CHAPTER-4: Challenge accepted

“I need answers!” Daniel Smith, the CEO of the APEX demanded as he threw the magazine at Kiara and Roger.

Kiara's eyes were wide with horror as she stared at the magazine in her hand. Everything written in this was turned and twisted to create a scandal for Declan Sullivan.

“Sir, I do not know what is all this?”

“Really? Roger told me you took the interview.” He snapped at her. “I received a bloody legal notice from the Governor for defamation. A formal apology. Five hundred million dollars as compensation he demanded. And he summoned you to his office!”

Kiara's mouth opened ajar in shock. “But…but I am not the one who had this interview printed. Roger is. You know without his permission it's impossible.” She glanced at Roger with pleading eyes to explain.

Roger shared a look with Daniel before he spoke, “She is right, Daniel. I asked for the printing of this interview because I trusted her and didn't check the recording.”

Kiara's eyes widened in horror. “What…No. He is clearly lying. I…”

“Enough!” Daniel snapped at them both. “I do not have time to hear this.” He levelled his gaze at Kiara, “I can’t believe you would do something so reckless, Kiara. The company called you all the way here from India seeing your high profile and work experience and you crashed your very first opportunity here.”

Kiara was on the brink of crying. Her angry eyes followed Roger who stood there without any guilt on his face.

“Do you even realise what you did?” Daniel sighed, pressing his forehead. “Your name was under that interview, Kiara. You will go there. To the governor.”

“But Daniel…” he interrupted her, “..and gain his apology. Anyhow. Even if you have to beg at his feet. If you fail to do this and he refuses to take this defamation case back, you will be paying this money, Kiara. Not me or my company!”

.

.

Kiara rubbed her cold hands when she entered the Governor house once again in just twenty-four hours. She was scared and nervous to the core. But she had to do this because everything was at stake.

The protocol was the same when she was taken to meet the governor but this time it was not his office, it was the residential area. His living room basically.

“Mr Sullivan is waiting for you,” The maid informed her as she moved further in the sitting area.

Declan was sitting with his back to her. Kiara was glad for not facing him just now. Taking a deep breath she started, “Good Morning, Mr Sullivan.”

“Good afternoon, Ms Seth,”

Kiara frowned. This voice. It was different from yesterday. Before she could ask, the man stood up and turned around.

Kiara blinked in surprise seeing the six feet man with familiar facial features, the same sharp jawlines and eyes but he was not Declan Sullivan.

“I am sorry, I thought you were Mr Sullivan.”

“Then look closely, girl. I am Mr Sullivan. Liam Sullivan.” Liam gave her a cold smirk.

Kiara took a step back. “I am sorry but I came to meet Mr Declan Sullivan.”

Liam stepped closer. “Meet me first, Little girl.” he grinned looking her up and down. “I wanted to see my next slave, Up and Close just like you mentioned in the title of your interview.”

“Excuse me?”

Liam walked to her and stopped in her personal space. “I won't excuse you, Ms Seth,” He took another step forward making Kiara take a step back in fear.

“Sir, you are…”

“Liam!” The stern voice of Declan Sullivan made both Kiara and Liam turn to him.

Instinctively, Kiara took a sigh of relief seeing the Governor there.

Declan stared at Liam coldly and slightly tilted his head. The order was clear. Leave!

Liam wanted to speak but Declan’s gaze hardened in warning to not test his patience.

He sighed and looked at Kiara with glinting eyes and a twisted smirk. “Next time, little girl!” saying this, he walked away, leaving them alone. Victor stood a step behind Declan.

Kiara with a racing heart looked at Declan and started the apology she prepared while driving here.

“Mr Sullivan, I am here to apologize for the interview. We shouldn't have it published. But I assure you we will take it back. And I will publicly apologize for it in my next blog…”

Declan Sullivan kept staring at the girl coldly. He didn't reply, his gaze however hardened further as he finally cut through her coldly, “Apology? What is your bloody apology worth, Ms Seth?”

He didn't raise his voice but the sharpness and anger of his gaze eroded the goosebumps on Kiara's body.

There was unmistakable violence in his voice.

“I warned you not to publish it. Didn't I?” He stepped closer to her. “I told you about the consequences of it yet you did it, Kiara Seth!”

Kiara stepped back. “Mr Sullivan. I didn't publish it. It was…”

“Your name was written under the interview, Ms Seth. You asked me those questions.”

She opened her mouth to speak but Daniel’s words stopped her. She didn't have even one million, let alone five hundred million dollars!

“Mr Sullivan, I am here to apologize for it. And I will do everything possible to make up for it. I only request you to take the case back against our magazine. Five hundred million dollars as compensation is way too much for us.”

“Really? I think that's how much your magazine made by selling that interview to multiple media houses all over the country!”

She blinked in surprise. What? She was not aware of it. Damn you, Roger.

Declan stepped closer. “And whether I will take the case back or not depends upon you signing this contract, Miss Seth.”

“Contract?” Kiara's eyebrows curled together in an askance.

Victor at that moment stepped forward and handed Kiara a file.

“I am offering you a job contract under me, Ms Seth. The pay is better than what you are currently earning,” Declan said gesturing at the contract.

Kiara stood shocked. Job offer under him? She didn't feel right about this offer.

She opened the file and started reading it. She was horrified at the clauses written in it.

Clause one: Due to the nature of confidentiality, the employee must stay with the employer in his house right from the moment she signed this contract.

Clause two: The employer holds the right to summon the employee any time of the day or night.

Clause three: The employee must fulfill all demands and needs of the employer, be it personal or professional. Be it an intimate or public affair.”

Kiara’s eyes were literally about to burst out of their sockets when she read the next line: The employer's words are going to be an undeniable command for the employee!

Kiara didn't have the strength or patience to read further.

She closed the file with a loud thud and snapped at the so-called public servant standing in front of him.

“What the hell does this mean? You call it a work contract?”

Declan smirked. He calmly stepped near her and held her chin firmly, raising it up to his level, “You were too interested in my personal life, Ms Seth. Congratulations, now you are going to live it with me every single second of the day!”

Kiara looked at him furious before she slapped his hand away. “Who do you think you are? God?” Her whole body was shaking in rage.

“I am not signing anything with you. I came here to apologise for the scandal that happened because of this interview but you know what, you don't deserve it.” She glared at him.

“A pathetic man like you doesn't deserve anything in life. Now I understand why you got divorce in just two months of marriage. No wonder that girl refused to stay with a scoundrel like you!”

Victor gasped loudly as he looked between her and his Boss. No one had ever dared to raise their voice let alone say these crude words to the Governor.

Declan’s body coiled violently. For a moment he felt an immediate urge to snap that girl in two but he stopped himself. “You are once again crossing your limits, Ms Seth.”

“And you have not?” Kiara threw the contract at him. It hit his chest hard before falling down on the floor.

“I am not signing it.” With that she turned around to leave but Declan's commanding tone stopped her from taking the next step.

“If you leave without signing it, you will be jeopardizing the future of your magazine.”

Kiara fumed at his threat. Fisting her hands tightly to her side, she faced him again. “You can do whatever the hell you want. Nothing in this world could make me sign this slavery contract to you. Nothing and Nobody!” and with those words, she walked out of his place.

She was not going to sell herself for the damn company that betrayed her.

Declan Sullivan glanced at the fallen contract at his feet. He placed the shoe over it, crumpling it.

A dark shadow filled his cold gaze. After years, someone had dared to talk back and question his authority and it thrilled him somehow.

He smiled.

“Challenge accepted. Ms Seth!”