Cursed Lover

Chapter 1

The air was cold today, the cold was crisp as my lungs filled with the icy air. I rubbed my hands together, blowing into my palms to warm up my hands, I guess today was just not on my side. I forgot my gloves at home as I made my way to the office. I thought I was going to be late for work seeing as my alarm clock died, but the moment I reached the bus stop and I finally thought to check my phone, the time showed I'm an hour early. I wasn't good with time and was almost always late to work. I wasn't a morning person to say the least. I hated getting up extremely early and face the arctic winter. In the summer, it was just too hot. Yes, I am a picky person, but I liked the weather just in between. Not too hot or too cold, perfectly temperate . To me, it was bliss.

I decided to make my way to the coffee shop after I got off the bus. I need to warm myself up more before heading into work. The coffee shop was around the corner from my workplace. Only a few minutes away.

"I guess I should get Mandy a coffee as well." I thought to myself as I approached the coffee shop.

Mandy is my best friend and colleague. We've been friends since middle school. We grew so close that her parents accepted me as part of their family. Not a day went by that I didn't go up to see them. Mandy and I even attended the same college and we were roommates for quite some time. She even helped me find a job at the shipment company she works at. All I have to do is answer boring calls and send out large shipments of God knows what. They were always very secretive of what it was they were shipping, but I knew better than to question it. I needed this job and I trust Mandy. We worked at Patrova Corp. A huge, well-known company, how dodgy could it be right? The business was named after Silas Patrova. And was handed down to his eldest son, William Patrova. Their family were almost like celebrities. Everyone knew them. The Patrova family was known for their success, achievements, hard work and dedication. I've never met them before, and William barely comes in to the office. When he does, it's mostly from midnight. I never can never understand why he only comes into the office at such late hours. Mandy explained to me that he always had to attend meetings from around the world. The Patrova business grew rapidly over the years. I was impressed that I could even land a job at Patrova Corp. I guess I have Mandy to thank for that.

I opened the door of the coffee shop and made my way inside. The line wasn't long. Only three people were standing in the line in front of me. This coffee shop was my favorite. I always come here when I take a break from work. The employees knew me by heart. I ordered the usual, as always. Strong coffee with cream. Mandy and I at least shared the same taste in coffee. Leaving quickly after getting our coffee, my phone starts ringing.

"Damn it!" I muttered to myself. I quickly moved towards a bench and sat the coffee down and scrambled through my pocket to get my phone.

"Hello?" I answered out of breath.

"Where the hell are you? I've been waiting for you outside for forever and it's freezing so please get your ass here." Mandy said with that sarcastic tone in her voice.

"I'm coming. I just got us coffee. I'm around the corner."

"Hurry up!"

I put the phone back into my pocket quickly after the call ended. Grabbing the coffee, I tried to walk as fast as I could to get to Mandy. She was impatient with me especially in the mornings. I annoyed her a lot but she still loved me despite the fact I always make her wait.

Lost in thought, I bumped into someone as I made a turn to Patrova Corp. I knew this person was male, cause I don't think a woman could be this tall with no breasts. His hard chest made me lose my balance causing me to stumble back a few steps. The coffee splashed all over him and me. I winced as the warm liquid splattered all over my chest. Luckily the coffee wasn't extremely hot anymore, but it still burnt.

"Oh s**t! I'm so, so sor-" as I tried to apologize, I looked up at him and his eyes met mine. He had dark hair that was brushed back neatly and he had beautiful blue eyes that seemed extremely deep that it felt like I could drown in the pools of his irises. The suit he was wearing hugged tightly against his body. His muscle structure verged into defined, well built curves that could be clearly seen. I couldn't find the words after laying eyes on this handsome man.

"It's fine." He said angrily, but his eyes was fixed on mine. He didn't look away, he didn't budge after I spilt the coffee all over him either. He just stood there, staring at me.

"Do... Do I have something on my face?" those were the only words I could muster.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I thought as I stood motionless.

I always became weird around men. Especially men as handsome as him. They always made me feel uncomfortable and their eyes always pierced through mine. The same way his did at this very moment.

"No. Your face looks perfectly fine." He said in a calmer voice now, looking at me with intense concentration.

I nodded my head and tried to hide my flustered cheeks, but I couldn't. The blood rushed so quickly to my cheeks that it was impossible for me to hide it. His lip curved on the sides into a faint smile. He found amusement in looking at how tense I was and how red my cheeks were. I got so confused. Maybe he really thinks I'm stupid.

"Uhmm... Lilith?" I heard Mandy's voice, and thank God it broke my gaze from him.

I looked at her and saw fear in her eyes as she looked at him and then back at me. She always pushed me to talk to guys and flirt with them every time she took me out. She hounded me nonstop and kept asking why I wasn't interested in any man she pulled my way. I simply wasn't amused with her flirtatious jokes and seductive ways.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Patrova. My colleague is very clumsy. She didn't-"

"It's fine." He interrupted her instantly. Once again, he sounded angry or more annoyed, but this time with Mandy. My heart pounded rapidly, afraid he was going to become annoyed with me as well. His jaw flexed in frustration then he proceeded to rub the bridge of his nose, turning swiftly, and then walked into the building. My eyes now glued on his broad back and shoulders.

