HER VENGEANCE, HIS OBSESSION

Chapter 17

Maya's POV

I sat behind the desk, staring blankly at the empty office.

Just me, an empty desk, and the growing irritation that had been following me since I left that conference room.

I shouldn't have left.

Fuck.

I was seriously regretting leaving it to Zakhar.

He better not f**k it up.

I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling.

Knowing him, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. And lately, that wasn't very far.

I folded my arms and tapped my fingers against my elbow.

Why the hell did I leave?

I should have stayed.

Not because I needed Zakhar's help. I definitely didn't.

For all I knew, he could be in cahoots with Richard. Just because he was insanely attractive didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous.

What if he'd decided the deal was more important than what happened in that conference room?

Or worse, what if he'd actually agreed to something with Richard and was now pretending everything was fine?

And weren't mafia men into forcing themselves on girls or something?

I frowned.

Okay, maybe I was overthinking this.

But could anyone really blame me?

I barely knew the guy.

He was always so damn grumpy and annoying, constantly giving me those I want to murder you looks, like I give a s**t.

If he was expecting some sweet damsel in distress, he’d better get a reality check. Because if he so much as stepped on my toe, I'd kill him without a second thought and make it seem like it was the easiest thing to do in the world.

If he came for me, I'd f*****g come for him harder.

I narrowed my eyes.

Enough of these damn questions and guessing games. I wasn't going to sit here driving myself crazy when I could just find out what was happening myself.

With an annoyed sigh, I got up from my chair and stormed out.

I didn't even bother taking my phone with me because, well, f**k that.

My boots clicked against the floor as I stormed down the corridor toward Zakhar's office.

I didn't bother knocking.

It's not like I ever did to begin with.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Zakhar sat behind his desk, his attention fixed on a stack of documents.

He seriously was working after what had happened?

“What did you do with Richard?” I asked, walking up to his desk.

His pen stopped moving as he slowly lifted his icy blue eyes to mine.

“That's none of your business.”

“Well, it is, so start talking.”

I pulled out the chair in front of his desk and sat down.

He stared at me for a moment before setting his pen down.

“Since when do you give me orders?”

“Since you started acting like a suspicious bastard who can't answer a simple question, which is every damn time, by the way,” I shot back.

“And you're any better?” He raised a brow.

I glared at him.

Jerk.

“Your presentation was s**t by the way.”

Wait, what?

“My presentation?” I asked, confused.

“Did you finish high school?”

What!

“Excuse me?” I asked, my eyebrows practically shooting up to my hairline.

What the f**k did he just ask me?

Oh, you have got to be shitting me.

I stared at him, waiting for him to tell me it was some kind of sick joke.

Something. Anything.

But it never came.

“Did you just indirectly call me dumb?” I asked, fighting the urge to rip his head out of his body.

Asshole.

“You heard me,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Did you finish high school?”

I let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

“Okay, so you’re either bored out of your mind, or insulting my intelligence has officially become your new favorite hobby?”

He didn't even have the decency to look offended. He just looked downright bored, raising an eyebrow as if to say, Quit it and answer me.

Calm down, Maya. Do not react.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that strangling a dangerous mafia boss with thousands of men under his command was probably the stupidest thing to do.

Not that the thought wasn't tempting. Really tempting.

“Yes, Zakhar. I finished high school.”

His expression remained the same.

“And college?”

I narrowed my eyes. “What gives, man? Since when did you become so damn interested in my life?”

He sighed.

He actually f*****g sighed, like I was the issue here.

“Are you going to answer the question, Maya?”

I scoffed. “No, Zakhar. We're going to sit here, stare into each other's eyes, and be all lovey-dovey, as usual.”

His expression remained blank.

God, he was impossible.

“Fine. No, I didn't go to college. Happy now?”

“Why?”

“Because I don't need it.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“Says who?”

“Me, myself, and I.”

“Now I see why your presentation was a total flop. Your revenue projections were wrong, your profit margins were miscalculated, and your operating costs didn't match the financial report.”

“You knew I was inexperienced in this stuff, yet you still chose to make me present,” I pointed out.

“You’re starting college in two weeks.”

WHATTTT?!

What the f**k was wrong with this man? First, it was my work, then clothes, then presentation, and now apparently my education.

“I'm not going.”

“You are,” he said, like it was a done deal.

Like f**k it is.

“No, I'm not.”

“Do you have to argue with me about everything?”

“And do you have to be an asshole about everything?”

He stared at me with those infuriating icy blue eyes, his expression as unreadable as ever.

I stared right back.

What? Did he think I was going to back down just because he had a pretty face and the personality of a f*****g brick wall?

Please.

I had dealt with worse.

His jaw tightened slightly.

Aww, he's pissed. Boo-f*****g-hoo.

“Something wrong?” I asked innocently.

“Are you always this difficult?”

“Only with overgrown assholes,” I clapped back.

His eyes narrowed.

Mine did too.

“I'm not going,” I repeated.

“How unfortunate for you, then,” he said flatly. “Because you're still going to college.”

Was he serious?

“You can't just decide that I'm going to college and expect me to go.”

“I just did.”

Anger surged through me, and suddenly, I was thinking of a hundred different ways to murder him.

“You can't do that. I won't go.”

“You are. It's the same college Ilya attends, and I don't want you running out on me again. Oh, and I've already chosen your course.”

“I f*****g hate you,” I said, my voice dripping with venom.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “The feeling is mutual.”

I glared at him for another second before spinning around and storming out of his office.

Asshole.

Arrogant, controlling, infuriating asshole.

I slammed the door behind me and marched towards the elevator, stabbing the button with my finger.

Who the hell did he think he was? First, he had a problem with my work. Then my clothes. Then my presentation. Now he wanted to dictate my entire f*****g future?

He didn't even know s**t about me.

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I f*****g hate him.

The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped inside.

I pressed the button for the ground floor and folded my arms, glaring at my reflection in the polished metal doors.

College?

In two weeks?

With the course he had apparently chosen for me.

How dare he make decisions concerning my life.

I let out a humorless laugh.

Over my dead rotting body.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened.

I felt like I was about to explode.

I needed air.

And possibly a punching bag that looked exactly like Zakhar's face.

I pushed through the glass doors and stepped outside. The late afternoon sun hit my face, and I took a deep breath, hoping the fresh air would help calm me down.

It didn't.

It only made it worse.

Everything seemed to piss me the f**k off.

I clenched my fists and continued down the pavement, my boots striking the ground with every step. My mind was still occupied with the blue-eyed bastard I'd left behind, replaying our argument over and over until I felt like I was going to lose my f*****g mind.

I was so distracted by my raging thoughts that I barely noticed the footsteps approaching behind me.

Until a hand clamped over my mouth.

My eyes widened.

What the—

I barely had time to react before an arm locked around me, dragging me backwards.

I struggled immediately, twisting and kicking as I tried to break free.

The person behind me was clearly stronger than I'd expected.

Shit.

Panic shot through me, but I forced myself to think.

Don't freeze, Maya. Think.

I tried to bite the hand covering my mouth, but my attacker jerked my head away before I could get a proper grip.

Motherfucker.

A vehicle door opened beside me.

Nope. Not happening.

I drove my elbow backwards as hard as I could. I felt it connect with something solid, followed by a sharp curse.

The hand over my mouth loosened.

I sucked in a breath.

“HELP! ANYBODY! HEL—”

Something sharp pricked my neck.

Was that a bee?

Suddenly, the world began to spin. My vision blurred, and before I could make sense of what was happening, everything went dark.