from this world.

I thought about the money sitting inside my bag.

Two thousand dollars.

I thought about the fact that I didn’t know whether he was my greatest opportunity or my greatest mistake.

Maybe he was both.

I picked up my phone.

The unknown number was still saved in my messages.

My thumb hovered over the keyboard.

I could still change my mind.

I could walk away.

Keep my distance.

Find another job.

Choose another path.

Or I could take the risk.

I typed two words.

I accept.

I stared at the message.

Then pressed send.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then my phone vibrated.

The number changed.

No longer unknown.

I opened the message.

My heart stopped.

I look forward to making you mine, Miss Simmons.

I stared at the words until the screen blurred.

I should have been afraid.

Instead, I smiled.

And that was when I realized I might already be in over my head.