His Obsession, Her Doom: Forbidden Flame

Chapter Nine

Kayla

“What?” I asked in disbelief. It felt like my ears were ringing. Surely I hadn’t just heard what he said.

He raised an eyebrow. “You heard me loud and clear, Kayla. I hate repeating myself.”

I took a deep breath. Who the hell did he think he was, coming to my workplace and demanding me like I’m some kind of property? Like he owns me. I opened my mouth to snap back at him, but I bit down the sharp retort not just because he was a prince, but because of the many eyes watching us.

“Well, I don’t want to go anywhere with you. I don’t even want to be seen with you. I thought I made it clear about what I want.”

“This isn’t about what you want, Kayla. It’s about what I want. And I want you. So either you get your cute ass out of here, or I will buy this place right now and become your new boss. Your choice.”

There was a sudden gasp around us, and embarrassment flooded through me. I offered a polite smile to the people and with no other choice, I huffed and stormed back to the changing room, slipping out of my work clothes and into my dress.

When I stepped outside, Prince Leonard was already waiting by his car, standing there patiently.

The moment he saw me, he smirked and opened the car door. I climbed in without a word. He circled to the driver’s side, slid in, and drove off, though not before I caught the wide-eyed stares from people inside the cafe.

I ignored him the entire ride. He tried to start a conversation, but I wasn’t in the mood. I didn’t want his charm or his words. All I wanted was to get as far away from him as possible but it seemed there was only one way to truly do that, by disappearing from this school altogether. But I couldn’t do that, which means I have to stop him, whatever he’s planning or hoping for between us ends today. I will shut him down, and after this, he will leave me alone.

We pulled up to an elite restaurant, and I nearly gagged. The place was breathtaking. I had never seen anything like it, and for a split second, I forgot everything I had rehearsed in the car.

“You seem to like the place,” Leonard said, his voice pulling me out of my thoughts.

My face hardened, and he laughed.

Damn it. I shouldn’t have reacted. Now he knows I’m impressed.

“Come on, let’s go.” He held out his hand, but I ignored it and walked straight ahead.

The place was quiet and elegant. Soft lights hung from the ceiling. Waiters in black moved between tables, and the air smelled like wine and something expensive I couldn’t name.

I immediately felt like I didn’t belong here. I looked at my dress and my nearly worn out shoes made it worse. I kept my head down, pretending not to notice the curious stares or how close prince Leonard was beside me.

“Nervous much?” he murmured, his breath brushing my ear, making me stiffen even more. “Relax, no one here matters more than you.”

I was about to respond to his words when someone— probably the manager cut in, welcoming us warmly and leading us to a private table already prepared for us.

Once we sat down, I glanced through the menu. Everything looked unfamiliar, but I settled on the one thing I recognized, fettuccine Alfredo.

We waited for a while before the food arrived. The entire time, I barely looked in his direction, even though I could feel him watching me, clearly itching to start a conversation.

“You know you’ll have to talk to me at some point,” he said. “I didn’t take time out of my day to bring you here just to be ignored.”

I scoffed. The nerve.

“I don’t remember asking for this or agreeing to be hijacked while I was supposed to be working. What exactly do you want from me?”

His face twisted into that signature smirk as he tilted his head slightly. “I made my intentions clear too. I’m not giving up on this mate bond. So you have a choice, either I keep pursuing you, or you give in to my demands.”

I gritted my teeth. “That is not going to happen.”

“Then you leave me no choice, Kayla. And trust me I enjoy chasing. It’s fun,” he said, voice calm and it made me mad.

Just then, the waiter arrived with our food. Prince Leonard smiled warmly at him, like he wasn’t the same man who had just claimed to like I was his property.

I sat there frozen, unsure of what to do. One thing was clear. I was frustrated. Whatever game he was playing, it was getting to me and it’s dangerous not only for me but my family.

“Do you even care what people will say when they find out?”

“No, I don’t,” he said casually. “And I don’t think you should either.”

I stared at him, wondering if he’d lost his mind. Why shouldn’t I care what people think especially when we’re not supposed to be a thing.

“Come on, eat your food,” he said. He was about to continue when his phone rang. He excused himself and walked away.

Once he was gone, I looked at the food. It looked too good to ignore. I hadn’t eaten all day, and I was starving so I dug in.

I was just starting to enjoy my meal when I heard familiar voices. I looked up, and just as I feared, it was exactly who I thought it would be.

My heart dropped.

There they were. Aiden, Emily, and Alice, standing close to our table, staring straight at me.

Emily’s lips curled into a vicious smile. Aiden’s gaze darkened.

And just like that, my appetite vanished.