4
2129 Words
~DIORA~
I didn't know if it was the air-conditioning system that made me this cold or if it was just the iciness freezing me up from the inside out. The thick material of the dress I was clad in did nothing to shield me from how cold I felt.
Heck, it felt like I was covered in flimsy attire.
The temperature in the room felt as if it was fluctuating and the cold sweat that broke out on my skin and the way it felt like my insides were boiling could attest to that.
My jaw slackened. My mouth was ajar in sheer horror and my eyes flat-out felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets. I didn't know how to process my thoughts. It was all happening at the same time and they were all too jumbled for me to be able to focus on a particular one.
No, I wasn't looking at the man from that night. This wasn't him. This man in front of me didn't look at me like he wanted to bend me over the nearest desk and f**k my brains out until I can use my legs anymore. It was like staring at someone you know but you don't recognize.
The aura that surrounded him reminded me of that of the Frost King. A nerve-wracking, chilling, and terrifying coldness oozed off him in waves, blending with the sheer dominance of a ruthless businessman. I have never seen a combination this scary.
His thick mane of blonde hair was styled to perfection, augmenting his strong, intimidating features, which enhanced the endless pool of blue orbs that seized me in an electrifying hold, leaving waves of sparks to clash within me. They shed off the protective layer I didn't know my skin possessed, rendering me so bare in front of him.
He didn't look so reckless as he did the other night. He was more put together, looking all snatched and yummy in his dark blue blazer, which enhanced the deepness of his eyes, and was thrown over a crisp white shirt and a dark blue tie. The blue material felt like a second skin, wrapping him all up in a professional essence.
He was all laid-back in his swivel chair, twirling his pen in his hands. It was almost like he was unaware of how naked his cold gaze made me. If he was, he looked like he couldn't be bothered by what I thought.
If there was one thing I was good at doing, it was gathering myself as quickly as I could, whenever I was met with something I didn't see coming. However, doing that now appeared to be a herculean task but it didn't stop me from trying.
There was no way in hell he was going to treat me like we had not met before because we were more than familiar with each other. He knows that. I know that. So, mustering up a smile and exhaling deeply, I crouched to the floor and picked up my bag swiftly, prancing forward.
"Good morning, sir." I greeted him politely, giving myself a mental pat on how professional I sounded.
"You have quite the nerve…" His rich, masculine voice trailed off, rooted with so much disdain that wiped off the smile on my face, instantly, giving me a mental whiplash.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, squinting my eyes at his frame but he wasn't even done. In truth, he was just getting started.
"You prance into my office, knowing how late you are, yet you come in here, wearing a ridiculous smile on your face and you expect me to warm up to you?" He wasn't raising his voice but his words were piercing through my skin like I was being pricked with a thousand needles.
He arched a brow at me when he saw that I wasn't responding. I couldn't bring myself to. I was stunned into silence.
I didn't know where the attitude was coming from.
"When I ask you a question, I expect you to answer, Miss Thompson." He deadpanned. Wait, what? It's no longer Diora anymore? It's now Miss Thompson?
I was discombobulated.
"But—" I wasn't allowed to finish before his next words struck me and had me staggering backwards without being shoved by anything.
"You think a drunken hookup changes anything?" He queried, his eyes set dead on me. Those blue orbs sparkled with a challenge, daring me to prove him otherwise.
I was taken aback by his words. I wasn't expecting him to see it like there was more to what we had that night but I sure as hell didn't expect him to trivialize it this way.
His words crushed me, immensely, making my heart clench in pain. The corner of my eyes stung with fiery liquid that had me clenching my fists really hard. I could feel my fingernails digging into my palm, nearly drawing blood from it.
He stared at me, then scoffed.
"I run a business here, Miss Thompson, not a charity organization." He stated point-blank. His eyes were devoid of emotions as he uttered those words that cut through me really hard.
"So, you either get your head back in the game and stop thinking that there is more to that one night or you can choose to walk out that door and never come back." He said in a tone of finality and I inhaled sharply, shifting uncomfortably on my feet.
"I am not going to allow a harmless fling cloud my judgment." Those words knocked the breath right out of me.
He anchored his eyes on me, examining my features. He sat there, watching me with those dead eyes that rattled me to the core while I stood a few feet away from him, utterly distressed.
"Your choice," He added, clicking his pen with a bored look on his face.
I was left to wonder if he had been swapped because I couldn't wrap my head around his coldness. I didn't understand why he was being so dismissive. I was puzzled as to how it was easy for him to pretend like we didn't have something going on between us that night.
I know it was just s*x and I didn't have to be so dramatic about it but I couldn't help it.
