HIS MATE HIS OBSESSION

CHAPTER4

Weeks blurred together in a haze of long hours, stiff smiles, and the constant weight of pretending everything was fine. Every morning, I woke up with a pit in my stomach, the thought of stepping into the same building as Darius gnawing at me. He wasn’t just my boss’s boss—he was the man I couldn’t face, the one I was determined to avoid no matter what it took.

It became a ritual: I’d slip into the office early, often before most people had even had their first cup of coffee, and I’d leave late, long after the hum of chatter in the hallways had died down. I mapped out his movements with the precision of a strategist. I learned which elevators he used, which corridors he favored, and what times he was least likely to be around.

It worked. For weeks, I moved like a ghost, silent and invisible, pouring myself into work as if productivity could erase the weight of my memories.

But every night, as I walked home under the dim city lights, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. My heels pinched, my coat smelled faintly of old coffee, and the neon signs overhead flickered as if mocking my tiredness.

That night was no different—or so I thought.

I stepped out of the building, hugging my coat tighter around me as I scanned the busy street for a cab. My apartment wasn’t far, but it was too cold to walk. I stood on the curb, trying to look confident, like I wasn’t the easiest target in the world.

“Still walking home like a nobody, I see.”

The voice sliced through me like a knife.

I froze.

Slowly, I turned, and there he was—Daniel.

with his perfectly styled hair, smug smirk, and designer jacket. The man who had once made me feel like I was the only woman in the world, only to discard me like I was nothing. He leaned casually against a sleek car, arms crossed, his gaze raking over me with open disdain.

“Well, well,” he drawled, pushing off the car and strolling toward me. “Look who it is. Didn’t think I’d see you here. Guess some things never change, huh? Still working late, still…” He gestured vaguely at me, his lip curling. “…ordinary.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I forced myself to stay still, to keep my voice calm. “I don’t have time for this.”

A tinkling laugh floated through the air. “Danny, don’t be so mean.

My stomach dropped. I didn’t have to look to know who it was.

Clara. My stepsister.

She stepped out of the car, stunning as always in a sleek dress that hugged her every curve, her hair perfect, her makeup flawless. She looked like she belonged on a magazine cover, and she knew it.

“Hart.” She smiled, a slow, mocking curve of her lips. “Been a while. Still scraping by, I see?”

Their laughter stung more than I wanted to admit.

Daniel looped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. “You know, Clara, I almost feel bad for her,” he said, loud enough for me to hear. “Almost.”

Clara giggled, resting her head against his shoulder. “She was always plain. I don’t know what you saw in her.”

My throat tightened, and I clenched my fists at my sides. I wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not in front of them. “Move,” I said sharply, trying to sidestep them.

Daniel stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “What’s the rush, sweetheart? We’re just catching up.”

“Daniel,” I said, my voice shaking with anger. “Get out of my way.”

He smirked, leaning closer, his breath warm against my ear. “You could’ve had it so easy, Hart. I would’ve given you everything. But you had to be difficult. Now look at you.”

He whispered, making sure Clara doesn't hear him.

I shoved him back, my hands trembling. “Don’t touch me.”

His smirk faltered, replaced by something darker. Clara gasped in mock offense, clutching his arm. “How dare you,” she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

I turned to leave, desperate to escape, when a voice cut through the tension like a blade.

“Get away from her.”

The voice was deep, calm, but it carried an authority that made Daniel freeze.

I turned, my breath catching.

Darius.

He stood beside a sleek black car that had just pulled up, his imposing figure illuminated by the glow of the streetlights. His dark coat framed his broad shoulders, and his eyes—sharp, gray, and cold as steel—were fixed on Daniel with quiet fury.

“Uncle?” Daniel’s voice faltered.

Darius moved toward me, his steps slow and deliberate. He stopped beside me, sliding an arm around my shoulders, pulling me just enough into his side to make my heart race.

“Leave,” he said to Daniel, his tone like ice.

Daniel blinked, confusion flashing across his face.

Clara’s eyes widened, flicking between Daniel and Darius.

Darius’s expression didn’t change. “You heard me,” he said, his voice calm but deadly. “Leave.”

Daniel’s jaw dropped. “You’re with her?” he demanded, gesturing at me like I was something beneath him.

Darius’s gaze hardened.

My breath caught in my throat.

Daniel’s face paled, and Clara gasped audibly.

“leave,” Darius said again, his voice low, controlled, but with a dangerous edge that made even Daniel flinch.

Daniel glanced at Clara, then back at Darius, and for once, he didn’t have a clever remark. He grabbed Clara’s arm, muttering something under his breath, and ushered her back into the car.

Getting yourself entangled with my Uncle,you're playing with your life girl, Damian muttered through gritted teeth.

He shot me one last venomous glare before the car roared away, leaving a heavy silence in their wake.

I exhaled shakily, my whole body trembling.

Darius turned to me, his gaze softening. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

I nodded, though my voice wouldn’t come.

He studied me for a moment longer, then guided me gently toward his car.

The moment I slid into the leather seat, I realized my heart was still racing.

Darius walked around the car and got in, his movements calm, controlled. The air in the car was thick with silence, but not uncomfortable—it was heavy, charged.

I looked away, staring at the city lights blurring past the window, avoiding his piercing gaze.

The ride was deafening yet peaceful,and somehow I felt save with Darius.

When we arrived at my apartment building, I hesitated. “Thank you,” I said softly, my voice barely audible.