Chapter3
1780 Words
Hell had a name and it was Luca Zelinski.
Isabel thought she had endured hell before but she was dead wrong.
Hell wasn't finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her in front of a room full of people on her birthday. Hell wasn't waking up in bed with his father. Hell was working for him — working for Luca Zelinski.
From the moment she stepped her foot into his office, he made it his mission to torment her.
“Coffee. Black. No sugar.” He ordered, not even sparing her a glance as he handed her a folder followed by a bunch of documents that could've easily been emailed to her.
Isabel gritted her teeth, already planning his murder in her head.
“Off you go.” He gave her a languid wave of his hand, dismissing her as if she was nothing.
She turned away from the office, muttering her new mantra to herself : “Don't murder your boss, Isabel. You need this job.”
She returned a few minutes later with cup of coffee and placed it on his desk.
Luca reached for the mug and took one sip. Then he paused and looked at her with the laziest, condescending smirk she had ever seen.
“You got it wrong.”
Isabel blinked. “You said black. No sugar.”
“I also said hot. This is lukewarm,” He pushed the cup back. “Try again.”
Isabel exhaled through her nose, telling healed repeatedly not to throw the coffee on his smug face.
“Go on then.” He shooed her again. And by the time she finally got the coffee “right”, she was exhausted.
But that was the least she could get worried about.
Luca kept calling her to run unnecessary errands, giving her pointless corrections and even forcing her to attend a meeting where he only but introduced her as his secretary.
By lunch, Isabel was two seconds away from quitting.
She had barely had time to breathe before the intercom buzzed. Luca. Of course.
She answered with as much enthusiasm as someone about to get a root canal. “Yes, Mr. Zelinski?”
“Come to my office. You have work to do.” He said.
Isabel scowled at her half-eaten sandwich. “But I'm on my lunch break.”
“You were,” he corrected. “Now, you're working.”
The line went dead.
Isabel shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “One day… just one day without strangling this man. Is that too much to ask, God?”
“Damn, he's working you like a dog.” Her colleagues shot her a sympathetic look as she trudged towards Luca's office.
“Yup.” Isabel replied.
Another whispered. “Good luck. You'll need it.”
“No. I need a gun.”
Isabel stepped inside the office and shut the door behind her.
“Took you long enough.” Luca said, not looking up from his computer.
Isabel heaved a sigh and took a step forward. “You summoned me here, sir?” She asks as though reminding him she was still there.
“I know.” He finally glances at her, zero remorse flashing in his eyes.
Isabel spent the next 3 hours running back and forth, organizing a hedueks and making calls until her stomach hurt.
As though having minds of their own, they began to protest in the most humiliating way possible — a loud growl.
Isabel winced as she clutched her stomach.
Luca's pen stilled when he heard her wince. “Was … that… your stomach?”
Isabel forced a straight face. “No.”
Luca arched an eyebrow.
Her stomach betrayed her again with a growl and wished the ground would open and swallow her whole.
“Have you eaten?” He asked
Isabel averted his question. “What does it matter to you?”
Something shifted in his expression and besides she could process it, he pulled out his phone to make a call.
Isabel barely paid attention until he said the name.
“Ramsey. Prepare a meal. Now.”
Her jaw dropped. No. Freaking. Way.
Luca had just called Gordon Ramsey, one of the most expensive chefs in the world. And for her? No. It had to be for himself. She thought. She was a nobody.
He turned to her and gestured to his chair. “Sit.”
Isabel crossed her arms over her chest. “No. I don't need you to —”
“Sit, Isabel.” It wasn't a request.
“I'm not hungry.” She said.
He crossed the room and stood right in front of her. “Sit down.”
His golden eyes bore into her and she melted. “F - fine.”
She pulled up a chair and sat down.
A few minutes later, there was a quiet knock on the door, followed by a voice. “Sir, your order is here.”
“Send it in.” Luca said.
A man in his mid-40's strolled in with a trolley of covered food. He was dressed in a striped black and white outfit with a familiar logo emblazoned on the right side of his chest.
Isabel's eyes went round when she recognized him — Gordon Ramsey.
“Here it is, boss man,” He said, letting go off the trolley. “I'll charge you for the extra hours. I was in the middle of something.”
