3. Zayne

My mouth hurts from smiling too much at the cameras in front of me. My men stand behind those big lights and make sure everything is perfect, except nothing is.

I'm forced, once again, to sit here and smile at the faces that watch me on the other side of the screen. What a waste of time.

I don't know how much more I need to fake this stupid smile but if it's any longer, I'll lose it. Along with the interviewer who keeps staring at me with seductive eyes while I do my best to act dumb and oblivious.

She puts her hair to the side, revealing her neck as she glances at me and I just roll my eyes mentally because I can't do that on national TV.

"So, Mr. Laurier," She starts, her voice adding to my annoyance. My only wish now is to get the fuck out of this place and have a whole day of no human interaction so I can relax and not think of strangling anyone. "What advice would you like to share with people as the CEO of one of the biggest corporations here and abroad?"

Great, now I have to think about the most wonderful response so people can put it in quote websites with my face next to it. These two don't match, my face is too good for what I say.

"My advice," I smile and act as if I'm thinking for a few seconds to look more charismatic. "Watching successful people talk about how they became successful is a waste of time."

Eyes around me widen and I can already hear the Managing Director yell at me for this spontaneous, perhaps-ridiculous response. But I have zero fucks to give. They force me to come here, I make them regret that.

As if nothing is wrong, I look at the cameras and keep smiling, "Your time is precious so make good use of it."

"Alright, Mr. Laurier. Thank you so much for being with us here, we're thankful and honored to have you." The interviewer smiles at me and I do the same, trying to remember what her name is. I can't remember the names of faces I have nothing to do with, it's a waste of time and energy.

"Dear viewers, thank you for watching and we hope we see you again. Have a good day and until next time."

"And... cut." The program's director says and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and I relax in my seat. The tie I'm wearing suddenly feels too tight and I feel suffocated. I just want to get the fuck out of here. 

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I close my eyes in frustration. The director's name appears on the screen and I quickly decline the call. He's going to make a scene because of what I just said and I'm really not in the mood to talk right now. 

No one should expect to intrude on my privacy. I answer them when I want.

"Thanks, Mr. Laurier." The interviewer stands up and approaches me and I finally roll my eyes. The feeling of satisfaction I feel is immaculate. 

I feel her hands on my chest and before I know it, she's on top of me. The people around me have shocked expressions written all over their faces but this is not even the slightest shocking. I've lost count of how many women throw themselves at me.

I put my hands on her ass and try to squeeze it a little but it's so fake I can't even do that. It makes me chuckle and the look on her face is priceless.

I absolutely love taking people off guard. It's what I live for.

"Remind me of your name?" What I said obviously strikes her nerves and I feel her tense.

She smiles right after and I stare at her as she leans forward and whispers next to my ear, "Yelena. Make sure to remember it, hm?"

What a boring spectacle. "So, Yelena," My hands find their way to her waist while I straighten my posture. "My men right there might want you, but I don't."

"You arrogant little-" She raises her hand but before it collides with my cheek, I grab it. Seriously, what is she trying to do? 

"I have better things to do, Miss Elena." I love misspelling people's names, and I love the look on their faces when I do it. Childish or not, this is my way of finding joy in this boring world.

Anyone who says I like it when people are miserable is right. I do, and? Who the fuck are you to judge me?

I don't spare her no other glance, I push her off me and stand up to leave. "They're right. You always think you're better than everyone." Her voice makes me wonder how people can bear watching her every day.

"I indeed am better than whoever said that." This is really ridiculous and why do I have to go over it?

The last thing I do is flash her a smile and head outside of the place, my men following me to the exit as they call my driver. The moment I step out of the building, a black Maybach S Class parks in front of me and one of my men opens the door for me to get inside.

Keith stares at me from the rear-view mirror and I sigh heavily as I undo my tie. "I believe the interview wasn't to your liking, Mr. Laurier."

"Quit the formal talk." He smiles at my words.

"Sure, Zayne." This time it's my turn to smile.

Keith, my personal driver, is one of the few people I tolerate. He's always been helpful and non-problematic. I literally never heard anything bad or wrong about him. I can see that everyone likes him.

I secretly do too. I don't like showing people that I care, but he's quite different. He's like... a friend.

