Terms and Temptations

Serena “Excuse… excuse me.” I pushed through the ridiculous amount of reporters standing outside the door of Voxcore. There were so many. I was so thankful for what I had on. The enormous hat, sunglasses and neck scarf might have seemed a little too much, but I wasn’t going to be caught dead walking into this place. When I finally got in, I made my way to the receptionist desk. “Good morning, darling,” I tried to sound as nice as possible. “Morning, ma’am. How can I help you?” “I would like to have a meeting with Mr. Adrian.” I tried so hard for her not to see the disgust on my face as I mentioned his name. “Do you have an appointment with him?” she asked. I faked a smile. “No… not really, but it’s really urgent I speak to her. Please, if I can just—” “Go take a seat.” The receptionist pointed to a corner where a lot of people were already seated, waiting for him. If I didn’t act fast, there’d be no way In hell I would be able to see him, because I was sure everyone here had an appointment except me. “Isn’t there any other way I could see him?” I asked, and this time she didn’t even bother to respond. Her eyes were fixed on the computer. Slowly, I walked to the area she had pointed to and took a seat, adjusting my hat so no one would recognize me. I looked around, and my eyes never left the elevator. All I needed was an opening, and I’d be in Adrian’s office before they could even catch up to me. And after staring at the elevator door for a couple of minutes, it finally opened. It felt like the universe was really on my side today. Without thinking about it, I ran before anyone could stop me and got into the elevator. I sealed the doors quickly and went straight up. My heart pounded in my chest. This was the first time I’d done something this crazy. That was when it hit me this was as far as my plan went. I wasn’t even sure what to say to him first. And before I could finish thinking, the doors to the elevator opened. “s**t… shut… s**t. Pull yourself together, Serena. He is not God.” Slowly, I walked toward his office door, and without thinking, I knocked. No response. So I pushed open the door and walked in. A tall, masculine figure stood facing the floor-to-ceiling window, each hand in his pocket. I stood there without saying a word, my heart still racing. “Who are you? I’m not seeing anyone today,” he said. And that was when I realized he had turned to face me. “I… I…” Why was I stammering? Before I could even get a chance to say a word, he had already walked to the phone and was calling security. “Don’t call security,” I said quickly, taking off the hat and sunglasses, making him pause. “Serena?” he said slowly, putting down the phone and looking at me, surprised. The room was quiet for a minute. “What are you doing here?” he asked, softer this time. “Please, have a seat,” he pointed to the chairs in front of his desk. I turned to look at the door, expecting security to burst in any second now. But since they weren’t here yet, that only meant they didn’t see me and I was safe. “I’m not here for pleasantries, so save them,” I said as I took my seat. “Let’s talk business.” He gave a cocky smile, his signature smile. “Moreauxs don’t do business with the Callaways. You, of all people, should know that. You are the Callaway heiress, after all,” he said. “But I’m willing to listen to your offer." He leaned forward, that cocky smile never leaving his face. “I need you to take the story about me down from your blogs and media stations everywhere. And I’ll pay you five hundred thousand dollars.” I sat back, trying to appear more confident. But one thing I hated about Adrian was the fact that It felt like he could see through me. He laughed, tapping a finger on the table. “Serena, do I look like someone who doesn’t have money? Or do you expect five hundred thousand dollars to surprise me? Be for real.” I knew this was a stupid move coming here and offering him money but it was the best bet, rather than doing nothing and watching them drag my name through the mud and ruin everything I’ve worked for. “Okay. How much do you want? Name your price,” I leaned forward. “I don’t want your money, Serena,” he replied, eyes locked on mine. “Then what the hell do you want?” I asked, frustrated. This was my last play. If this didn’t work, I was out of ideas, and I didn’t know what to do. “I don’t know. Maybe I should take some time to think about it,” he said, clearly enjoying every single moment of this. “You can help me and you’re choosing not to,” I said coldly. “I’m not choosing anything, Serena. I’ve not made a decision yet.” “That’s easy for you to say. You’ve never been accused of sleeping your way to the top,” I said in a low voice. “You know, there are quicker ways to end this, right? Just kiss me,” he smirked. “Excuse me?” Just those words brought back so many unwanted memories. “Read my lips, Adrian. I will never kiss you. Never again.” He laughed louder this time. “Calm down, Serena.” He lifted his hand, pointing to the ring on his finger. “I’m engaged.” “Oh wow. Lucky her. Does she know she’s getting married to a bloody womanizer? Or is she blinded by love?” “Don’t be bitter, Serena. You had your chance,” he said, enjoying every single moment of torture he was putting me through God, he was repulsive. I clenched my fists on my lap, digging my nails into my palms to stop myself from reaching across his desk and slapping that smug look off his face. “You think this is a joke?” I hissed. “This is my reputation, Adrian. My career. Everything I’ve built. Do you know how hard I’ve worked to be where I am today, to earn my father’s respect?” “I will take the story down…” Oh thank God. I felt relieved. I couldn’t believe he actually had a conscience. “…For 25% of your family’s company. And you have to appear publicly with me marking it seems like families rivalry has ended.”