Falling for the Enemy

Ch.9

Althea’s Pov

I ran my fingers over the engraved nameplate that read my name, "Althea Dawson, personal secretary," resting on the desk.

I settled into the chair behind the desk, leaning back to soak in the comfort and ambiance of my small office, which was dominated by black and white hues.

Out of the blue, the door next to me swung open, and Amanda stepped in.

"You’re fortunate to have your own office," she remarked.

I simply stared at her, unsure of how to respond. Was there a hint of jealousy in her tone about my private office?

Amanda worked at a desk in the lobby, where she greeted clients and business associates as they arrived.

"It's all good. I have no issues with that, as long as my pay is decent." She flashed a smile at me.

"By the way, you can call me Amanda."

"Althea."

"It’s great to meet you, Althea. I need to head back to my desk now. I trust he has filled you in on everything you need to tackle today."

"Yes, he has."

"Alright, I'll leave you to it. We'll catch up more during lunch."

I returned her smile. Initially, I thought she was a snob—mean and rude. But she turned out to be quite nice, just different from my first impression.

After Amanda departed, I inquired around and eventually located where Mr. Valenti had instructed me to review the files.

There was a hefty binder for every client, packed with the interactions that took place each year. Wow, this is going to require a lot of effort.

My eyes started to ache after I reviewed as much as possible in three hours. The lunch break had already begun, so everyone left, leaving me by myself.

Not wanting to squander any time, I opted to skip lunch to go over as much as I could. I let out a sigh, trying to ignore the rumbling in my stomach.

Before I realized it, it was 11:30 at night, and everyone had departed. I switched off the lights and headed towards the elevator. The elevator came, and I hurried inside.

I reached the lobby and quickly left the building. Unable to catch a taxi, I chose to walk home. The shops had already shut down, and sadly, I was the only person walking the streets.

"Where are you headed, sweetheart?" a slurred voice called out from behind me in the desolate place.

When I turned around, I found three burly, intoxicated men with muscles straining against their black T-shirts blocking my path. The one in charge had a long, jagged scar running down the left side of his face.

"Althea, what a surprise!" the leader sneered.

Gary.

Gary was a debt collector. A terrifying one who never made idle threats. He was a man who kept his promises. If he claimed he would do something dreadful to you, he certainly would.

My mother had borrowed money from him to launch a business that would support my education after high school. However, after her battle with cancer, which ultimately led to her passing, she became just another one of Gary's debtors.

You might say that my mother left me the debt as a parting gift.

"Gary, what brings you here?"

"You don’t get to ask the questions, I do. Where the hell is my money?"

"I don’t have it yet. I just landed a job and I’m doing everything I can to gather the funds, just give me a little more time."

"I’m not sure I can hold on any longer. We’re talking about money here. The world revolves around money. I’m all about money, baby."

"Yes, I understand. I’ll have it soon."

Gary lunged at me, seizing the collar of my shirt, pulling me close as he threatened, "Do you know that I can do something unimaginable to you?" He scrutinized my figure, "Especially now that your mother isn’t around."

I swallowed hard. "What are you planning to do?"

"You don’t grasp the type of person I am, Althea. As someone to whom you owe a significant amount, you should tremble in fear at the sight of me. You need to fear me, the very sound of my name, and even my shadow. But I don’t sense that fear from you. I believe it’s time you learned a lesson."

"BOYS, how about we have some fun with a virgin tonight?"

The other two men cheered.

"Let go of me, Gary!" I protested, struggling against his hold.

"Be quiet, my friends and I are going to enjoy ourselves with you tonight."

In a swift motion, I drove my knee into his groin, causing him to release me as he doubled over, clutching his manhood. I took off, doing my utmost to escape them.

"GET HER, YOU FOOLS!" Gary yelled.

The two men started sprinting towards me as I did everything I could to outrun them. Where the hell am I? The street was still deserted.

Focusing on the men behind me, I collided with a wall, completely losing my balance and bracing myself for a fall. But then, a hand grasped my back and yanked me back to my feet.

I looked up to find my Knight in Shining Armor: EROS VALENTI. What was he doing here?

"Eros. I mean, Mr. Valenti," I gasped.

"Althea, what are you doing here at this hour?"

"Actually, I..."

"Hey buddy, hand over that woman and you’ll leave here alive. Otherwise, you die, and we take her," one of Gary’s goons threatened.

Mr. Valenti, or rather Eros, drew me close to him. His hand lingered behind me, providing a sense of security. I gazed at him; his eyes were locked onto the thugs. He appeared incredibly handsome from this angle… so serious, so unapproachable, and exuding power.

Focus, Althea, your life is on the line.

"Get out of here before I do something you'll both regret," Eros warned sharply.

"Not a chance, buddy," the other henchmen laughed. They brandished daggers, poised to strike Eros.

"Very well, you asked for this," Eros replied, pushing me behind him. One thug hurled his dagger at Eros, and I instinctively shielded my eyes with my hand, unable to bear the sight.