Heck, I was looking at him and all I could remember was the intense eye contact we shared, his soft, yet fiery touch brushing every one of my sensitive spots, the dirty words he whispered into my ears while he thrust into me, the way my body succumbed to his touch like I had known him for years.
"If you are not going to say anything you might as well get the hell out of my office. Other people are dying to get a job like this." He sounded so irritated. The disgust in his eyes was unmistakable.
"I—" I paused, swallowing.
"I am sorry, sir." I apologized, trying my hardest to conceal the shakiness of my voice.
"I am only going to give you a pass because it's your first day and your resume was quite impressive, even though you don't look like much." His degrading words were like knives piercing through my heart. He didn't look sorry. Not in the slightest.
"But the next time you are late, consider yourself fired." He said monotonously and I nodded.
"When I am speaking to you, you make use of your words." His voice was thick with dominance, imbued with so much authority that sent chills down my spine.
"I am sorry, sir." I apologized, ignoring the ache in my heart that threatened to swallow me whole.
"Get out," He ordered me. His voice was flat out lifeless and his emotionless eyes conveyed his irritation.
I didn't have to be told twice.
I spun around and scurried out of the office. The minute I shut the door behind me, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, slamming my back against the door and I allowed my tears to flow freely.
I didn't hold it back.
My heart was pounding erratically against my ribcage. It was hard to grasp control over my breathing. The tears in my eyes wouldn't stop flowing and I hated it. It made me feel so weak.
I was trying to keep it together but it was so hard, not when I was still reeling from the shock of meeting the mystery man I shared a passionate night with, who turned out to be my cold-hearted boss.
"Miss Thompson?" I was too lost in my thoughts to notice the presence of Lilian. Her calm voice acted as a breach in my thoughts, pulling me back to the present.
My head snapped up and my eyes swatted to her. Her intimidating amber orbs were filled with bemusement. She took a step closer, her floral perfume wafting into my nostrils in the process.
Her eyes were fixated on me, watching me with scrutiny. Her eyes gave nothing away as she assessed me, and then she scoffed. The tiny sound didn't in any way give off a hint of surprise.
"It's your first day and you are crying because of whatever it is he said to you." Lilian Jones looked me in the eye without flinching, uttering those words to me and I was once again reminded that I am going to be working with a bunch of cold-hearted freaks.
I frowned at her words.
A normal person would have been bothered about my tears but Lilian Jones didn't meet the criteria of a normal person to me. She was too cold to be one.
"Wipe those tears off your face. He hates weak people." She said without mincing words. Her eyes were downright emotionless.
"What?" I whispered in disbelief, appalled at how lightly she was taking this. She was normalizing his shitty personality.
She rolled her eyes at me.
Her crimson lips were pursed for a moment before she went ahead to add to what she had said.
"Miss Thompson—"
I cut her off. I didn't care if I sounded rude.
"Diora is just fine. My surname is a mouthful." I grimaced. She didn't bat an eyelid at my scornful tone. Heck, she didn't allow it to deter her from offering me a piece of her mind.
"Miss Thompson, if you really need this job and you want to last here, I suggest you develop a thick skin because I can assure you that what you just experienced is the tip of an iceberg," She wasn't done speaking. I didn't dwell on the fact that outrightly ignored what I said about my surname, instead, I was befuddled by her words.
She spared me a bored glance and walked past me. I took that as my cue to follow her, clutching my bag in my hands. I struggled to meet her strides that oozed elegance.
"Axel Bellwether embodies perfection and he expects nothing less than that from every one of his workers," She paused and looked at me.
Axel? That's his name?
A beautiful name for an asshole. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
"A word of advice, don't slack or you are out." She didn't have to tell me before I knew that, that was all she was willing to say about him. She arched one of her perfectly carved brows at me when she noticed how silent I had gotten.
"Taken," I affirmed.
"I am glad we covered that." She sent me a tight-lipped smile and her intimidating gaze drifted away from her, propelling me to release a breath I didn't know I was holding.
Geez, this place crawls with control freaks.
"Now, let me show you to your office." She announced and walked past a few workers, who mumbled words of greetings to her, all of which she ignored.
She was pushing the door to the office in no time and from what I could gather, it wasn't much of a distance from his office.
I walked further into the space, an ivory-themed luxurious office that was furnished to perfection with beige furniture and alluring artwork. I loved how it wasn't so stuffy, yet it possessed an amazing view of the city. If it was this captivating in the morning, I could only allow my imagination to run wild of how breathtaking it would look at night.
"Let's get down to business. We don't have all day." Lilian's voice pierced through my thoughts and I spun around to meet her bored gaze. And without waiting for my response, she twirled on her heels.
"Grumpy pants," I murmured, tossed my bag on the couch, and followed right after her.
- Writer
