HATING MR. SAINT CLAIR

Victoria’s pov “You are telling me we lost the entire contract?” I stared at the junior analyst who was f*****g trembling across my desk. My voice was sharp and harsh, I don't blame him but don't blame me either. I am f*****g frustrated. He swallowed hard, tugging at his tie and nodding, “y….yes, Miss Hale. The SC group came this morning with an offer two times better than ours. They pushed their budget twenty times better than ours and……” “..........and the f*****g board signed with them.” I finished for him, my jaw ticked with anger. I didn't need a f*****g reminder, I already knew. My inbox was flooded with headlines about Saint Clair’s latest feat and everyone was about how ‘he won the business war’ I pinched the bridge of my nose, “just…..just…get out.” He hesitated. “But…..’ “Out!” My tone left no room for argument. He picked up his file and fled out of my office. My office grew quiet except for the little sound of Houston’s traffic. I leaned back in my chair, my chest tightening. Hale’s enterprise was on the verge of dying. With this deal lost, it was a crack in the fuking structure I had spent ten years building. And only one man was standing at the other side waiting for me to finally fail. Julian Saint Clair. The cold, arrogant, ruthless CEO of SC Groups. That bastard knew exactly what he was f*****g doing. I was still fuming, feeling frustrated, and on the verge of f*****g crying when my phone buzzed. I picked up, as my assistant's voice boomed through the speakers. “Ma'am…..” “spill it out….” “Hmm…..Mr Saint Clair is here to see you….” My heart f*****g stopped. “What?” “He said you would want to see him.” Of course, he did. After a minute of hesitation. “Send him in….” I responded and ended the call. I stood up and straightened my blazer. My reflection in the glass wall looked calm and unshaken. No one would know my palms were slippery with sweat or that I was facing nervousness. The door finally opened, and he walked in. Julian Saint Clair filled the space as though he owned it. His broad shoulder, with crisp black suit and cold blue eyes scanning my office like it was a crime scene. He didn't even wait for my invitation to sit, he just lowered himself into the chair which was opposite mine. He sat comfortably like a man who had all the time in the world. “Victoria,” he said smoothly, his lip curling into that infuriating half smile, “Tough morning?” “Cut the crap, Julian. You know exactly what kind of morning I'm having.” He smirked, “I do, don’t I? And I will admit, watching lose never fuckign gets old.” I clenched my fists under my desk, “Why are you here?” “Because, unlike you, I believe in efficiency. I don't enjoy watching you run around trying to salvage a sinking ship when I already have the lifeboat ready for you.” “Spare me your metaphors….” His eyes glittered “then marry me.” I stood there, stunned like someone had slapped me. Did I hear wrongly? “Excuse me?” “You heard me, Victoria. I want you to marry me.” I looked at him like he had grown horns on his head. He continued with the rubbish he was spewing, “I want you to marry and we can merge Hale’s enterprises with SC Group. I will absorb all debts, bring back your investors, and in return, you will be under me…..for five years." A humorless laugh escaped me, “Have you lost your goddamn mind?” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, "Haven't you figured it out yet? You can't f*****g win against me. Every deal you chase, I will be there first. Every investor you court, I will offer them double. I will watch you bleed out while I smirk with victory. But, if you take my offer now, you can walk away with your dignity still intact. Your company survives and you don't have to run and hide due to debts.” I stood up, abruptly, my chair scraping back, “You are insane. If you think that I would ever in this life tie myself to you? Or you watch Hale enterprise burn to the ground than…..” “Three days.” His tone cut me off, it was sharp and final. “That's how long you get to decide. Three days, Victoria, or I will bring Hale to its f*****g knees and when I do, I will make sure you don't just lose this company but every fuckighn thing you have achieved.” I glared at him, every nerve in my body sending out sparks, “Get the hell out of my office.” He rose towering over me with his tall height. He leaned in just enough for me to catch the faint scent of cigar mixed with his cologne. “Tick-tock, Victoria,” he murmured, “I will be waiting for your answer.” Then he walked out while waiting for my response. I picked up the glass cup and smashed it against the wall. It scattered on impact. “f**k!” ****************************** By the time I left the office that evening, I was still as angry as if it were still sitting in front of me. His words replayed in my head like f*****g poison. THREE DAYS Who the f**k did he think was to threaten me? His f*****g pride thinking I would cave, well f**k him. He doesn't know who I was. I wasn't going to bow to him, I couldn’t. The elevator doors opened to the underground parking lot, and I walked to my car. My phone buzzed, it was a call from Kate, my best friend. I picked it up, putting it on the speaker. “Tell me you didn’t actually meet with Julian Saint Clair today,” Kate said. I slid into the driver’s seat, "unfortunately did….wait, how did you…..” “Paparazzi photos of him coming out of your office…” she answered. I sighed, “Of course, they did….” “So……” “So, he proposed…” I spilled. There was silence, “wait, like a business proposal?” I sighed, “not that kind of proposal.,....” he paused, “he…..he…..wants me to marry him…..” Kate gasped “Yapp…. that's what he came to my office for today. He wants me to marry him in exchange for saving my company.” “That egotistical manic! You didn't say yes, did you?” “Ewww, of course now. I told him to shove it down his asshole.” “Good,” she exhaled in relief, “because if you ever said yes, I would personally come drag you out of that penthouse and knock some sense into you.” Just then the radio buzzed with breaking news. We interrupt this program to bring you this breaking news: SC Groups m, asking moves to buy Hale enterprises. Is this the final fall of the youngest CEO Victoria Hale? I froze like they had poured cold water on me. “What the…”