chapter 3 -The dangerous pull
563 Words
Damian’s POV
The boardroom was silent except for the ticking of the clock on the wall. My executives sat stiffly, afraid to breathe wrong in my presence. Fear. Respect. Obedience. That was what I demanded—and what I received without question.
And yet, the only face in my mind wasn’t one of these spineless men. It was hers.
That girl. The one who dared to spill coffee on me… and speak to me as though I were no one.
Elara.
I should have forgotten her. Erased her. Women were disposable—until now. Something about her defiance gnawed at me, consuming me like a poison I had no antidote for.
When the meeting ended, I dismissed the room. My assistant hesitated by the door.
“Sir,” he said carefully. “The… girl from the café is here. She, uh… works in the mail department downstairs.”
My jaw tightened. Coincidence? Or fate?
“Bring her to me.”
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Elara’s POV
When the elevator doors opened to the top floor, I felt my lungs shrink.
The Hale Tower. The heart of Damian Hale’s empire. The one man everyone in this city whispered about as if he were the devil himself.
And here I was—summoned like prey walking straight into a predator’s den.
The secretary ushered me inside. Damian sat behind a massive black desk, backlit by the city skyline. His presence was suffocating, like a storm about to break.
His eyes lifted to mine—sharp, predatory, unreadable.
“Sit,” he said, his voice low. Not a request. A command.
My knees trembled, but I sat.
“You spilled coffee on me.” His tone was cold, but his gaze lingered far too long on my lips.
“I… apologized,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
“You spoke back to me.”
“You were rude first.”
For a moment, silence filled the room. I realized my mistake too late. No one talked back to Damian Hale.
But instead of rage, something flickered across his face. Amusement? Interest?
“You’re not afraid of me.” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Do you know what people call me, Elara?”
I swallowed. “A tyrant. A monster. The man no one dares to cross.”
His lips curved in a dangerous smirk. “And yet, here you are… crossing me.”
The tension thickened, choking the air. His gaze burned into me, as though peeling away every defense I had. I should have looked away. I should have bowed my head. But I didn’t.
Instead, my lips parted with words I couldn’t stop.
“Maybe… you like it when someone isn’t afraid of you.”
His eyes darkened instantly. The predator had found his prey.
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Damian’s POV
Her words sliced through me like fire. No hesitation. No trembling.
God help me—I wanted to devour her.
“You’re right,” I said softly, rising from my chair. Each step toward her was deliberate, calculated. She stiffened, but she didn’t retreat. Brave little rabbit.
When I stopped in front of her, I let my hand brush her chin, tilting it upward. Her breath hitched, and I caught the faintest blush coloring her cheeks.
“You should run,” I whispered. “Before I decide you’re mine.”
- Writer
