NO STRINGS ATTACHED

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CHAPTER 10 { NO STRINGS ATTACHED }

LISA

My heart was still racing from what he said. The idea kept echoing in my head like a prayer I didn’t dare believe.

I could actually work in his office. I could actually have him closer. The thought alone made my palms sweat and my stomach flip.

You know what? I’m actually going to move into his office. The decision felt reckless and right at the same time, like jumping off a cliff knowing he’d catch me.

Just then, my phone buzzed violently in my pocket. The vibration shot up my thigh and jolted me back to reality.

My eyes dropped, and for a second I didn’t want to answer. But the screen lit up my face.

"ASSHOLE CHANTEL"

The name alone made a laugh bubble up my throat before I could stop it. I swiped green, and the second the call connected, her voice exploded in my ear.

"LISA!"

Her voice boomed, loud and familiar and safe. It cracked something open in my chest I’d been trying to keep shut.

"What's up, A-sshole Chantel?" I replied, and the smile came uninvited. God, I’d missed her. It had been years. Years of her being gone with that boyfriend of hers, chasing adventures while I was stuck picking up the pieces.

"It's been good, and also I'm coming back tomorrow just so you know. I seriously can't wait to see you, love."

Her words hit me like warm water after winter. A sad smile tugged at my lips because “tomorrow” felt too soon and not soon enough.

My throat tightened.

"I can't wait to also see you again, Chantel," I muttered, low, like if I said it too loud the moment would break.

"Wait...Lisa, are you emotional?"

My eyes burned. I swallowed hard. "No...I just—"

"Lisa, you love me so much, don't you? Aww, I love you too, you nitwit!!"

I frowned, but my chest felt lighter. "I forgot how much I really hate you, asshole. " I muttered, but my fingers were light as I dropped the call.

The smile stayed though. Chantel was annoying, loud, infuriating… but she was my anchor. She was there when my parents died.

When I cried into cheap pillows at 3am, I would call her. She was my pillar of strength, the only person who could tell if I was smiling or shattering just by the way I breathed.

It hurt that she’d left to explore the world with her boyfriend. But just like she’d held me together, I’d cheered her on from the sidelines. That’s what we did for each other.

I pressed my phone to my chest for a second. I plan on telling her the whole truth when she gets back. How my marriage was a sham. How I’m an outcast in that family. How I’m drowning and pretending I’m not.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, and when I turned—I almost screamed.

Someone was behind me.

A tall, handsome somebody, alright. His shoulders blocked the hallway light, casting a shadow over me. And that smile… bright and crooked, like a kid’s cartoon channel. It was disarming and dangerous all at once.

"Care to explain why you are creeping behind me, Ever smile?" I muttered, ruder than I meant to.

My pulse was still erratic from Chantel’s call, and his sudden presence didn’t help.

But he deserved it. Who just stands behind someone and listens to their personal conversation?

"I'm Haul, and you are, princess?" His voice was low, amused, as if testing what type of person I was.

"Stop smiling, okay? You are literally freaking me out here." The words came out sharper than I intended. My arms crossed over my chest like armor.

He stopped smiling. His face went neutral, but his eyes didn’t. They were still studying me, dissecting me.

"Can I now know your name then?" he asked.

I exhaled, and it felt like I’d been holding my breath. His smile was doing something stupid to my chest. Making me want to jump over the moon and fly out of this galaxy.

It was seriously irritating.

"Lisa. My name is Lisa Armando." The name felt heavy on my tongue. I knew I’d lost the right to it, and I lost the privileges that came with it, but once I got backup, once I was strong enough, I’d reinstate it. I’d take it back.

"It's nice to meet you. I was actually passing by when I noticed someone unfamiliar in the hallway. I just had to see who the new lady was."

He spoke, his gaze locked on me like I was the only thing in the hallway. It made my skin prickle and my stomach twist. I looked away. Being looked at like that was uncomfortable. It was too much. Too intense.

"You want me to show you around?"

I had no option but to say yes. This place was huge, and I’d get lost in five minutes without him.

"I'll be flattered by that, Ever Smile." I muttered, and the nickname slipped out before I could stop it.

His only response was a low chuckle that rolled through me. Warm. Unfair.

I’m never letting go of this nickname. It fits him. Too much.

....

*CYRUS*

The office was quiet. I loved quiet. It let me think, plan, and control. But tonight the silence felt wrong. Empty.

I couldn’t stop wanting her presence here. That woman who stirred up trouble just by existing. Who made me have no choice but to pay attention.

I picked up my phone from the mahogany desk, thumb hovering before I dialed.

"Get me a video of what Lisa is doing right now."

I dropped the phone before he could answer.

I didn’t need his response. I didn’t know what was going on in my chest, but I knew one thing: she was crossing boundaries wherever she was. And I couldn’t stand it.

My phone beeped 2 minutes later.

I tapped the screen. There she was. Lisa. Walking down a hallway with someone. Not a female. A male staff member. He said something and she chuckled. The sound was soft, unguarded. It made my jaw clench.

This cannot be condoned. She had to be punished for this sin. For laughing with someone else like that.

The office door pushed open. A man entered, placed a black briefcase on my desk, bowed, and left without a word. I flipped it open. Inside: the contract I’d ordered. Thick paper carrying final terms. I skimmed them, then snapped the case shut.

The rest of the day blurred. Orders to my men back in Russia, drafts for the company’s latest invention. But none of it held my focus. She did.

I stood, guards following in behind me. I went to the parking lot and saw my limo.

Two guards sat at the front. Two minutes later, exactly as expected, Lisa opened the door and slid in beside me.

She closed the door. The small space filled with her scent. My anger intensified until it burned.

I needed to teach her a lesson she’d never forget. Needed her to understand what happens when she tested me.

No words were exchanged ,I didn’t trust myself to speak yet. I only pulled the contract from the case and handed it to her.

She reviewed it, fingers trembling slightly, then signed. The scratch of a pen on paper was loud in the silence.

As soon as we reached the penthouse, we both got out. The elevator ride was silent. Every floor number felt like a countdown.

Inside the bedroom, the door clicked shut behind us.

"I really hate the silent treatment," her voice finally broke through, small but defiant. "What the hell did I do to you?"

"Now that you signed the contract, Lisa, it means everything on your body is mine. Anyone making contact with you will taste my wrath.

A sick smile plastered on my face, no more holding back on her.

"You are not allowed to fall for me, no strings attached, Kitten. Falling for me , means termination of the contract." I muttered, and that smirk I was waiting for finally spread on her lips.

"Music to my ears," she muttered.

I was now hovering over her, my dark eyes staring at her soul.

"Now, Strip." It came as an order, straightforward.

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