Chapter 2: A dangerous first encounter

Brielle’s POV 

“Come with me right fucking now,” he said, as he walked through the door into an enclosed space. 

I looked left and right, hoping that someone would come to my rescue. However, it seemed like no one saw us. So I gulped and went in with him. His back was turned when I got there. And up close, his back looked so intimidating. This was Chase Kensington. I was standing in the same room as everyone’s idol!

Alone…

“Hi,” I said.

He turned to me, and my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at how ethereal he looked up close. Despite being a tall girl myself, he towered over me by several inches. Judging from my five feet eleven inches self, he seemed to be about six foot three. 

His eyes were a piercing blue, and his hair was just perfect. His chiseled jaw and full red lips matched his facial structure and made me want to... 

“Hey!” he yelled. 

I flinched and looked up at him. 

“Sorry,” I whispered. 

Now all traces of tears had vanished from his face. His eyes only held anger. 

“Give me the camera,” he said. 

I gasped and took three steps away from him, hiding the camera behind my back. “No.” 

“I said give it.”

“No!”

“You paparazzis think you can do anything you want and get away with it, don't you?”

I scoffed. “Paparazzi? Who says I am?”

“Aren't you one?”

“I work for the press. I'm not a paparazzi.”

“I don't care who the hell you work for. Just delete that thing off your camera.”

“I won't.”

“How much do you want?” he asked. 

My mouth dropped open. “What?” 

“How much are you going to collect to delete every single copy of that photograph you took?”

I blinked. “I'm not... that's not... What the hell? I'm not after your money. I don't…”

“Then why don't you want to delete it?”

“Because it's a beautiful picture.”

“It's my vulnerability! It's a beautiful picture to you?”

I cleared my throat and stood firm with my head high. “I've done what I was asked to do here. My job is over. You have no right to detain me here. Excuse me.”

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him. My body rammed hard into his chest. My heart leaped into my throat as I took in his masculine scent. All thoughts flying away from my head. What was going on? 

Why was I so affected by this man whom I had just met for the first time? I wasn't even a fan of Chase Kensington. Why did I appear so starstruck by him? What was happening to me?

“You are going to delete those pictures right now.”

 I stared back at him defiantly. “No, I am not.”

“What agent do you work for?”

I paused. I couldn't tell him because I was just filling in for someone. If they went to check the list of photographers, they would see Paige's name, and then Paige would be called into the director's room. And then Chase’s manager might have to recognize the photographer and point at me instead of Paige. 

Then Paige would be in trouble. I thought about this for a while. Paige was my friend, and I didn't want to ruin her over something like this. I should have listened to the director and not taken that picture. 

“Why?” I asked, even though I was shaking on the inside. 

He released me instantly, his eyes flashing with fury. “Get out. I will talk to the director about this.”

When I heard that, I was frightened. Things could get really bad if he did talk to the director about me. Before I could process what was happening, he had already walked out of the room. I ran after him, trying to catch up with him, but when I got back outside, he was already in the ring, talking to the director. 

“My goodness,” I muttered under my breath. “How is he so fast?”

I saw him look around and point at me. I immediately knew that he was telling the man about me. So I packed up my things, pulled my coat over my head, and walked briskly out of the arena. 

“Miss Paige!” I heard someone yell, but I didn't respond.

I walked out quickly, put my helmet over my head, sat on my bike, and sped off. In no time, I arrived at the studio to help Paige report the successful job. However, when I got to the office, the director was there waiting for me. 

His face was red with anger. "Come to my office right now, Hopkins," he said.

I knew that I was in trouble already, so I just followed him instantly, ready to face whatever it was. As soon as I closed the door behind me, he turned to me angrily. 

“What were you thinking, Hopkins?”

I feigned ignorance. “What?”

He slammed his hand on the table. “Don't play with me right now. I know you filled in for Paige Newman who is secretly working for another agency. As if that was not enough, you went ahead and took a photograph of Chase Kensington after the game.”

Our director was known for having a bad temper. No one wanted to get on his bad side. 

“I…I…” I stammered. 

“You shouldn't even speak!” he yelled. “This is the exact reason why I don't give jobs like this to juniors, especially incompetent ones like you. You don't know the ethics of our job. You think you can just go there and, and act a fool? Miss Newman will definitely pay for this. Someone has to leave this organization.”

I gasped. “Please, director Ford. Don’t fire Paige.”

“Oh no,” he said with a sinister smile. “Not her. You are fired!”