CHAPTER 4

Charisse

“I’m sorry, Alpha Dorian,” said Mr. Chad, “But Charisse won’t be working here anymore.” 

I was supposed to hide in the staff changing room until Mr. Chad came to get me after sending that man away. 

But I still found myself opening the door slightly to listen to everything. 

“So she quitted.” That deep voice was strangely composed. 

“Y-yes.” 

“When did she quit, you said?” 

“Erm, this morning,” answered my boss. 

And then it was silent. 

Too silent. 

I opened the door more and came face to face with him. 

“Shit!” I tried to shut the door but he grabbed the lock stile. “Mr. Chad! Why did you let him in here? This is a private space!” I pushed the panel with all my might. 

“I won’t go in there but please don’t shut the door on me.” 

To prove it, he didn’t push the door forward so he could enter. 

But I also couldn’t push it to a close. 

So the door was kept ajar. Just a gap wide enough for us to see and hear each other. 

“I just want to talk, Charisse,” Dorian Vellum negotiated. “Please.” 

My hands stayed on the panel as my promise to Val echoed in my ears. I felt the tears coming again and breathed in deeply to suppress them. 

“I can’t,” was all I could squeeze out without giving away my disappointment. 

“Then don’t,” he said in a calm tone that was comforting and non-pressuring. “I can see you clearly even with your head down. So, give a nod if you agreed: do you want the job?” 

No. 

That was what I should say. I parted my lips but my voice was stuck. 

“You’re a college grad but you've not worked full time for a day since you're graduation.”

"Yes, I did a background check on you, Charisse. And you have every right to sue me for it.” He paused and continued, “But I had to. Because it’s the company’s protocol, and I’m dead serious about hiring you.”

“THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE!” I screamed, the stress of it all was finally breaking me. “WHY ME?”  

“Because you can’t be bought with money,” he stated bluntly. 

I was stumped. I wanted to read his face for lies but I couldn’t look at him, I promised Val. 

“If you could, this would’ve been a lot easier.” He chuckled. 

And I felt a smile on my lips. 

“So,” he muttered, “do you want this job?” 

*****

Dorian

It takes a monster to know another. 

“Mr. Valentin Egoton.” I put on the smile reserved only for my enemies. “I appreciate you taking the time off your busy schedule to meet me.” 

He nonchalantly scanned the high ceiling of the lounge area and then the bustling lobby of my seven-star luxury hotel, his thumb tapping the arm of the couch he was on. 

And I could tell, beneath that expensive suit and trendy hairstyle, is a narcissistic, possessive freak. 

He nodded with approval and finally faced me. “The pleasure is mine, Mr. Dorian Vellum. I’m guessing this is about my wife.”

I made a confused look and checked my iPad. “Your wife? No. I mean, your girlfriend, Charisse Pax—.”

He jerked forward in his seat. “That’s my wife,” he snarled. 

I tapped my finger on the iPad screen. “But it says here she’s still single and so are you—.” 

BANG! He slammed a fist on the table. 

Which startled the security and they sprang alive. 

But I held up my hand to halt them as the asshole glowered at me. 

“I know what you’re doing,” his voice was low and threatening, “You think that just because you’re the Alpha of the most powerful clan, you can bully me into giving up what’s rightfully mine. Charisse is MINE! And you will not have her!” 

I gripped my iPad tightly to stop myself from snapping his neck into two. 

“I apologise, Mr. Egoton–.” 

He slammed the table again. “Save your apologies!” 

And I leaned in, my own deep voice in my warning decibel. “Listen to me, Mr. Egoton. You are starting to scare my guests.” 

He froze like a fame-seeker. 

My own fury was shooting from my eyes as I lowered my voice further to a tone that promises death. “Let’s be civilised about this, shall we?” 

He swallowed hard and slowly retreated. Lounging in his seat like he owned the world, he tried on a cordial smile. “Apology accepted, Mr. Vellum,” he said loudly on purpose. 

But I have no time for petty tricks. The fewer people saw us together, the better. 

“As I was saying,” I began, “I would like to hire your wife, Charisse Pax.” 

I used his terminology just so the conversation could move forward.

And indeed, it was music to his ears. He smiled like a satiated hyena. 

“My wife enjoys the current job she’s doing. And we’re doing pretty well as a family. So there’s no need for your charity, Mr. Vellum.” 

“The thing is,” I said and pushed the contract across the table to him. “I need your wife’s talent.” 

He chuckled hard as though he’d heard a good joke. “She’s talentless.” 

“I beg to differ.” 

And the fury was back in his eyes. “Are you saying you know her better than me?” 

God, I hate narcissists. 

“I’m saying that I need a talentless woman like her. She’s talented for being talentless, don’t you think?” I smiled. 

His confused glare told me he was trying to catch up. 

So I seized the moment and said the thing that he most wanted to hear, “You’ll also receive a handsome remuneration on a monthly basis, should you accept my offer.” 

He finally caught up. “You mean, you’ll pay me the salary for her work? I get the money as long as she goes to work?” 

“Exactly.” I grinned satisfyingly inside. “And, like anyone who works for me, I’m open to any negotiations.” 

“10K,” he blurted. “Per month.”

“If she works overtime?” 

“Two times the hourly rate based on the monthly ten thousand I’m getting.” 

“Wonderful.” I invited him to scrutinise the contract. 

But the monster signed without hesitation. 

“Can she start today?” I asked, making sure I sounded indifferent. 

He was suspicious again. “But it’s already noon.” 

I quickly shrugged and added, “The sooner she starts work, the sooner you get paid. That’s what I thought. I was thinking of counting today as a full day, if you don’t mind.” 

And that greedy gaze widened in approval. “She’ll be here in an hour.”