THE ALPHA'S ELDRITCH FATED MATE

Chapter 6: A NIGHTMARE OF A DAY.

Lilian's POV:

Today has to just be the worst day of my life.

I’d woken up this morning with excitement and anticipation, convinced that my first day at Blackwoods Foundation would be the start of something incredible.

Doing an internship in London, at one of the top companies in the world, was a dream come true. Or so I thought. But right now, that dream had transformed, turned into a full blown nightmare.

Nothing had gone as planned, nothing had gone well today.

I gripped the report tighter in my hands, feeling the paper crumple slightly as I walked out of the building. I was starting to feel so cold, the fear that my dream might crumble soon. The report had finally been approved, but not without Jethro Blackwood’s chilling warning. His words echoed in my mind, as cold and unforgiving as his gaze had been.

"Do better next time, or I might be forced to reconsider having you here."

He might as well have just told me to pack up and leave right then and there. I could feel that he hated me. And why wouldn’t he? From the moment I’d met him, everything had gone wrong. First, I’d managed to get into an argument with his driver of all people. Then, when I finally met the CEO himself, he looked at me like I was some insignificant bug he could squash under his shoe.

As I walked out of the elevator, my heart heavy, I sighed. I had no idea how to get around London at night. I’d never been here before and never had to navigate the city on my own. And now, with the dark streets and the office practically empty, I felt completely lost.

I fumbled through my bag, pulling out my phone. I’d figure something out. Maybe I could just ask someone or use one of those taxi apps. My phone buzzed just as I was about to check for directions, and when I looked down, my best friend Amber’s name lit up the screen. Of course.

“Hey! How’s it going, superstar? First day at work! I need all the gist!” Her voice practically sang with excitement, and I almost cringed at the question.

I felt a lump rise in my throat, the memories of the whole day crashing down on me. Amber’s words were innocent, but hearing her so excited, so eager to hear about my first day it almost made me burst into tears.

“The worst day of my life,” I muttered, the words slipping out like someone about to give her last words before death .

There was silence on the other end, followed by a cautious, “Wait…what? Lilian, what happened?”

I exhaled sharply, trying to keep my emotions in check. “I got on the bad side of the CEO. Jethro Blackwood hates me. I’m sure he’s going to make my life a living hell at this company.”

“Oh no, babe,” Amber’s voice softened, the concern evident. “What did you do?”

I rubbed a hand over my face, my feet moving toward the glass doors of the building as I spoke. “I did the worst amber. I got into a heated argument with his driver and even spoke rudely to him. I had no idea he was the one!He gave me a report and he warned me to ‘do better.’ It’s like he’s just waiting for me to screw up so he can kick me out.”

Amber sighed sympathetically. “You really got yourself into a huge mess this time Lilian. But don’t let him get to you. You’ve worked too hard to get there. Just try to prove yourself worthy of it.”

I wanted to believe her. I really did. But it was hard to feel optimistic when the CEO of your company was practically glaring holes through you. My mind was spinning, and all I could think about was how to survive the next day.

The only thing I can do now is to pray it doesn't get worse than it already was, not letting this ruin me. Even if Jethro Blackwood wanted to make my life difficult, I am ready to go through whatever it is but not being sent out of the company .

I pushed open the door and stepped out onto the street, ready to figure out the public transportation situation. Whatever it took, I’d get back to my apartment somehow. It couldn’t be that hard, right?

Just as I was about to start walking, a car pulled up in front of me, screeching to a stop so close that I had to take a step back. My heart raced as I realized it was the same car that had gotten me into trouble earlier. Jethro’s car.

What was he doing here?

The tinted window slowly rolled down, revealing his stern face. His eyes locked onto mine, a very cold unreadable stare, what have I done this time? I thought, am I standing where the car is meant to pass? I questioned reality drawing on me and before I could stop myself, I started apologizing.

“I'm really sorry for standing in the way. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, I swear, am sorry sir” I apologized with my head bow

His expression didn’t change. He just stared at me, the intensity of his gaze making me want to shrink back into the building. But instead of yelling at me, his voice came out calm but with an edge that made my stomach flip.

“Get in the car.”

I blinked, unsure if I’d heard him right. “Am I sorry?”

“I said, get in the car.” His voice was firmer now, more impatient. “Unless, of course, you never plan on coming near the company again.”

My heart dropped. Was this some sort of test? Was he trying to humiliate me? I looked around, half expecting to see someone watching, maybe laughing at my expense, but there was no one. It was just us.

“I… don’t understand,” I stammered. “I can explain sir am sorry about what happened this morning”

“I don’t care about the explanation. I don’t have all night. Get in the car, or you’re done here.”

My breath caught in my throat. He was serious. And as much as I wanted to stand my ground, to tell him that he couldn’t talk to me like that, I couldn’t afford to get sent out of the company. Not after everything I’d been through to get here.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I hesitated for a moment longer, then opened the passenger door and slid inside. The interior of the car smelled like leather and something distinctly masculine his scent. I tried not to let it overwhelm me as I fastened my seatbelt, sitting as stiff as possible, my hands clasped in my lap.

He didn’t say anything as the car began to move. For a long stretch of time, we drove in silence, the tension in the air so thick it was suffocating. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, trying to understand why he was doing this. Was he just trying to prove a point? Maybe he is about to take me to be dealt with by some huge men like most Mafia movies or I just couldn't get my head wrapped around it.

I tried to relax, but my nerves were shot. My entire body was on edge, waiting for him to say something, to explain why he’d ordered me into his car, but he remained silent. It was so uncomfortable. Every second that passed made the knot in my stomach tighten, and my mind raced with questions.

Did he really hate me that much?

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I couldn’t take it anymore. He turned to me with his authoritative deep tone . “Where do you stay?”

“Sir?” I blurted out his question, hitting me by surprise.

“Do you have a problem with your hearing?” He asked, giving me a stern look.

“No sir,” I whispered, shaking my head “Sir, I can go home by myself you don't need to worry,” I added. I can't just imagine the drive with him.

“Are you questioning my order?” he asked

“No sir” I replied again, shaking my head.

I whispered the address and he asked the driver to take a turn to the direction with a hint of expression.

I stared at him, bewildered. Who the hell is this man? At this point I was finding it hard to place my judgment about him, does he just have a strict personality or he really was, or probably it was a role or law for him to drive the last person at the company home.