HIRED BY THE RUTHLESS CEO
Aria Holt knows she's walking into a trap. When Damien Cross offers her a job at his tech empire, she knows exactly why eight years ago, her father's company killed his sister and destroyed his family. This is revenge.
She takes the job anyway. Her family's name is a curse everywhere else, and her father is dying. She'll endure Damien's cruelty if it means survival.
But Damien doesn't just want to humiliate her professionally. He wants to break her, piece by piece, until she feels every ounce of pain he's carried for eight years. He'll control her days, invade her thoughts, and prove that he holds all the power.
Except his plan begins to unravel. Behind closed doors, the punishment turns into obsession. The cruelty shifts into desperate need. And Aria—quiet, guilty Aria—starts pushing back in ways that shatter his carefully constructed walls.
When the truth about the accident finally surfaces, Damien faces an impossible choice: complete his revenge and destroy the woman he's fallen for, or let go of the only thing that's kept him alive for eight years.
อ่าน
Chapter: Chapter 8 - Watching Her Fall Damien’s POV I watch her break down in the parking garage through the security feed on my phone. The cameras don't catch audio, but I don't need it. I can see her shoulders shaking, see her hands gripping the steering wheel like it's the only thing keeping her together.It should satisfy me. This is what I planned. What I orchestrated for months - finding her, arranging her termination from that pathetic marketing firm, having HR contact her at her most vulnerable moment.But satisfaction isn't what tightens in my chest as I watch her cry. I close the app and set my phone face-down on my desk. "Analyzing the footage again?"I don't turn at Henry Walsh's voice. My head of security has a habit of appearing without announcement, a skill he perfected in the Marines."Routine security review." I keep my tone neutral. "Making sure all employees leave safely.""Right." Henry moves into my office uninvited, his six-foot frame relaxed but his eyes sharp. "That's why you've pulled up camera tw
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-10-23
Chapter: Chapter 7- Debt and Demand Aria’s POVHe sits on the edge of his desk, too close, the folder open again in his hands. His gray eyes scan the pages with intensity, piercing through every line as if searching for something deeply buried. Silence hangs thick in the room, broken only by the soft flutter of paper as he turns each sheet."Market analysis for Santiago," Damien's voice is controlled, but each word carries the weight of judgment. "Incomplete. You've covered basic market trends but missed the competitive positioning analysis entirely." His gaze sharpens, cutting through the flimsy excuse he anticipates."I didn't have time to…" I start, my voice trailing off under his scrutiny."Competitor research." He flips another page. "Superficial at best. You've listed companies but provided no depth on their strategies, no insight into their weaknesses. This is freshman-level work." His disappointment is noticeable.My nails dig painfully into my palms as I fight the rising panic. "If I could have more time.""The
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-10-23
Chapter: Chapter 6: First Day, Last Breath Aria's POVI arrive at 7:00 AM. The tower is already buzzing with activity, executives striding through the lobby clutching their coffee and purpose like armor. I'm wearing my best suit—navy blue, two years old, pressed until the creases are sharp enough to cut through doubts. Still, it’s not enough. I can tell by the way the receptionist’s eyes flicker over me, assessing, cataloging, quickly deciding I don’t belong."Aria Holt." I hand her my new employee badge. "First day.""Twenty-second floor." She doesn't smile. “HR will meet you at the elevator”The ride up feels longer than it did on Friday. My reflection stares back at me from the polished doors - pale face, dark eyes too wide, touching my father's watch for courage I don't feel but desperately need.The doors open to the open-plan office. Rows of cubicles stretch endlessly, inhabited by people who seem untouchable—confident,polished,expensive.Floor-to-ceiling windows line the far wall, but instead of freedom, they make the sp
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-10-20
Chapter: Chapter 5 – The Price of Survival Aria's povSophie is pacing when I walk through the door. Back and forth across our small living room, her phone clutched in one hand, fury radiating from every movement."Tell me you didn't." She whirls to face me. "Tell me you walked out of that interview."I set my purse on the counter. My hands are still shaking from Damien's handshake, from the ice in his voice, from the contract I signed in his glass tower."I got the job.""No." Sophie's face goes pale. "Aria, no.""Sixty thousand a year." I move to the kitchen, needing something to do with my hands. I fill a glass with water I don't want. "Benefits after ninety days. I start Monday.""Are you insane?" Sophie follows me, her voice rising. "That man wants to destroy you! You saw his eyes in those articles. You know what he is.""He's my employer." I take a sip of water. It tastes like ash. "Nothing more.""Nothing more?" Sophie grabs my arm, forcing me to face her. "He spent eight years rebuilding an empire fueled by hatred. Yo
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-10-14
Chapter: Chapter 4 – The Devil's BargainAria povHis office is a monument to power. Glass walls on two sides frame the city below like a possession. The desk is massive, black and minimalist. Everything here is designed to intimidate and It's working."Please, sit." Damien gestures to a chair across from his desk.I sit, keeping my spine straight, my hands folded in my lap. He doesn't sit immediately. Instead, he walks to the windows, hands in his pockets, studying the view.Studying me through the reflection."Your resume is impressive." He turns, leaning against the window frame. Light haloes him from behind, making it hard to read his expression. "Top of your class at UCLA. Dual degree in business and marketing. Wonderful recommendations from professors.""Thank you." I keep my voice neutral."But you've been working at a mid-tier marketing firm for two years." He tilts his head, watching me like I'm a puzzle to solve. "Below your qualifications. Why?"Because no one else would hire me. Because your name closes doors bef
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-10-14
Chapter: Chapter 3 – Into The Lion’s DenAria's POVI kiss his cheek, hug my mother, and walk out.***************The glass tower rises forty stories above downtown Los Angeles, reflecting the morning sun. I stand on the sidewalk staring up at 1500 Apex Plaza, my reflection distorted in the gleaming surface.Walk away. Sophie's voice echoes in my head. Just turn around and walk away.But my bank account balance flashes behind my eyelids like a neon sign. Seventeen dollars. Seventeen dollars between me and disaster. My father's trembling hands flash through my mind, the way they shake when he reaches for his medication. The bills stacked on our kitchen counter, red ink screaming from every envelope.I touch my father's old watch on my wrist. The metal is warm against my pulse point. I close my eyes, draw in a breath, and push through the revolving doors.The lobby takes my breath away. White marble stretches endlessly in every direction, gleaming under recessed lighting. A massive Cross Technologies logo dominates the far wa
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-10-14
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