TAKE ME, RUIN ME: CHAPTER 6

TAKE ME, RUIN ME: CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 6: BETWEEN TWO FIRES

ARIA'S POV

The word "no" hits me with the force of a physical blow. It sounds like a sharp, jagged stab to my chest, and I find myself blinking at Adrian in total disbelief. My ears must be deceiving me; there is no way he just said that. I feel a cold, hollow pit open up in my stomach because I know exactly what this means. I am doomed. Daniel is not a man who waits, and he is certainly not a man who accepts excuses. He will kill me—or make me wish I were dead—if I don't return home within the timeframe he set.

I can feel the heat of a hundred eyes on us. We are standing right in the middle of the office floor, and most of the employees are staring at the scene, their work forgotten. The air is thick with their curiosity and the quiet hum of the office machines.

I completely lose my composure. In a moment of pure, desperate instinct, I reach out and grab Adrian’s arm, dragging him unexpectedly toward a hidden section of the hallway behind a large pillar. His eyes go wide with shock at my boldness, and for a second, he looks like he is on the verge of exploding. His muscles are tense under my touch, like a spring wound too tight.

"I am so deeply sorry. I didn't mean to do that," I say breathlessly before he can even open his mouth to bark at me. My heart is racing, thumping against my ribs so hard it hurts. "I am so sorry, sir. Please, you need to rethink this. I can't just not go home right now. My husband will..."

"I don't care about whatever issues you have with your husband," he interrupts, his voice dropping into a cold, flat tone that sends shivers down my spine. He pulls his arm out of my grip with a sharp movement. "The fact remains that you serve this company, and right now, you have an important obligation to take care of. It is an assignment that will keep you here longer than the others. I am the one in charge here, Aria."

My head sparks with a mix of confusion and rising anger. What is he talking about? He doesn't give me a chance to ask. He simply turns around and starts walking away, his long strides carrying him back toward the executive offices.

What the fuck...

I can't let him leave it like this. I run after him, my heels clicking loudly on the hard floor. I reach out and grab his arm again, holding on tight this time. He stops and turns around to look at me, his blue eyes sharp and unforgiving.

I quickly break contact with him, realizing I’ve crossed a line again. "Please, sir," I plead, my voice trembling. "You do not know my husband. He is going to kill me if I’m late. This is so important. Why me? You have so many staff members. You can replace me with my friend, Selena. I am sure she is capable of doing whatever work you need."

"Don't you get that I don't care?"

I flinch at the harshness in his voice. It’s like being splashed with ice water. I gulp, my throat feeling dry and tight.

"I don't give a shit about your marital affairs," he continues, looming over me. "Report to my office in two minutes. I will give you the details of the work you have to do. Not a second later."

He turns around to walk away again, and suddenly, I feel a bolt of electric rage surging through my veins. It overrides my fear and my common sense. I can't take it anymore.

"Why are you doing this?" I shout at his back. "What is your deal with me? If you are so annoyed that I wronged your silly ass in high school, why not just take it out on me straight forward? Why use my job to hurt me? That is just cowardly, Adrian. How childish can you be? Be mature enough to let this go. We were just kids!"

He stops dead in his tracks. Silence falls over the hallway. I am panting hard now, my chest heaving as the adrenaline begins to fade, replaced by a cold realization of what I just said.

Yeah, you heard me, I think, even as my knees start to shake.

He doesn't make a move yet, but I can see his back muscles tightening. His fists are clenching at his sides, his knuckles turning white. Oh my God, what have I done? I just talked back to my boss—the man who holds my entire future in his hands. I swallow hard, bracing myself for the death sentence I’m sure is coming. He still hasn't moved. The silence is deafening. My hands tremble, and my breath hitches in my throat as I wait for the explosion.

When he finally speaks, his voice is quiet, which somehow makes it even scarier.

"If I don't see you in my office in the next two minutes, you are fired," he says.

He doesn't look back. He just walks away, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded and shaking. I stare into the thin air, my thoughts racing in a thousand different directions. Why is he doing this to me? Is he really that petty? I suddenly feel a powerful, overwhelming urge to cry, but I force the tears back. I can't afford to break down now.

Daniel is going to kill me. The thought keeps looping in my head like a broken record.

Just then, my phone pings in my hand. I look down and see a message from Daniel. Even in text form, he sounds furious.

'Your five minutes are almost up. Where the fuck are you?'

"Shit!" I whisper, the panic finally taking over.

I begin to pace in a small circle, my mind racing for a way out, a lie to tell, anything. The sound of sudden footsteps from behind me makes me jolt. I spin around to see Selena standing there, her face etched with worry.

"What's wrong?" she asks, looking between me and the hallway where Adrian disappeared.

I swallow hard, my voice barely working. "I am screwed. He didn't let me go, Selena. He’s making me stay for extra work."

She frowns, looking confused. "So?"

I blink at her, my mouth hanging open. "What?"