CLAIMED BY THE COLD BILLIONAIRE

Sophie put her hand on her blazer and pulled it down a little. She was feeling nervous as she walked into the ballroom. The lights hanging from the ceiling were shining much they looked like a lot of stars, in the sky. They were making the floor look shiny and nice. The room smelled like people were wearing nice perfume and some guys had been smoking cigars in the other room. This was Sophies big company party since she started working at the firm. She was already feeling like she did not belong there. The corporate gala was a deal and Sophie was feeling a little scared. Sophie looked around the room. Saw the black blazer she was wearing was not as fancy as what other people were wearing. Her heels clicked against the floor as she looked for someone she knew. The room was full of people like CEOs and investors and fancy people all wearing nice suits and expensive dresses. She held her glass of water tight trying to feel better and calm down. She was at an event with powerful people, like CEOs and investors and that made her really nervous. Relax, Sophie. You are where you should be said Clara, her friend, when she showed up next, to her. Clara had on a dress that fit her really well and she looked very sure of herself like the warm feeling you get from sunshine. Sophie said to herself "I do not belong here." She looked around at all the people. "Everybody looks really great " Sophie thought. "I look like I just came from my job I am out of place here Sophie felt like she did not fit in with the crowd Sophie looked at the people, around her and Sophie thought that Sophie was the only one who was not dressed up." Clara laughed softly. "You look fine. Do not overthink it. Tonight is not about the dresses. It is about meeting the people like Clara said, the dresses are not what tonight is about it is, about the people you will meet. Sophie nodded. Her stomach was doing flips. She had spent months getting ready for this moment. She had practiced what to say and how to shake hands with confidence.. She was not ready for the man who was standing in front of her. Sophie had not prepared for him all. She was thinking about the speech she was going to give and the handshake. She did not think about what it would be, like to meet him in person. The man was just standing there all of a sudden like he came out of nowhere. He was really tall. Had big shoulders and he was wearing a black suit that fit him perfectly. His dark hair was combed back. His eyes were really sharp like he was thinking about something carefully. Sophie felt her chest get tight away when she saw the man. The woman asked in a quiet voice "Who is that?" She did not open her mouth much when she said it. That is what caught her attention. Clara followed her gaze. She was looking at Damien Blackwood. Damien Blackwood is the CEO of Blackwood Enterprises. He is a billionaire. People say Damien Blackwood is cold, as ice. Nobody messes with Damien Blackwood. Sophies eyes got wide. She said "You are as cold, as ice?" Clara smiled in a way. "Yes. Women either like the man or they stay away from him. Men are actually afraid of the man. And trust me Sophie the man is dangerous, in ways you cannot even think of. The man is bad news." Sophie felt a chill go down her back. She turned away fast trying to pay attention to the people at the party but she just could not. There was something about him that drew her in like a pull that made her want to get closer to him even though Sophie did not want to get too close, to him. Sophie was really trying to resist the feeling. It was hard for Sophie to ignore him. Then to her horror he walked toward her his footsteps slow and steady. He was walking toward her slowly and it seemed like he was doing it on purpose. Her heart started beating fast with each beat sounding very loud, in her ears. The sound of her heart beating was almost all she could hear. He just kept walking toward her. The man said "Miss Parker right?" His voice was really smooth and low. It was the kind of voice that made you listen to what the man who was talking to Miss Parker had to say. Every time he said something it was like he was telling Miss Parker to pay attention to him. "Yes that is me " Sophie said slowly feeling really small when she was, near him. She felt this way because he was so big and strong and Sophie felt like she was not. I hear you started working at Blackwood Enterprises. His dark eyes looked at her closely like he was trying to figure out what she was thinking. How is your first week, at Blackwood Enterprises going far? She said that everything is going well. She is trying to sound like she knows what she is doing. The woman is learning a lot, about the things she is doing with the project and the project is what she is learning a lot about. He smiled a little. It was not a nice smile. It was a smile that looked like it could get him into trouble. This smile made her feel funny in her stomach. He said "That is good. It is hard to find people who really want to do