"Zayne, are you okay?" He snaps me out of my trance and I nod, grabbing the iPad on the seat next to me. "We're returning to your office."

"I can't wait to sit in the meeting room and listen to them shit talk about me for hours." The sarcasm makes him smile bitterly when I glance at him. "Can't we just run away?"

"Sorry, you have to bear it this time or I'll be fired. Just don't do anything to make them angry and you'll be fine. Also, don't swear."

"I like how you believe in me but I curse ten times in a sentence of five words. And today it's going to be worse if they annoy me." I roll my window and look out when we stop at a red light, only for my sight to be met by a woman on a motorcycle.

Her hair falls on her back but the helmet covers her face I can't even take one glance at her. She looks messy from the way she's dressed, but the way she rides that motorcycle makes all the blood rush from my body to my dick. 

Fuck it, she makes me feel this way without me even seeing her. And what's worse is that she doesn't even know it. 

I keep staring at her when suddenly she turns to me, probably because she felt my gaze on her. But my window goes up before she gets the chance to see me. I'm sure she didn't see me, I can't let any woman think that I'm the least interested in her.

What is wrong with me, I'm not even interested in this one. The fuck?

"Oh, I know her." Keith must have caught me staring at her. Shit. "She works at a café. A lot of people go there because of her. I myself went there once to see what's all the hype is for and let me tell you, she makes the best coffee I've ever tasted."

I stare at her from the tinted window but before I have time to check all of her, the red light turns green and the sound of her motorcycle is all I hear as I lose sight of her.

"How do you know it's her?" I clear my throat and look back at the iPad to seem uninterested. The fact that she caught my attention without trying is already annoying me.

"Her motorcycle. It stands out and you'll start recognizing her before even realizing it."

Keith's words linger in my mind even when I step into Judy Hill's corporate building. Some people greet me on the way and I flash them a quick smile before I walk past the elevator and to the stairs.

The elevator makes me feel suffocated and I hate when people stand too close to me for a long time. 

I walk to the seventh floor and scan my card to step into my office, only for Mr. Williams to call my name across the hallway. "Meeting room. Right now." 

The way I want for the flour beneath me to crack open and make me disappear from here. I calm myself down by taking a deep breath and close my door before I walk to hell.

Mr. Williams, the Managing Director, is sitting in the corner of the room along with the board and the head of the departments. 

I walk inside and take the empty seat before I cross my legs and wait for them to start their bullshit. Here goes nothing.

"Mr. Laurier, you realize your behavior wasn't the best today, right?" Whitehead, Mr. Williams, says and I roll my eyes. I can't take too much of their bullshit, though.

"If you don't like my behavior this much, next time go there yourself and stop making me do things I don't like." 

"Zayne!" I can tell who it is from his voice. Caleb Roberts, one of the presidents and the worst of them.

"Caleb! Congratulations on your fifth marriage." I still remember that one time he scattered my papers all over the flour when I first came here, and gosh, how petty I am. "Do your wives leave you because you're too fat or because your shrimp is too small?"

I can hear some snort and Caleb's face is as red as a fucking tomato. Just how hypocritical these men can be?

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to let him go there. He's so unserious." Derek Cummings speaks and a big smile finds its way to my lips. I adore his name.

"Cummings, can you shut up a little? I'm not here to deal with your inferiority complex nor do I have time for that." I say and stand up, too fed up with everything. "You already ruined my day but let's leave some of my patience for the rest of the employees, okay? Report everything to the chairman, I have some business to do."

The doors of the meeting room open and I walk outside, letting out a heavy sigh. All that yelling makes my ears ring and my hands shake like a fucking leaf. I hate this feeling and I hate how after all these years, he's still able to make me feel this vulnerable and weak.

I slam the door behind me after I walk into my office and undo my tie for the second time today. My breathing is uneven and my vision is getting blurry as I walk to my desk and look up for my pills in the drawer. 

Two pills are what it takes to stop the pounding in my head and to make me breathe properly again.

I hate this. I fucking hate the feeling of fear and weakness that rush to me whenever my mind revisits those cursed memories.

The flour underneath me is shaking so I stumble forward until I sit on my chair and throw my head back, closing my eyes for a while.

I need some coffee.