Chapter.2*Ruthless*

''I'm sorry I'm late.'' I rushed inside, thirty minutes tardy yet tripping on my way inside. My long blond hair was wet and I was in my gray yoga pants and black Nike crop top. I was running out of breath as I reached the terrace where they were working out that day. The cold breeze caressing my skin tremored me into scrunching myself together to warm myself while my eyes picked at them working out. 

''Don't enter.'' I ceased my foot in midway through entering the terrace at a loud grunt from Ryker. His response knocked me for six. I hadn't stepped in from that glass door yet and he voiced, not even bothering to look at me. His vast back was facing me as I stared at him in surprise. 

''I'm so sorry, my alarm didn't go off.'' I lied bluntly, I had to give an excuse to gently stroke his ego. This job was important for me to get the amount that could pay my brother's hospital bills and all the classes I have to take for the job were mandatory. Now that I've already made the mistake of arriving late, I couldn't piss him off more by not providing him any good excuse. 

"And how does it interests me?" The taunting tone of his voice gave me a sudden gush of anger through my veins to savagely answer him, regardless, I restrained my anger. He hadn't turned to look at me yet. 

"That is why I couldn't make it in time," I responded with a troubled tone. The water droplets from my hair had drenched my back wet and I hated every single feeling of it. 

The girls didn't turn their heads to look at me as they were doing planks. But I felt like they were watching my face from the corner of their eyes. 

''Don't disturb us.'' He voiced again, placing his hands on his waist and watching the girls attentively. I was shocked, confused. I have seen him in his Instagram posts and interviews, he was always super chill and nice. I stared at him for another minute and once he didn't acknowledge I was there, I rolled my eyes at his arrogance. 

Since he didn't let me in, I decided to just walk back to my room but no! It has to be aggravated.

''Did I ask you to leave?'' I stopped walking, slowly turning my body to see him. At that time, he was glaring at me with those beautiful hawk eyes of his. He was sweating, the bandanna on his forehead was to keep his hair from coming into his eyes. His muscles were prominently popping in sweat while his hands rested on his waist. 

''I though---'' In perplexity of the situation, I objectified but my words were interrupted by a loud scoff from Mr. Ryker. 

''This is not a picnic, we are not wasting time here. If you want this job you should be punctual and able to listen to your superiors'' His words were hitting me like a rock. Such a cruel fate, I was being scolded by a very calm, and everyone's dear Mr. Ryker Malarkey. I must be a very horrible person to piss off such a kind soul.

Or was he a kind soul? 

If I was not in such a need for money, I would have spit right in his face but being broke makes you spineless. I lowered my eyes to tackle some strength and say the right thing to avoid buming him out any further. 

''I'm sorry sir, I will be careful next time.'' I lowered my face and uttered. Now, this sounds like a perfect response. There was no way he could find an error in this simple phrase. 

''Dips!'' he yelled at the girls and swirled around to march towards me. I entangled my fingers together before my stomach as his steps approached me. I have not seen such a handsome face in a near distance ever. His features turned out to be even alluring from close. 

I gulped as he stopped right at my face. ''Have you ever even worked out? You came here with such a mess of hair.'' his comment left his lips through gritted teeth. I was amazed at the audacity of this man roasting me over something so baseless. I over here was complimenting him in my mind while he decided to be a rude person! 

Why was he so mad at me anyway? Shouldn't he be nice just to make us feel comfortable? I mean, it wasn't any surprise that Scarlet kind of shoved us onto him despite his reluctance but there is a thing called an etiquette of work. 

He stared in my eyes without blinking once and as I stubborn girl I was, I stared right back at him. 

"I took a shower," my scornful statement made him shift his body weight onto his one foot while he kept his eyes at me at the same time. He knew I was late so obviously, I didn't have enough time to dry my hair. Did he wish to hang me for taking a shower too? 

"Of course, I never said you came here swimming." His frown grew bigger, one could tell he didn't expect me to palm him off. 

The girls were now secretly watching us with their half-turned necks and whispering something into their ears. 

What was his problem? I was not any fifth-grader who would get questioned on the first day of school. I messed up, I apologized, now what? 

"So what do you want me to do sir?" I had enough of it, it was just plain rude and unfair. There seemed to be no outcome of our argument and since he wasn't making himself clear, I decided to ask him. 

"Excuse me?" He looked shocked and insulted. He slipped his hands down his waist and hung them down lifelessly. Yup! He did not expect that. 

''You don't want me to work out, you have a problem with me leaving, and if I stay, you object on my wet hair. Sir, I'm very confused about what you want me to do.'' I folded my arms across my chest and raised my eyes. Our eyes met for a solid minute and let me tell you this, none of us broke the stare. It felt like, his eyes were swimming in my eyes, so deep and creepy at the same time. The one to break the stare was him as he lowered his face while shaking his head and crackled softly. 

''Is that so?'' once he lifted his face, his lips were sealed into a straight line. He nodded his head in annoyance, ''fifteen times.'' he added. And just as it, he just turned his attention back to the girls again. 