something with their lives. Most people just want to do what they have to do to get by.. You" He stopped talking and looked at her in a way that made her feel like he was trying to figure her out. "You seem like someone who's not like the others. You seem like someone who really wants to do something with your life Ambition, like yours is rare these days Ambition is what makes people do things." Sophie swallowed hard. She said "thank you" in a quiet voice. Sophie was not sure if she should feel happy, about what was said or if Sophie should be really scared. Damien did not look away. He moved a little closer to Sophie and the air around her seemed to get all charged up. "Tell me Sophie. Do you like it when things are tough?. Do you like things to be safe and easy for the people, around Sophie?" She said that she enjoys challenges and she said it carefully. She did not want to say that the challenges actually scared her a lot. She was feeling intimidated by the challenges. She did not want to admit it. "Good." He spoke in a voice but she could hear something else, in it something that made her heart beat really fast. "You see safety is something that nobody can have here. And I am telling you, the f*******: Girls you will not find safety." Sophie felt the heat rising to her cheeks. She said "I will try my best" to the person talking to Sophie. The thing that Sophie had to do was making Sophie really nervous. Sophie was going to do what Sophie could to make it work. Damien looked at me. His eyes got a little softer but just for a second. Then they went back, to being really cold and sharp. He said "Do your best that is all Damien can ask for.. Damien wants to warn you mistakes can get you into trouble here." Her stomach got all twisted up. She said "I understand." Then he just turned around. Walked away. This left her standing unable to move. She felt Claras hand, on her shoulder. Clara said "what is going on" to get an answer. Sophie said that the person was really scary. This guy is, like nothing Sophie has ever met before. He is really something Sophie thought to herself about this guy. Clara said that Damien is the man.. I want Sophie to know that tonight is just the start. Sophie will understand what Clara means. If Damien notices Sophie again it will not be because Sophie is an employee of the company it will be because Damien has a special interest, in Sophie not just because Sophie works with Damien. Sophie felt a mix of dread and excitement. She did not know why. She wanted to see him again. Part of Sophie wanted to run yet another part of Sophie, a reckless and dangerous part wanted him to notice Sophie. The rest of the evening was a haze. Sophie talked to people tried to make connections and laughed when she was supposed to all while sneaking looks at Damien. Every time Sophie saw Damiens eyes she felt something a weird feeling that made her knees feel funny. Sophie could not help but notice Damien and every time their eyes met Sophie felt that spark again it was like there was something in the air, between Sophie and Damien. So the party was coming to an end. Damien showed up again. He walked up to her one time and this time Damien had a little envelope with him. The man said "this is, for you" and he handed it to the woman. Sophie took it carefully. "Is this really, for me?" He told her "Yes open it alone." He said this in a way but there was something else, in his voice that she could not figure out. She nodded her head. She could hardly say a word. She stood there. She watched him walk away, from her again. He disappeared into the crowd of people. The crowd was big. She lost sight of him. She was still looking at the place where he was last seen. He was gone. Clara whispered what was that, about. She raised an eyebrow. Sophie said that she did not know. She was holding the envelope tightly.. She thought that he was different, from other people.. She thought that she had just made a very bad mistake by paying attention to him. Sophie felt that noticing him was an error. Clara laughed. "Oh Sophie" she said with a smile. "You are really in for it now. You just walked into Damien Blackwoods world. Damien Blackwoods world is a place. Nothing will be the same for you again now that you are, in Damien Blackwoods world. Sophie had a grip on the envelope as she walked out of the ballroom that night. She could not stop thinking about him. Who was this man really? What did he want from her? Her heart felt funny. She did not know why. It felt like her heart belonged to him already. Sophie thought about the man and the envelope in her hands wondering what would happen next, with this man, the man who had caught her attention. The city lights were really pretty outside. She felt a big problem coming up inside her. This was a problem that she knew she could not stop. The city lights sparkled outside. The storm, inside her was going to be hard to deal with. And somewhere in the shadows, Damien Blackwood watched, calculating, and already claiming her… even if she didn’t realize it yet.