Chapter 4: Unwanted Attraction
899 Words
Seraphina stared at the black envelope in her hands long after Dorian Blackwell left her office.
His warning echoed in her mind.
If you refuse this offer, you will regret it.
Her assistant, Mia, stepped closer to her desk.
"Is everything okay?" Mia asked.
Seraphina forced herself to look up.
"I'm fine," she replied.
Mia glanced at the envelope.
"Is that from Vale Consortium?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes," Seraphina said.
Mia's eyes widened.
"Does that mean we got the contract?"
Seraphina hesitated.
"We got more than we expected."
A smile spread across Mia's face.
"That's amazing news."
Seraphina wished she felt the same way.
Instead, dread settled deeper in her chest.
She carried the envelope into her office and shut the door behind her.
For a long moment, she simply stared at it.
Then she opened it.
Inside was a sleek black folder embossed with the silver Vale Consortium logo.
The first pages outlined the project details.
Six luxury hotels.
Three cities.
An amount so large it made her hands tremble.
This contract wouldn't just save Arden Atelier.
It would transform it.
As she turned the pages, she reached the conditions section.
Exclusive partnership.
Mandatory relocation to Vale headquarters.
Direct reporting to the CEO.
Weekly progress meetings with Caspian Vale.
Her eyes narrowed.
Weekly meetings?
That seemed unnecessary.
She continued reading until a small folded note slipped onto her desk.
Her pulse quickened.
Slowly, she unfolded it.
Three words stared back at her.
Forty-eight hours, Seraphina.
No signature.
None was needed.
She crushed the note in her hand.
"The arrogance of that man," she muttered.
A knock sounded at her office door.
Before she could answer, Octavia walked inside carrying two cups of coffee.
"Please tell me you've signed it already," Octavia said.
Seraphina handed her the contract.
Octavia skimmed through the pages.
Her eyes widened.
"Six hotels?" she asked.
"I know," Seraphina replied.
"This is huge," Octavia said.
"I know."
"So what's the problem?" Octavia asked.
Seraphina leaned back in her chair.
"The problem is Caspian Vale."
Octavia sat down across from her.
"What did he do?" she asked.
"He knows too much about me," Seraphina said.
Octavia frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"He knows about my debts," Seraphina explained. "He knows I mortgaged my apartment. He even knows I haven't paid myself in months."
Octavia stared at her.
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know," Seraphina admitted.
Octavia shrugged.
"He's a billionaire CEO. Maybe he has people who investigate everyone."
"This feels different," Seraphina said quietly.
Octavia studied her expression.
"Are you attracted to him?" she asked.
Seraphina nearly spilled her coffee.
"What?" she exclaimed.
"You heard me."
"No," Seraphina said too quickly.
Octavia smirked.
"That wasn't convincing."
Heat crept into Seraphina's cheeks.
It wasn't attraction.
It couldn't be.
Yes, he was handsome.
Infuriatingly handsome.
But he was also cold, arrogant, and controlling.
Not to mention he clearly hated her.
"He's impossible to read," Seraphina admitted.
Octavia laughed softly.
"So that's a yes."
"No," Seraphina insisted.
Octavia raised her hands in surrender.
"Fine. Just be careful."
Seraphina glanced down at the contract.
Careful.
If only it were that easy.
---
Across the city, Caspian stood in his office overlooking the skyline.
Dorian entered quietly.
"Did she receive the contract?" Caspian asked.
"Yes, sir," Dorian replied.
"And?"
"She hasn't signed it yet."
A muscle tightened in Caspian's jaw.
"She will."
Dorian hesitated.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, sir?" he asked carefully.
Caspian turned to face him.
"Do you have a problem with my decision?" he asked coldly.
"No, sir."
"Then don't question it again."
"Understood."
After Dorian left, Caspian walked to his desk.
He picked up the old photograph resting beside his laptop.
Two men stood side by side.
Magnus Vale.
Alistair Arden.
Friends.
Business partners.
Brothers in everything except blood.
Until betrayal destroyed them.
His gaze shifted to the little girl standing in front of them.
Seraphina.
She couldn't have been older than ten.
She was smiling.
Completely unaware that one day her family's choices would destroy his.
Caspian tightened his grip on the photograph.
For years, revenge had kept him alive.
It had driven him.
Focused him.
Consumed him.
So why did everything become complicated the moment he saw her again?
His phone buzzed.
A message from Dorian flashed across the screen.
We couldn't trace the number.
Caspian's expression darkened.
Someone else knew the truth.
Someone was interfering.
And he hated losing control.
---
That evening, Seraphina sat alone in her apartment.
The unsigned contract rested on her dining table beside a stack of unpaid bills.
She rubbed her tired eyes.
Nothing made sense anymore.
Her mother was hiding something.
Caspian wanted revenge for reasons she didn't understand.
And someone was sending anonymous messages.
A soft knock echoed through the apartment.
Frowning, she stood and walked toward the door.
She wasn't expecting anyone.
When she opened it, her breath caught.
Caspian Vale stood in the hallway.
His gray eyes locked onto hers.
"You weren't answering your phone," he said.
Shock rooted her to the spot.
"How did you get my address?" she asked.
His gaze swept over her face.
"I told you, Seraphina," he said calmly.
His voice was steady.
Too steady.
"I know everything about you."
A shiver ran down her spine.
She should have been afraid.
Instead, her pulse quickened for an entirely different reason.
And that terrified her even more.
- Writer