"I can't believe that was our boss." I thought to myself.

I started freaking out after finding out who this man was, but yet, he is so mysterious. Does he have bipolar? His emotions seem to switch rapidly. He must have bipolar. The thought of him made my chest feel heavy. It's weird, I have never felt like this before. Mandy grabbed my shoulders and broke me from my reverie, looking at me with worried eyes.

"You can be glad he didn't fire you on the spot!" She tugged on my shoulders and brought me closer to her, giving me the stink eye.

"It didn't seem like he would. He did accept my apology." I stated but my words saturated at the end. Even I was confused as to why he treated me differently than he did her and why he didn't react more fiercely.

Mandy sighed and locked her arm into mine, pulling me into the building. She pulled me towards the bathroom so that I could clean the coffee stains off of me. I wonder if my boss would even be able to remove the stains. His suit looked extremely expensive. My clothes weren't that important to me. Especially not my work clothes but I still kept myself clean and presentable. Mandy had her gym bag with her at all times. Everyday after work she would head to the gym and scope out hot guys to sink her teeth in to. She pulled out extra work clothes for me. She was thoughtful and she knew I was a klutz. So keeping extra clean clothes nearby was a must.

After changing my clothes, we arrived at our office floor, waving goodbye Mandy went to her cubicle. I sat down at my desk, replaying in my head the events that unfolded this morning with my boss. If he wasn't as nice to me as he was, I would've been without a job, where would I live? What would I eat? I sighed and thanked the gods that I have a nice boss, or at least he was nice to me.

My office phone started ringing, snapping me out of the thought of him. I quickly reached the phone in a haste.

"Hello. This is Patrova Corp, Lilith speaking. How can I be of service?" my voice was trembling as I answered. I cleared my throat and hoped that the person on the other side of the line didn't notice.

"No need to be so formal. Come to my office. Now." The voice sounded so familiar. My boss. His voice made my heart flutter, tightening my chest and my cheeks once again burnt red.

He wanted me to come to his office? I definitely didn't know what I was going to face. He did scare me. I mean, he's my boss and he's known to be a d*ck. So why wouldn't I be scared? He's probably going to fire me.

"Y-yes sir." I stuttered as I agreed.

I put the phone down and breathed heavily, my hands trembling uncomfortably.

"I'm so getting fired today." My negative thoughts crept up on me.

I jumped up, pushing my chair backwards and swallowed hard. My mind in a spin, I couldn't even stand straight. I never got into trouble. I was on my place. There couldn't be any other reason for me to be summoned to my boss's office. I am a law abiding citizen. I don't break rules. It goes against what I believe. I made my way to the elevator, feeling Mandy's eyes burning into my skull. I looked back with fear in my eyes and she gestured for me to breathe in and out slowly. I nodded frantically and quickly looked at the elevator's buttons. I pressed the button that showed up. I waited patiently for the doors to open. As they did, I made my way inside.

Mr. Patrova's office was on the top floor. Where I've never been before, because it was never necessary, but now it is? The top floor was off limits to everyone in the building. Except for the security guards and Mr. Patrova's assistant. We were only allowed to go to his office if he summoned us which rarely happened. And it's the first time I saw him here during the day. I hurriedly pressed the highest number button there was as my hands still trembled. As the doors closed, my heartbeat quickened even more. I was nervous. My hands started sweating and I couldn't stop fidgeting with my ring. The ring had small moon stones surrounding the main moon stone. It was silver, at least. I hated gold. My mother gave me this ring, promising me that it would protect me no matter what. Is it going to protect me from getting fired? No, it's not. But I still kept the ring after all these years. The ring also made me feel closer to my mom since she passed away. She always said that the ring symbolizes our family crest and held a powerful enchantment. I believed the family crest thing, but I was sceptic about the enchanted thing. She always talked about supernatural beings and unknown forces that walked among us, but I believe in that stuff. It was difficult for me to believe. But I played dumb so that I didn't hurt my mom's feelings. Seeing her hurt brought me a great deal of pain. The elevator bell rang through my ears as the doors slid open slowly.

In front of me was a desk and a young woman with blonde hair behind it. Her hair was falling onto her shoulders, framing her face beautifully. Her breasts were sort of big, peeking slightly over her bra and she was wearing a white, skin tight shirt. I moved closer to her and her eyes moved from my legs, up to my chest and to my face. The look she gave me sent shivers down my spine. She smiled and stood up swiftly.

"Well, now I know why he took an interest in you." she said, tugging on her shirt, revealing her breasts a bit more.

"He's waiting for you in his office." she said, gesturing her hand to the right. I nodded and walked quickly towards the big, wooden double door. My nerves were shot and my body was tense. Just as I was about to touch the one doorknob I heard a voice from inside.

"Please, come in."

