Loving The Devil's Son

Chapter 2: A Chance for the Devil’s Seed

The elevator doors opened with a gentle ding, but Ayla Morrison didn't notice. She couldn't take her eyes off her phone screen, and her heart raced as the scary message stared back at her:

Stay away from Lucas Steve. He's going to destroy you, just like your father did to you.

Her thumb was over the number. Not known. There is no photo of you. No name.

It looked like the floor below her was moving.

A careless motorist was said to have caused her father's tragedy, which she dubbed the "tragic collision" that took away her childhood. But she had always had the sensation that there was something more sinister underlying the official narrative.

Was this message a cruel joke or a fact she wasn't ready to face?

The elevator dinged again, and the doors began to shut. Ayla jumped and stepped out into the marble foyer of Steve Enterprises.

"Ms. Morrison." The receptionist smiled stiffly from behind her desk. "Should I check your parking?"

"No, thank you." Ayla made her legs move. She needed to breathe. Room.

As she left the building, the cool fall air of New York City flooded her lungs. Her thoughts were racing.

That afternoon, her father was going to have surgery. That was the only thing that was important right now.

She called a cab and told the driver where the hospital was. Her phone buzzed again as the taxi moved through traffic. She looked at the screen.

You shouldn't have signed that deal, Unknown Number. Marcus Steve doesn't allow his bills go unpaid.

Her blood turned chilly.

Steve Marcus. The dad of Lucas. A name that people in boardrooms speak about with equal parts terror and respect. The man was a shark in tailored clothes who was infamous for killing his competition with merciless efficiency.

And now, through his son, he held 70% of Morrison Enterprises.

Ayla's hand tightened around her phone. The pieces didn't fit together yet, but her gut told her she had just given a predator her family's future.

She closed her eyes and put her forehead on the cool window. It's over. Just think of Dad.

She saw her father lying in bed with his eyes open and his face pallid. When he spotted her, his lips turned up in a small smile.

"Dad." Ayla let out a sigh of relief as she sat next to him. "You're awake."

"Couldn't... go without seeing my stubborn daughter." His voice was rough, but it was also warm.

Her eyes were watery. She held his hand and squeezed it. "The surgery is in a few hours." We have the cash. "You're going to be fine."

His smile faded. "The business?"

She thought about it. "I signed the deal."

A shadow crossed his face. "Lucas Steve... He owns it now?

She nodded a little. "Seventy percent."

Her dad's eyes shut. He held her hand tighter. "Be careful with him." And with Marcus.

Ayla's breath stopped. "Why Marcus?"

His eyelids flickered open, and the narcotic haze couldn't hide his fear. "He... he doesn't forgive."

The machines beeped more quickly.

"Calm down, Dad—"

He gulped for air, and the heart monitor's beat went up. Nurses came in quickly and pushed Ayla back. She felt the same hopelessness wash over her as she watched them steady her father.

What did her dad mean?

What made Marcus Steve a danger?

While her father was brought into surgery, Ayla walked around the waiting area. Her mother was sitting in the corner, and the rosary beads were slipping through her fingers.

Ayla's phone buzzed again. A different text.

Unknown Number: Marcus will be there for you. Be careful.

Her stomach hurt. Who was sending these texts?

She called the number.

"This number is no longer in use."

The hair on her neck stood up.

"Hey Ayla?"

She turned around. Jayson stood there with a frown on his face. Her younger brother was wearing pants with paint stains on them and carrying his sketchbook under his arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she lied and put the phone in her pocket. "Just worried about the surgery."

Jayson gave her a hug. "He is strong." He’ll pull through.”

Ayla held on to what he said. Please let that be real.

The surgeon came out of the operating room hours later. Ayla and her mom jumped up.

The doctor said, "The surgery went well." "He's stable but in bad shape." The next 24 hours are very important.

Ayla's body flooded with relief, which made her knees weak. Her mom started to cry.

Ayla's phone buzzed once again. She looked at the screen.

Unknown Number: One life saved. Another one is doomed. Keep an eye on your back.

She couldn't breathe.

"Who keeps sending you texts?" Jayson said.

"I... I don't know."

But she wanted to know.

Ayla got to work early so she could get ahead of whatever Marcus Steve was up to. When she walked into the building, the air was full of anxiety. People muttered in the corners.

She saw Lucas at the front desk. He was yelling orders into his phone with a clenched jaw.

She said, "What's going on?" after he hung up.

Lucas's eyes got darker. "My dad is coming."

The words were simple, yet they were full with anger that was held back.

Ayla's heart raced. "Why?"

Lucas fixed his cufflinks. "He doesn't trust me."

The elevator made a noise.

As Marcus walked in, the mood changed. Steve walked into the lobby.

He was taller than Lucas, with broad shoulders, and his gray hair was slicked back. His suit screamed wealth. His frigid eyes moved around the room before settling on Ayla. His lips twisted into a sly smile.

Lucas stiffened next to her.

Marcus walked toward them, and the sound of his leather shoes clicking on the marble floor could be heard. He held out his hand to Ayla.

He said in a slow voice, "You must be Ayla Morrison." "Your dad was... ambitious."

Ayla shook his hand, and her skin crawled. "Was?"

His smile got bigger. "Yes, for now."

Lucas's jaw tightened. "Dad."

Marcus didn't pay attention to him. He let go of her hand after brushing her knuckles with his thumb. "Welcome to the family."

She battled the impulse to wipe her hand on her skirt. "We're not related."

Marcus laughed. "Not yet." He looked at Lucas. "Come with me, son."

Lucas was unsure. Their eyes locked, and something wordless passed between them. After that, he went into the boardroom with his dad.

Ayla let out a shaky breath.

"Ms. Morrison?" The receptionist phoned. "This was left for you."

Ayla turned around. The woman gave her a plain manila envelope.

There were jagged letters on the front that spelled out her name.

Ayla opened it.

There was a blurry picture of a man standing next to a broken car inside. There was a pool of blood under the bent metal. There were shadows on the man's face, but his sharp profile was clear.

Steve Marcus.

There was a single line written below the picture: "He killed your parents." You're next.

Ayla's heart stopped.

The entrance to the boardroom opened. Marcus Steve came out and met her gaze with a slow, careful smile.

He knew she knew.