CHAPTER SEVEN:Cornered
774 Words
The meeting had ended nearly thirty minutes ago, but Audrey needed air.
She walked briskly through the polished hallway, her heels echoing behind her like a warning. She needed to get to her office, close the door, and breathe before she broke.
But the moment she turned the corner, she stopped short.
Marcus was leaning against the wall just beside her office door.
“Leaving without saying goodbye?” he asked, casual too casual.
Audrey stiffened. “It was a meeting, not a dinner date.”
He chuckled. “Feisty.”
“I’m not in the mood for this,” she muttered, brushing past him. But before she could open her door, his hand pressed flat against it blocking her.
Her heart skipped.
“Marcus,” she said sharply. “Move.”
His tone dropped. “I meant what I said in there. You’re captivating. I’ve seen presentations for ten years in this company, and none of them held the room like you just did.”
“You’re making me uncomfortable.”
He tilted his head. “You’re uncomfortable because I see you.”
She turned to face him, voice tight. “No. I’m uncomfortable because I work here. Because you’re my boss. And because you keep crossing lines that should never be crossed.”
His eyes darkened slightly. “Do you know what I think?”
“I don’t care.”
“I think,” he said, stepping closer, “your husband doesn’t deserve you. And if you ever get tired of being invisible in your own home, I can make sure you’re never overlooked again.”
Audrey’s back hit the door.
She didn’t speak, couldn’t. His words were slick, calculated. The way predators moved when they were sure no one else was watching.
She tried to reach for the handle, but his hand was still in the way.
That’s when she said it, quiet but firm:
“Take your hand off the door, Marcus.”
He didn’t move right away.
But then a voice cut through the hallway like a blade.
“I believe my wife asked you to move.”
Marcus turned, and his face paled.
Damien Cross stood at the end of the hallway, cold fury written in every sharp line of his face.
His fists were clenched. His eyes locked on Marcus like a warning shot.
Audrey blinked. “
Marcus stepped back, just slightly, but the arrogance didn’t leave his face.
“Mr. Cross,” he said with that same easy charm. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Damien walked forward, slow and deliberate. Every step radiated quiet danger. His black suit was sharp, but his jaw was sharper, clenched so tightly Audrey could see the tension all the way from where she stood.
His voice was low, lethal.
"You've got five seconds to explain why your hand was blocking my wife's door."
Marcus's smile faltered. "You're misunderstanding"
"Four.”
"Damien-" Audrey tried, her voice soft but urgent.
"Three," he growled.
Marcus straightened, face tightening.
"This isn't your company, Cross."
Damien didn't flinch. "No. But that" He pointed one finger at Audrey without looking away from Marcus. "is my wife.
And I don't give a damn where we are."
Audrey had seen Damien cold before.
Silent. Distant.
But this?
This was a man on the edge.
He took another step closer. Now chest to chest with Marcus.
"If I ever see you near her like that again, I will make sure you never get the chance to look at another woman without remembering me."
A tense silence crackled between them.
Marcus's confidence was cracking, subtle, but there.
"You can't threaten people like that," he said quietly.
"That wasn't a threat," Damien replied, voice like steel. "That was a promise."
Marcus finally stepped back, brushing past Audrey like she was nothing.
But Damien... looked at her like she was everything.
He stepped closer to her now. Not angrily.
Just... quiet. Breathing hard. His hand hovered near her arm, the same one he'd grabbed too hard the night before, but he didn't touch her.
He just asked, "Did he do anything else?”
Audrey looked up at him. His eyes weren't cold anymore. They were terrified. Like he was seconds away from falling apart.
She shook her head slowly. "No. He just... said things. Cornered me."
He nodded. His jaw clenched. And for a moment, he didn't say anything, just looked at her like he wanted to hold her, but didn't know how.
She waited. Hoped.
But instead of pulling her in...
He took a step back.
The walls were up again.
And just like that... the moment passed.
- Writer
