Chapter 3 Wants Me Dead
1306 Words
Two hours later, Alpha Damien emerged from the shower, the steam trailing behind him, and settled onto the sofa.
His sharp, handsome features and Alpha aura held me spellbound until his next words snapped me back to reality.
"Get a divorce."
I thought I had misheard him. He noticed my stunned disbelief and began lecturing me like some arrogant tycoon.
"You will be divorced sooner or later. You might as well face it now."
He assumed an awful lot for someone who saw me as nothing but a temporary plaything. My life with Liam was the real, stable mateship, not this sordid affair. Alpha Damien couldn't possibly be getting serious about me.
Reading my thoughts, he scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Save the fantasies. I would never marry you. Let's just say your current situation is... inconvenient."
Inconvenient? Now I had to ask for clarification. We were nothing but a temporary fling, something that would end when the thrill was gone. Since when did he have any say in my marriage?
"Alpha Damien," I said, "even my role as your assistant won't last forever. You shouldn't trouble yourself with the small details of my personal life."
My stance was clear, and a man of his intelligence would understand.
"You are right about one thing. I do care about the details."
He took a slow, provocative sip of red wine. The faint sound of his swallow sent heat rushing to my cheeks, unwanted memories of his lips on mine flaring to life.
"I've never considered divorce," I murmured, my voice barely audible.
His eyes darkened, and he beckoned me closer like a master summoning a pet. Reluctantly, I tightened the belt of my robe and obeyed.
His hand closed around mine, pulling me onto his lap. With a deft flick of his wrist, he parted the collar of my robe, leaving me frantically trying to cover myself under his searing gaze.
"Really now," he said, his voice a low murmur. "You still believe your husband adores you? After all that's happened?"
His question left me speechless. His fingers traced the line of my burning ear, his touch threatening to melt my resolve and leaving me breathless and exposed.
"Grow up. At your age, acting naive is just plain foolish. You think his love is so great that it includes letting you sleep with another man?"
My lips parted, but no retort came. Summoning all my defiance, I met his gaze.
"Let's be clear, Alpha Damien. I know my place in this arrangement. I came here willingly. No one 'sent' me."
My voice faltered on the last few words. His quiet, mocking laugh stung worse than any slap.
He was a bastard. He did not say the word “pimped”, but I burned with humiliation nonetheless.
In that moment, I was his pet canary, trapped, and his to play with.
He pressed the wine glass to my lips, and I drank obediently, like a good pet.
His hand closed over mine, forcing my grip to tighten around the glass as he delivered his next blow.
"Talk is cheap. Some lessons only truly sink in after you've crashed headlong into reality." His fingers traced my jawline. "Everything you have right now, I provided. What I allow you to hold, you hold. What I tell you to drop, you will drop."
I stiffened. What was he implying?
"You swore he would get that promotion." My stomach twisted into a knot as I choked out the question.
Damien's fingers trailed to my throat, tilting my chin up as he murmured, "I always keep my promises. But you'll do well to remember that when you're with me, your thoughts belong to me alone."
The warning in his tone sent shivers down my spine.
"Understood," I whispered.
He checked his watch. "Get some rest now. Tomorrow is packed. I have an important guest in the morning, and you'll accompany me to dinner."
"Of course," I replied.
But I could never have imagined that at tomorrow night's banquet, I would become just another item on the menu.
The dawn had barely broken when Catherine appeared downstairs the next morning. Her smile looked painted on, but her eyes were shooting daggers straight at me as Damien and I emerged.
Each step sent a fresh jolt of pain through me, a stark reminder of how violently he had claimed me just before sunrise. The shower had revealed angry red marks on my hips that I couldn't ignore. It was no surprise that I limped a step behind him.
"Ms. Hayes," Catherine cooed, her voice thick with syrupy concern, "if you're unwell, you should really stay and rest. Business discussions can be so tedious. I will be happy to keep Alpha Damien company."
The truth was, I did not handle the actual business; my role revolved entirely around him. But her barb, barely disguised, hit its mark.
"I appreciate your concern, Ms. Reynolds," I said evenly. "But I will manage just fine."
I slid into the prime seat in the car before she could react.
She stiffened, her shoulders hunched, visibly biting back her words as she glared at me before retreating to the back seat.
"Alpha Damien," she purred, leaning between the seats, "Dr. Felix from the Nancaster Pack's investment team has moved tonight's meeting to the Blu Club. His wife is joining us; it was a last-minute change. I have already prepared appropriate gifts, which are in my car."
Alpha Damien did not even glance up from his phone, his thumbs still tapping the screen. "Submit the receipt to Finance."
I knew the protocol. When the wives tagged along, the entire dynamic of the meeting changed.
Catherine waved a manicured hand dismissively. "No paperwork will be needed. His wife Margaret and I go way back; we were university roommates. She is quite paranoid about these things. She won't accept a gift unless it comes from someone she knows personally."
The unspoken message was clear: Try excluding me from tonight, I dare you.
Alpha Damien gave a slight nod, a silent permission for her to accompany us.
From the corner of my eye, I saw her triumphant smirk. She had already written me off for tonight's dinner.
But later, after we had wrapped up the day's work, Alpha Damien sent a package to my room. Inside was a figure-hugging black dress and a pair of red-soled lambskin heels.
Standing before the mirror, I blotted off the bold lipstick I had initially chosen, applying a softer shade to create a more muted look.
Just as I finished getting ready, the door clicked open. Of course, Alpha Damien had a key.
His reflection met mine in the mirror as his hands glided over my hips. His lips brushed against my neck while his fingers trailed down.
I gasped sharly when he yanked up my skirt and pushed aside my underwear. I felt his fingertips moving in circles against my c**t, and without warning, he plunged inside.
I mumbled something about us being late, but my body arched into him of its own volition, answering him with a reckless hunger.
Pressed hard against the cool surface of the mirror, I watched the entire scene unfold, and I let it all happen.
It was wild, desperate, and left me feeling dizzy.
Moments later, he calmly smoothed my dress back down and told me to clean up. Then we were off.
The exclusive Blu Club awaited our arrival. When we entered the private room, Catherine was already there, decked out in glittering jewels and seamlessly playing the part of the hostess. She took Alpha Damien's coat, then immediately barked an order at me to make coffee.
As they began discussing their important guest, Dr. Felix, I stood by the periphery like hired help, completely forgotten in the shadows.
- Writer