I opened the door, peeking through at this huge room. A desk was in the middle of the room, a fireplace on the left and a bookcase on the right. The windows were covered with big black curtains, beautifully falling and flowing to the floor. In the middle of the room, there was a big, dark red carpet that looked so soft that I could just lay there and fall asleep. His office was magnificent. I've never seen an office as beautiful as his. I closed the door behind me softly and made my way to his desk.

The back of his chair was turned towards me. I crossed my hands over each other, wanting to look professional and proper. The chair turned slowly and his gaze met mine. My body tensing up again. He placed his elbows on the surface of the desk, entwined his fingers together and rested his nose softly on top of his knuckles. He looked at me seductively. The same way the woman outside looked at me. I tried my best not to falter and to keep my composure. I stood up straight, swallowing hard again. I felt violated by the way they looked at me. My heart beating a bit faster, but I tried my best to keep calm. His eyes though. They just kept burning into my skin. I felt naked by the way he gawked at me.

He stood up, walking towards me, minimizing the gap between us, gripping the collar of my blazer and rubbing his thumb over the material softly. My breath was caught in my throat as I felt his breath against the nape of my neck. I was shivering.

"What's going on? Why is he doing this? I thought this is going to be a formal meeting. Dear God, somebody please...." I thought to myself as my thoughts protested.

"So, you're still a virgin?" he whispered into my ear seductively.

My eyes shot open as he asked. How could he tell that I'm still a virgin? The only people who knew is my aunt and Mandy. And I know they wouldn't tell my boss about it. My virginity meant a lot to me. I couldn't just give it to anyone. I couldn't answer him. I didn't want to. Who the hell does he think he is? Treating one of his employees like this? Of course, he's my boss. But my boss shouldn't be treating me like I was his property. Isn't this s****l harassment or something?

"You are. Your body tone says it all. Your scent gives it away even more than your body." His whispers were laced heavily with seduction.

I wanted to push him away so badly, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. He could fire me or even hurt me if I did. I couldn't fight against him. My breathing started turning into small moans. No, not moans of pleasure. I was actually scared. Normally guys aren't this close to me. Mandy always thought I was weird for not wanting a man to touch me or flirt with me. She used to call me a nun. She got annoyed with me every time, but I didn't want to feel the way I feel now. The helplessness and the vulnerability beneath a man's touch.

I shut my eyes quickly, feeling a tear slip from my eye and running down my cheek. I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to show any vulnerability, but fear took the better of me. I was afraid he would do something to me. I couldn't see him as a rapist, but the way he's acting now is making me very uncomfortable. I couldn't feel his breath on my skin anymore and I guess it was safe for me to open my eyes slightly. I felt his thumb wiping away the tear. He started chuckling softly, my body still shaking as I watched him.

"Sir?" The only word that slipped from my lips.

"Apologies. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Didn't mean to frighten me? Excuse me?"

This bastard. The audacity. The fu*king nerve. He did frighten me, but he really didn't have to do what he just did and then laugh about it as if it was nothing. I wasn't an object. I'm a human being and I had the right to be treated properly.

"The smell of your skin was so overwhelming, so sweet. I couldn't contain myself anymore." he said in a very husky and s****l tone. Also almost like he was out of breath.

The smell of my skin? My skin was sprayed in somewhat cheap perfume. My money was limited. I had to prioritize my rent and my food. My landlord was gracious enough to bring down my rent a few times, cause there were days where I couldn't pay the full amount of my rent. I was confused as to why my cheap perfume would cause him to react this way.

"I actually called you here, in hopes of you becoming my personal assistant. You will get a raise, of course. I understand that you have been working here for a while now. One of my assistants, my right hand, gave you the job, because your resume is a bit more, how can I say, adequate for the work we do here." He explained. His voice now normal.

"Sir? You wish for me to become your personal assistant? What would you have me do if I take on this position?" I asked formally, now calm and happy to know why I was asked to come here in the first place. At least I wasn't getting fired.

"Well, I just want you to keep my paperwork up to date, and join me when I have to attend meetings and balls. Not to only mingle with the guests. I want to create a bigger and stronger... Company." he explained, waving his hand swiftly. Confusion hung on me when he paused before saying company.

I nodded and thought to myself that it doesn't seem like hard work. Also to be able to attend grand balls and not childish parties at clubs and raves with my friends. I've always been an old soul. And not to mention, he'll be giving me a raise. All of this feels like a dream. I want to pinch myself, but I think Mr. Patrova will think I'm crazy. This new position would help me in so many ways. Knowing that I would get a raise would help me pay off so much debt. The baggage that was on my shoulders were lifting more and more. I looked down at my feet, thinking what to say next, but before I could stop myself, my head shot up and my eyes were glued to his.

"I accept, Mr. Patrova."

"Please, call me William. Like I said, no need to be formal." His voice was stiff, formal and his shoulders rigid.

I couldn't believe it. I was extremely excited for my new position and for getting a raise. Today was actually my day. This morning was horrible and I almost thought that I was going to lose my job, but now I'm overjoyed and it's all so overwhelming.

"This is my lucky day."