TRAPPED IN HIS WORLD

Rain poured heavily across Lagos Island, beating against the glass walls of the twenty-seven-story building like war drums. Adaeze tightened her fingers around her bag as she stepped into the lobby of Blackthorn Holdings. Everything about the place screamed power. Marble floors. Silent elevators. Men in black suits moving like soldiers. People like Damien Black didn’t just have money. They owned worlds. And tonight, she was walking straight into his. “You’re late.” Adaeze turned sharply at the voice. The receptionist barely looked up from her screen. “Mr. Black hates lateness.” Adaeze glanced at the clock behind the woman. 8:57 PM. Her interview was for 9. “I’m three minutes early.” The receptionist finally lifted her eyes, expression flat. “To him, that’s late.” Adaeze swallowed her irritation. Wonderful. Already hated by a man she hadn’t even met. She adjusted the sleeve of her blazer, trying to ignore the knot in her stomach. She needed this job more than pride. Her rent was overdue. Her younger brother’s school fees hadn’t been paid. And her dangerous ex-boyfriend had started showing up around her apartment again. This job wasn’t luxury. It was survival. The elevator doors opened behind her. A tall man stepped out first. Bodyguard. Definitely. Then another. And then— The entire lobby seemed to shift. Damien Black walked forward like darkness itself had taken human form. Black suit. Black watch. Cold gray eyes that looked almost inhuman under the dim lights. Adaeze had seen photos online. Business magazines loved him. “Youngest African billionaire in Europe.” “The King of Blackthorn.” “The Devil of London Finance.” But photos lied. They never showed how terrifying he truly was in person. His gaze landed on her. And stayed there. Not curious. Not interested. Possessive. Like he already knew her. Adaeze straightened unconsciously. Damien stopped directly in front of her. “You’re Adaeze Okafor.” Not a question. His deep voice wrapped around her spine slowly, dangerously. “Yes.” His eyes moved over her face carefully. Too carefully. Something about it made her uncomfortable. Like he was confirming something. “You worked at Sterling Media.” “Yes.” “You resigned six months ago.” She frowned slightly. “I submitted my CV.” “I know.” The silence that followed felt wrong. Heavy. Personal. His jaw tightened almost invisibly before he finally looked toward the receptionist. “Cancel my remaining meetings.” “Yes, sir.” Damien turned back to Adaeze. “Come with me.” No introduction. No handshake. No interview. Just a command. Adaeze hesitated for half a second before following him toward the private elevator. The bodyguards remained outside. The moment the elevator doors closed, silence swallowed them whole. She became painfully aware of everything. The expensive scent on him. The tension in his shoulders. The way his eyes occasionally flicked toward her reflection in the mirrored wall. “You don’t talk much,” she said finally. “I talk when necessary.” “Right.” Another silence. Adaeze folded her arms. “So… are you planning to interview me or just stare at me until I confess my sins?” For the first time, something flickered in his expression. Amusement. Dark amusement. “You’re bold.” “I’m honest.” “No,” Damien said quietly. “You’re angry.” The words hit too close. Adaeze looked away instantly. Because he was right. She was angry. At life. At men like her ex who almost ruined her. At fake friends. At constantly struggling while everyone else seemed to move forward. But strangers weren’t supposed to see through her that quickly. The elevator stopped. Penthouse level. The doors opened into a massive office overlooking Lagos at night. The city lights glittered beneath the rain. Damien walked past her calmly. “Sit.” Adaeze remained standing. “You haven’t told me what exactly this job involves.” He loosened his cufflinks slowly. “You’ll manage my schedule. Handle confidential meetings. Travel when necessary.” “Travel?” “London mostly.” Her stomach tightened. London. She hadn’t heard that city spoken aloud in years. Not since— “Problem?” Damien asked. “No.” But her voice betrayed her. His eyes sharpened instantly. Again, that strange look crossed his face. Like he enjoyed her discomfort. “You’re nervous,” he observed. “I’m cautious.” “You should be.” Adaeze frowned. Something about him felt dangerous beyond normal billionaire arrogance. Like there were things hidden underneath his calm skin. Things that could destroy people. He stepped closer. Too close. “You need this job,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question. Adaeze hated that he could see it. “Yes.” “And I need someone loyal.” “I’m not a thief if that’s what you mean.” “I know exactly what you are.” Her heartbeat slowed. “What does that mean?” For a moment, Damien simply stared at her. Then he walked toward his desk and picked up a file. “Adaeze Okafor. Twenty-six. First class graduate. Former assistant manager at Sterling Media.” He flipped another page casually. “Protective older sister. Financially struggling. Father died seven years ago.” Her blood ran cold. This was more than a background check. Way more. “You investigated me?” “I investigate everyone around me.” “That’s insane.” “It’s necessary.” Adaeze tried not to panic. But something felt deeply wrong. The way he spoke about her life so casually. Like he’d been watching for a long time. Then he said the one thing that nearly stopped her breathing. “You also dated Richard Cole.” Silence exploded inside the room. Adaeze’s face drained instantly. “How do you know Richard?” Damien closed the file carefully. No emotion crossed his face. But his eyes darkened. Interesting. Almost angry. “Because men like him leave damage everywhere they go.” Adaeze stepped back unconsciously. Nobody knew details about Richard. Nobody. Not even her best friend Amara knew the full story. The manipulation. The violence. The threats. She’d buried that relationship like a corpse. Yet somehow this man had dug it up effortlessly. “Who are you?” she whispered. Damien looked at her for a long moment before answering. “A man giving you an opportunity.” “That’s not an answer.” “It’s the only one you need.” Adaeze should have walked away. Every instinct screamed at her to leave this building immediately. But then she remembered her landlord’s warning yesterday. Pay or get out. She remembered her brother pretending he wasn’t hungry so she could eat. She remembered Richard’s text from two nights ago. I’m not done with you. Fear was expensive. And poverty was worse. She lifted her chin stubbornly. “What’s the catch?” Damien’s gaze lowered briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes. “You work for me.” “That’s it?” “For now.” The way he said it made heat crawl up her spine uneasily. Adaeze exhaled slowly. “Fine.” His expression didn’t change. But something dangerous settled deeper into his eyes. “Good.” “When do I start?” “Tomorrow.” “What about contracts?” “They’ll be delivered to your apartment tonight.” Her brows furrowed. “You have my address too?” A small smile touched his mouth. It wasn’t warm. “If I choose someone, Adaeze… I know everything.” The way he said her name felt intimate. Wrongly intimate. Her phone vibrated suddenly in her bag. She pulled it out. One unread message. From Richard. I saw you enter Blackthorn Holdings. Her blood froze. Slowly, Adaeze looked up at Damien. But he was already watching her. Like he knew exactly what the message said. Like he’d been waiting for it. Then he spoke softly. “Now you understand why you need me.” And for the first time that night— Adaeze realized taking this job might have been the biggest mistake of her life.