Five.

I couldn’t breathe. My lungs completely froze in my chest.

I stared at the sharp jawline, the messy dark hair, and the broad shoulders of the man sleeping next to me. I prayed to God that I was dreaming. I closed my eyes tightly, counted to three, and opened them again.

He was still there.

It wasn't the kind stranger from the bar. It was Derick Stone. The man who stole my promotion. The man who was about to become my stepbrother. The man I hated more than anyone else on this earth.

I looked under the heavy white blanket. My clothes were gone. Panic tore through my body like an electric shock.

I scrambled backward, trying to get away from him. My foot caught in the silk sheet, and I tumbled right off the mattress. I hit the expensive hardwood floor with a loud thud.

"Ow!" I gasped, grabbing my bruised knee.

The movement on the bed stopped. Derick groaned softly, his long eyelashes fluttering open. His dark eyes were blurry with sleep, but the moment they locked onto me sitting on the floor, he woke up completely. A slow, deeply wicked smirk spread across his face. He didn't look surprised at all. He looked perfectly satisfied.

"Good morning, sweet future sister," he murmured. His voice was deep and raspy from sleep. He leaned back against the pillows, pulling the blanket up to his waist. His bare chest was covered in dark tattoos that looked dangerous and beautiful. "Did you have a nice fall?"

"What did you do to me?" I screamed, my voice shaking with pure rage. I grabbed a white sheet from the floor and wrapped it tightly around my body like a shield. "Why am I in your bed? Where is the man from the bar?"

Derick chuckled. It was a low, dark sound that vibrated through the room. "The man from the bar was hitting on a heavily intoxicated woman. I happened to walk into the same lounge, saw you acting like a fool, and paid him to walk away. You were too drunk to even notice I took his place in the cab."

"You took advantage of me!" I yelled. Tears of anger and humiliation stung my gray eyes. "You are a monster, Derick! I was heartbroken, and you used it to play your sick games!"

Derick’s smirk vanished instantly. His eyes turned dark and serious. He slid out of the bed, completely unbothered by his lack of clothes, and walked over to me. I backed up until my spine hit the cold wall.

"I didn't touch you, Ava," he said, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. He stopped just inches away from me. I could smell his minty breath and his expensive sandalwood cologne. "You threw up on your own dress the moment we got into my penthouse. I had my maid clean you up and put you to bed. I slept on the other side of the mattress. I am a lot of things, but I don't force myself on women."

I looked into his eyes. He was telling the truth. I felt a small wave of relief, but the humiliation was still heavy in my chest.

"I don't care!" I snapped, pushing past him to find my clothes. They were neatly folded on a nearby chair, clean and dry. "I am so sick of seeing your face! I hate you at work, I hate you in my family, and I hate you in this room. Stay away from me, Derick. Just stay away from me!"

I grabbed my things, ran into his luxury bathroom, and changed as fast as my shaking hands could manage. I didn't even look in the mirror. I rushed out of his penthouse and didn't stop running until I was inside a taxi heading back to my apartment.

By the afternoon, I was sitting pretty at my office desk. My head was pounding from the hangover, and my heart was heavy. I had blocked Sam’s number. I had blocked Vivian’s number. My life was completely in ruins, but I needed to focus. I needed this job to pay my dad's bills.

"Ava! Did you hear the news?" Susan rushed over to my cubicle, her eyes wide with excitement.

"What news?" I asked, rubbing my aching temples.

"Mr. Leo Stone just made a huge announcement," Susan gasped. "He is stepping down from managing this specific branch to focus on the international market. He appointed a new CEO for this office. Effective immediately."

A cold dread settled in my stomach. "Who is it?"

Before Susan could answer, the elevator doors at the end of the floor opened with a loud chime. Everyone in the office stood up quickly, straightening their clothes.

Three men in expensive suits walked out. In the center of the group was Derick. He was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. His hair was slicked back, and his face was a mask of cold, calculating power. He looked like a king walking through his territory.

"Attention, everyone," one of the executives called out. "Please welcome your new CEO, Mr. Derick Stone."

The entire room erupted into applause. I sat frozen in my chair. My jaw dropped. CEO? He wasn't just the project manager anymore. He owned the entire building. He owned my career.

Derick’s dark eyes scanned the room. They passed over dozens of smiling employees until they found me. He stopped walking. He stared straight at me, and that familiar, mocking smirk returned to his lips.

"Ava Michaels," Derick’s assistant called out from behind him. "The CEO wants to see you in his office right now."

My legs felt like jelly as I stood up. I walked through the crowded office, feeling everyone's eyes on my back. I followed Derick up to the top floor. The CEO office was massive, with giant glass windows overlooking the entire city.

Derick walked behind the huge mahogany desk and sat down in the leather chair. He didn't invite me to sit. He just stared at me for a long, quiet minute.

"I told you to stay away from me," I whispered, closing the door behind me.

"This is my building, Ava. You don't tell me what to do," Derick said. His voice was smooth and autocratic. He slid a folder across the desk toward me. "Open it."

I stepped forward and opened the file. It was a contract change.

"As the new CEO, I need a personal assistant I can monitor closely," Derick said, leaning back in his chair. "But there is a condition. You either sign this contract right now and become my personal puppet, or you quit this company today. And if you quit, I will personally blackball you from every fashion house in this country. You will never get a design job again."