6. Under the Predator's Control

"Aaron, I just want to resign," I said, trying to sound firm even though my legs already felt like jelly.

"And I'm the CEO, Fay. My decision is final," he replied flatly. The golden glimmer in his eyes faded, turning black once more, yet the pressure radiating from his solid frame did not lessen. "Apparently, you need time to understand your position now."

Without warning, Aaron grabbed my wrist. His strength was unbelievable, making me jolt as I failed to pull free. He dragged me along, then pulled me out of the conference room.

We walked through the silent corridor on the 20th floor. The senior secretary he had given orders to earlier merely lowered her head as we passed, not daring to look at us. I tried to break free, but Aaron didn't even budge, as though I were nothing more than a struggling kitten.

"Aaron! Let go! This is harassment!" I shouted, but my voice only echoed uselessly against the silent hallway walls.

Aaron stopped in front of a massive abstract painting on the wall. To my surprise, a mechanical click sounded, and the painting rotated clockwise, revealing a narrow passage with a steel door at the end. The door opened automatically as Aaron approached. He pushed me into the room beyond it.

The door closed automatically behind me, followed by the solid click of an electronic lock.

I turned around, staring at the tightly sealed door, then shifted my gaze to the room I had just entered. This wasn't merely an assistant's office. It was a spacious office furnished with luxurious, modern furniture, yet... isolated.

The window was enormous, but I was certain the glass was bulletproof and couldn't be opened. There was only one exit, the very door Aaron had just locked from the outside.

"This is a prison," I whispered.

Suddenly, Aaron's voice came through a hidden speaker inside the room.

"This is your new place, Fay. Everything you need will be provided here. You don't need to leave, and no one can enter without my permission," he said. His voice was crystal clear, yet incredibly cold. "You have fifteen minutes before I give you your first assignment."

I sank onto the floor, staring at the remaining scraps of my resignation letter still tucked inside my skirt pocket. Tears fell again without permission. Not only had I failed to escape, but now I was truly trapped inside the predator's cage.

I tried to take a deep breath, struggling to control the trembling in my hands. This room was too soundproof, too luxurious, and too... suffocating.

Just as I was about to check whether there was any opening in the large window, Aaron's baritone voice thundered through the intercom again, making me flinch.

"Fifteen minutes are over, Fay. Come into my office. Now."

A magnetic click came from the connecting door on the left side of the room. With heavy steps, I pushed it open. Aaron's office was far more spacious, and the forest scent lingering there now felt a hundred times stronger.

Aaron sat behind his large desk, but he wasn't looking at his computer screen. He was staring at a luxurious shopping bag resting on top of the desk.

"Sit," he ordered without looking at me.

I sat down in the velvet chair across from him, nervously wringing my fingers. "What assignment do you want? If this is about administrative work—"

"No," he cut in sharply. He slid the shopping bag toward me. "Your first assignment ... put these on. Right here. In this room."

I frowned as I hesitantly opened the bag. My heart sank. Inside were not documents, but an incredibly soft and luxurious cashmere hoodie, one of the world's finest natural fiber garments, offering unmatched softness, warmth, and comfort. There was also a knitted scarf inside. Even though the temperature inside the building was already perfectly comfortable.

"Aaron, it's summer. And the air conditioning here is already cool enough," I protested in confusion.

Aaron stood up, slowly walked over, and stopped directly behind my chair. I could feel the warmth radiating from his body against my back.

"I don't care about the season, Fay," he whispered right beside my ear, his voice low and hoarse. "Put them on. Cover your neck and all of your skin. I don't want any other scent clinging to you, and I don't want any male staff passing by this office to catch even a glimpse of your skin through the crack of the door."

I froze. "This is excessive, Aaron. I'm your employee, not your prisoner."

"You're mine," he corrected firmly.

He picked up the scarf and, with a strangely gentle yet possessive gesture, wrapped it around my neck. The fabric felt warm against my cold skin, deliberately covering the pulse racing beneath it, as though he was hiding my fear, or perhaps so only he could sense it.

His hand brushed against the skin of my neck, and in that instant, I felt a strange jolt, warm and startling.

"Second assignment," he continued, his eyes now flashing gold as they looked directly into mine. "From now on, you'll only eat what I provide. Don't touch food from the cafeteria or anything given to you by anyone."

He took a silver lunch box from his desk drawer. "Finish this. In front of me. I need to make sure my offspring receives proper nutrition."

I swallowed hard. He wasn't just being possessive of me. He had already begun claiming the existence of the unborn child that I still couldn't bring myself to accept.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked softly, on the verge of tears.

Aaron fell silent for a moment. His fingers touched my chin, forcing me to keep looking into his hawk-like eyes. "Because in my world, Fay, whatever has been marked is never let go. And you ... have been marked by my instincts since that night."

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