TAKE ME, RUIN ME CHAPTER 2

TAKE ME, RUIN ME CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2: THE EDGE OF DEFIANCE

ARIA'S POV

Riiiinnnggg! Rinnnggg!

The sharp, persistent scream of the office phone jerks me back to reality from my daydream reflection of last night. I jolt in my seat, my eyes blinking rapidly as I try to clear the fog from my brain. I look around, confused for a second, searching for the source of the noise before I realize where I am. I haven't slept a wink. The entire night was spent reliving the incident with Daniel—the way he smelled of scotch, the coldness in his eyes, and that terrifying question he whispered in the dark.

I let out a long, heavy sigh and try to relax in my office chair. The room is filled with the usual, boring sounds of a workday. There is a constant hum of chatter from other workers, the clicking of keyboards, and the endless ringing of phones from every corner of the large floor. I glance down at my desk and see a stack of papers and a half-finished report staring back at me. I’ve barely made a dent in my work.

I sigh again and shake my head, feeling a pang of frustration. I zoned out. What the fuck is wrong with me? I ask myself. I can’t afford to be this distracted, not when my job is one of the few things I have left that is actually mine. I reach for my pen, determined to make a real attempt to resume work, but a sharp sound to my right makes me jump again.

I look up and see Selena leaning against the edge of my cubicle. She has that look on her face—the one that says she has a secret she’s dying to share. I can’t help it; I roll my eyes and look back at my screen.

"What now, Selena?" I say, my voice flat. "I am really not in the mood for your antics today." My lip twitches with annoyance. I just want to be left alone with my spreadsheets and my exhaustion.

"Have you heard?" she asks, leaning in closer, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Heard what?" I ask, not even bothering to look at her this time.

She rolls her eyes at my lack of interest. "You are really in the dark when it comes to things that happen in this company, Aria. Don’t you ever check your emails or listen to the water cooler talk?"

I shrug my shoulders, feeling indifferent. "I am sorry that I am not always interested in the usual, consistent gossip of the other employees. I’m just here to work."

"Now you are making it sound like the rest of us are jobless," she scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I never said so," I mutter, finally looking at her.

She scoffs again, but she can't keep the news in any longer. "Anyways. We have a new boss. The big takeover is finally finished, and the new CEO is in the building today."

I turn back to my computer and scoff. "That’s not news, Selena. Everyone knew someone was buying the firm. It’s just another guy in a suit."

"Oh yes it is news," she says, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Because you haven't seen him yet. And I am sure when you do, you will actually piss your pants. He is unlike anyone we’ve ever had here."

I can't help but let out a dry laugh. "Yeah. Right. Like there is any man capable of making me drool. I am perfectly okay with my husband, thank you very much."

The lie feels like lead in my stomach, but I say it with enough force to try and convince myself. Selena doesn't buy it for a second. She scoffs loudly, her expression turning into one of disbelief.

"The husband that treats you like trash?" she shoots back.

The words sting. They are too true, and they cut through the wall I’ve built around myself. "Just quit it," I say, my voice rising as I immediately become defensive. I don't want to talk about Daniel. I don't want to think about the reality of my life.

"Why do you still care about him?" she asks, her voice softening just a little bit, but her eyes are still searching mine for an answer I don't have.

"Nothing. It's nothing, Selena," I say, turning away.

She scrutinizes me for a long moment, looking at the tired lines around my eyes and the way I’m gripping my pen too hard. "You are weird, Aria. Truly."

"So I have heard," I reply, my voice tight.

She seems bored now, her interest in my personal problems fading as she looks around the room. I feel a small sense of relief. Maybe that will make her leave me alone and go find someone else to bother. I try to focus on the numbers on my screen, but she stays there, seemingly searching for something else to say.

Suddenly, the air in the office changes. A wave of murmurs and hushed whispers begins to spread across the room, starting from the elevators and moving toward us. I hear Selena gasp instantly, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Oh my God. He is here, Aria. He's actually coming this way."

"And so what?" I snap, not looking up. "I don't care who he is."

"Aria, get up!" she hisses. "We are required to get up and greet the new boss when he walks through the department."

I don't know what is wrong with me. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep, or maybe it’s the weight of the fight I had with Daniel last night, but for some strange reason, I feel a surge of pure annoyance. I feel angry. I feel overwhelmed by the fact that I am stuck in a situation where I love someone who doesn't love me back. I feel trapped because I can't even feel the liberty to look elsewhere or imagine a different life. I can't look elsewhere because if Daniel or his powerful family members ever figured it out, I would be doomed. Everything I care about—including my mother’s medical care—would be gone.

I shake my head, the frustration bubbling over. I stay firmly in my seat.

"I don't care," I say, loud enough for Selena to hear clearly. "The arrogant prick can go to hell for all I care."

"What the fuck, Aria!!!" I hear Selena screaming in a hushed, terrified voice.

I scoff, refusing to be intimidated by a man I haven't even met. But then, the atmosphere around me suddenly feels charged, like the air before a lightning strike. A heavy, sudden silence descends over the entire office. The chatters, the phones, the typing—it all stops at once. I wonder why everyone has gone quiet so fast.

I look up at Selena. She isn't looking at me anymore. She is gazing at something behind me, her eyes wide and her face pale, as if she has just seen a ghost.

"If you really think I am a prick, then prepare to lose your job."

The voice is thick and deep. It is sharp and authoritative, carrying a weight that seems to fill every inch of the room. It is commanding, dominating, and it sends ripples of something I can't describe all over my body. I swallow hard and freeze. My heart stops for a beat, then starts again, thumping wildly against my chest.

I realize in that moment that I have crossed a dangerous boundary. My lack of control over my emotions has finally pushed me too far.

Shit, I curse silently.

I turn my chair around slowly, my movements stiff. As I face the man standing there, my heart halts completely. I gulp, my hands starting to tremble in my lap. My throat feels incredibly dry, making it hard to even breathe.

Yep. Selena was right.

God, is he so beautiful.

And God am I so doomed.