“Put it in my tab as usual.” Luca said like money meant nothing to him, which it didn't.
“That's why I like doing business with you,” Gordon smiled and patted Luca the shoulder. His eyes locked on me and he winked. “See ya later, kitten.”
Luca and Isabel watched as he walked out of the room and they exchanged glances.
The silence was becoming unsettling and awkward that Isabel decided to leave too.
“I'll leave you to your dinner, sir.” She said with a bow.
“Who said the dinner was mine?” He said, startling her for the umpteenth time that day.
Isabel lifted her head. “Sir?”
“Come sit. It's yours,” he said pushing the strolley to the dinning room in his office. “You skipped lunch because of me, didn't you?”
Isabel forced a weak smile. “It's fine. I'm used to this. I'm not hungry.”
“Are you?” He uncovered the food and their sweet scent filled the air. “If you're not hungry, Isabel Milton, then why do you look like you want to cry over the thought of missing this meal?”
Isabel scowled. Her gaze landed on the food and her mouth watered. They were assortments of dishes and they smelled like heaven. Her stomach rumbled again. Louder this time. She buried her face in her palm and wished she'd just disappear.
Luca smirked. “Eat.”
Isabel hesitated.
“You will eat because it involves keeping you from starving to death.” He leaned against his chair, arms crossed, watching her like he had all the time in the world.
Isabel huffed and pulled up a chair. “F - Fine.”
She grabbed a fork and a knife but noticed Luca had already diced her steak. She murmured a thanks and stabbed the meat. The second she took a bite, she melted.
“Woah. Food has never tasted so good.” She smiled with he eyes closed.
Luca couldn't help but admire her cuteness. “Not bad?”
Isabel was too busy savouring the food to answer him. She kept eating, enjoying every single bite.
“I should've ordered more food. You eat like a gremlin.” Luca smiled.
Isabel froze mid-bite and shot him a glare. “Excuse me?”
Luca leaned in. “You're a grumpy, growling, gremlin who likes her food, don't you?”
Isabel grabbed a piece of bread and launched it at his face, completely forgetting that he was her boss or maybe she knew and did it anyways.
Despite the throw, he dodged it effortlessly.
“Asshole.” She murmured.
By the time the office was empty, Isabel was ready to leave. She grabbed her bag, eager to escape only to crash into him.
“Leaving so soon?” He asked, gripping her waist to steady her.
Isabel swallowed, feeling his warm touch burn, even through her clothes. “W - well, some of us have houses they live in.”
“Well, you did good today,” he smirked. “You almost impressed me.”
“Almost?” Isabel couldn't help but scoff.
“Yup,” he said leaning closer. “And you have to do a lot to impress me, sweetheart.”
“You're a hard man to please, aren't you?” Isabel scowled.
“Maybe. Maybe I am.” his gaze dropped to her lips and met her eyes again.
Isabel knew what he wanted but she didn't stop him.
She didn't stop him when his mouth brushed over hers.
She didn't stop him when he finally closed the distance between them and finally —
The kiss was slow and deliberate, his lips coaxing hers open, his hand in her hair like her was claiming her. It wasn't like the reckless night before. This time, it was real because it made her want more.
And more was dangerous.
More was wrong.
She jerked back like she had been burned.
“No “ she said shaking her head.
“No?” Luca's eyes darkened.
“No,” she repeated. “This is a huge mistake.”
Before he could respond, she spun on her heels and ran.
Isabel locked herself in the bathroom, her pressed to the sink as she caught her breath.
She looked at her reflection in the m
irror and nearly swore at herself. “What is wrong with you? Why would you —”
“Isabel, are you okay?” Luca called out in concern.
“Yeah! Just lady stuff!” She called back.
Her phone buzzed and she was startled again.
“Ugh! Tania, now's not a good time.” She said pulling out her phone.
But it wasn't Tania calling.
It was an unknown number.
She hesitated but answered. “Hello?”
A distorted voice filled the line. “You shouldn't be working for him, Isabel.”
Her stomach twisted. “Who… who is this?!”
“Luca Carter killed your father.”
Cold slithered down her spine. “What?”
The voice repeated. “Luca Carter killed your father.”
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
- Writer