''What?'' I questioned. I didn't get him, what fifteen times? He wants to poop fifteen times as does he look constipated. 

''You are gonna go downstairs and then run all the way up and repeat it fifteen times.'' He didn't even look at me but the girls gasped in shock. Was he kidding me? There were like 100 stairs and he really wanted me to climb them up fifteen times? I opened my mouth to sigh in disbelief as my brain failed to apprehend what actually was his problem. 

Why exactly was he so malevolent towards me?

''But the---,'' I couldn't finish my sentence when his loud groan made me shut my mouth instantly. 

''Do you want this job or not? A minute ago you were complaining about wanting to work out, and now you are crying about working out?'' he swirled around to look at me. His eyes were narrowed as if he really was trying to understand me. I knew he was just annoyed that I fired back at him. The girls had finished their workout class and it was my turn to suffering. ''You anyway need to work out more than others.'' there was a slight mock in his tone. I heard the girls giggle after him. Willow held her hand our her lips to subside her laughter while Nichole whispered something in her ear while watching me from head to toe. 

What the hell? What kind of remark was that I was in shape and even if I wasn't this was no proper way of encouraging someone for working out. 

I waited for a minute, hoping he would think over his words and add something but he was already done here. I walked out of the apartment with so much concealed anger. I began climbing the stairs but all that time I couldn't stop thinking about what he said. I'm not fat, I'm in shape, or am I fat? Tears kept forming and disappearing in my eyes. I had my head buried all this time. 

This was so inappropriate of him to mock my appearance in front of my co-workers and those co-workers didn't mind bringing me down too. I had only one wish and that was to stay as low as I could here but seemed like troubles have seen my way. 

"5!" I let go of a loud breath as I climbed to the floor we were residing in and bent down on my knees to catch some breath. I raised my eyes while supporting my body with my hands on my knees and saw Ryker standing with his door as he watched me. He had a glass bowl of fresh fruits in his hands that he didn't feel ashamed of devouring while staring straight into my eyes. 

"Come on! It's not that hard." He voiced from afar. I had to roll my eyes at him in frustration if only I didn't need money. 

If only! 

I ran down and turned around to climb the stairs once again. 

''Hey, calm down girl.'' I didn't see Scarlett climbing the stairs with me. ''what are you even doing?'' she looked at me and noticed the tears in my eyes and the sweat covering my body. 

''I WA---,'' I looked away, swallowing my tears, ''I was late, so Sir punished me,'' I said, all set to run again.

''Wait!'' she stopped me again. ''So what if you were late, this is your first day.'' she had a frown formed on her forehead, ''come with me.'' she narrowed her eyes, walking ahead of me. I followed her with difficulty as my thighs had given up on me and we ended up in the lounge of her apartment. 

''Oh hey, honey!'' Ryker has freshened up and has worn a blue shirt with jeans. He hugged her lightly and kissed her forehead, his stare fall on me, ''Did you do it fifteen times?'' he glared at me like he knew I didn't do it. I was about to shake my head when Scarlett broke the hug and faced him.

''Ryker she is twenty, and we don't punish them. I believe, in her age, a girl takes humiliation very seriously, and deserves to be treated with respect.'' I got her point but it didn't look like Ryker liked her lecture. He smacked his lips and looked to the side. 

"Then why did you ask me to teach them if I can't even make my own rules?" He slowly got himself free of her arm and pulled his body away. She noticed his move but formed a smile onto her lips almost immediately. 

"You can, but this was her first day. So I want you to be a little less harsh on her." She pleaded through her eyes while he sighed. 

''I was just doing it so she behaves next time.'' He argued back. One could see the look of superiority on his face. 

Yesterday, I really thought she was the boss in this relationship but the way he would linger on a simple subject made me feel otherwise. He had a habit of winning, that's what all it was about now for him. 

''She is not a kid. Plus, she is finer than the other girls.'' Scarlett didn't bother looking at him as she traveled to a nearby couch and sat down to take off her heels. I sensed his eyes on me but didn't look back at him. ''That will be it Kathleen and try not to be late next time okay?'' she sweetly watched my face and gave me a satisfactory smile. It felt so good and warm to be treated with equality and respect. But I feared for Ryker's response because for sure he didn't like it. I gave her a smile and as I was about to leave a voice ceased my steps. 

"She didn't apologize to me." 

That son of an idiot! 

I knew his ego was the problem. To think he would let me leave so easily was a misunderstanding. 

I exhaled the breath I was holding in and swirled around to face this man, he tilted his face as he waited for my regret," I'm so sorry Sir!" I muttered through a clenched jaw. 

He saw the frustration on my face, of course, he did. Instead of responding back to my apology, he just zipped around to his room in pride. 

"Kathleen! It's okay. You can leave now." Scarlet lifted her sandals through the straps and announced very awkwardly, "Just try not to piss him off again." she said and left after him.