Hostile Arrangements

(ZAYNE'S POV)

I glare at her.

And she glares right back.

At first, the second I locked eyes with her, I thought I was seeing things. But it's her.

The same woman that turned me into a viral meme.

For a solid ten seconds, it's nothing but a silent standoff that could burn the fucking air between us.

Celeste's the first to move. She rises from behind her sleek, glass desk with that calm, polished smile of hers. Completely unaware that she's dealing with two ticking time bombs about to go off.

"Mr. Beaumont," she says smoothly, gesturing toward me. "Meet Agent Aurianna Astranova. She'll be overseeing your personal prote-."

"No. Nope. Absolutely not!" I interrupt before she can even finish. "This is not happening!"

Celeste blinks, caught off guard by the outburst.

Aurianna crosses her arms over her chest. "Oh, it's happening, sweetheart."

I shake my head and laugh under my breath, the kind that comes right before someone loses it. "Please, someone tell me this is a fucking joke."

Celeste's brows knit slightly. "Mr. Beaumont? I don't underst-"

I raise my voice this time, cutting her off. "She's the one you're sending to protect me?"

Celeste looks between us, confused. "Have you two met before?"

Aurianna sighs, tilting her head slightly. "Sadly, yes."

"Sadly?" I bark out a bitter laugh and take a step forward, planting my palms on Celeste's desk hard enough that the pens in her holder rattle.. "There's no way in hell I'm agreeing to this.You can't seriously expect me to let her protect me."

Celeste's gaze darts between us, clearly sensing the tension.

With rage bubbling up in my chest, I point a finger at Aurianna. "This bi-" I almost let the word bitch slip, but the way her eyes sharpen, daring me to finish it, makes me swallow the rest of the word before it can leave my mouth.

"This woman is the reason my name is being dragged through the mud all over the goddamn internet! She turned me into a viral meme!"

Her lips twitch like she's fighting a laugh.

I keep going. "I don't need protection. Especially not from the woman who publicly humiliated me."

"Then maybe," she shoots back coldly, "you should've kept your hands to yourself."

I glare at her. "I said it was an accident."

She rolls her eyes, unimpressed. "You're so full of shit," she replies, not missing a beat. 'Do I look like I was born yesterday?"

"You're damn lucky I haven't decided to press charges," I snap.

"Enough!" Celeste cuts in before either of us can say another word. "Sit down, Mr. Beaumont."

I huff out a breath and drop into the chair beside Aurianna. She sits like she's in a photoshoot, one leg crossed over the other, looking bored out of her mind.

Celeste exhales quietly, then focuses on me. "Mr. Beaumont, I apologize for the misunderstanding that occurred between you two, but O.A.S.I.S. was contracted to handle your protection. And Agent Astranova is, without question, our best operative. You'll be in good hands."

"Yeah, I've seen what those hands can do," I mumble, rubbing my jaw.

Aurianna smirks.

Celeste ignores that. "You don't have a choice, Mr. Beaumont. The board, your PR team, and O.A.S.I.S. have all signed the contract. Agent Astranova will be moving into your home as your Executive Security Consultant. The arrangement is final."

I shoot up from my seat, staring at her like she's grown another head. "You can't be serious."

"Oh I'm dead serious," she says flatly. "Either you accept her protection, or we withdraw the contract. If you die, it won't be our problem."

The room falls silent.

I clench my fists so hard my fingers dig into my palms. My teeth grind together as I turn to look at Aurianna. She's not even looking at me.

She's busy admiring her goddamn nails.

The fact that she's not even fazed at the slightest, pisses me off even more.

I eventually drop back into my seat, silently fuming.

Finally, I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair. "Fine. Whatever. I'll play along."

Celeste nods, satisfied, and slides a file across the desk to Aurianna. "These are classified documents containing Dominik D'Angelo's latest movements. From what we've gathered, he's here in Los Angeles. Twice now, Mr. Beaumont has been the target of assasination attempts-once at the L.A. Gala, and once at his company's Malibu estate."

Aurianna flips through the file, her face unreadable. Then she glances at me, her lips curving slightly. "Looks like you really do need my protection after all."

I don't say anything. I can't. Because she's right.

For the first time, it hits me-this isn't just about bad press anymore. Someone actually wants me dead.

Celeste dismisses us a few minutes later. I stand immediately, mutter a half-hearted "thanks," and head for the door.

Not even a few steps after leaving the office, I hear her voice.

"Hey, Beaumont."

I stop. My jaw ticks and my shoulders tense, and for a moment I consider ignoring her. But against my better judgment, I turn around.

"What?"

(AURIANNA'S POV)

He looks irritated. Good.

I close the distance between us, stopping just in front of him.

"Out of the kindness of my heart," I say softly, "I want to apologize for my actions back at the club."

His brows furrow, confusion and surprise flashing across his face. "Really?"

"Yeah." I nod slowly. "Right after you apologize for groping me without my consent."

He groans, throwing his head back like he's had enough of me already. "Not this again."

He steps closer, completely eliminating any space left between us until I can feel the heat of his body radiating against mine. His voice drops, rough and dangerous.

"I said, it was a fucking accident. You're already walking a tight rope here, Aurianna. I've got the money and power to destroy you. So don't. Fucking. Push me."

He's trying to scare me. Dominate me.

It's almost cute.

I hold his stare, refusing to back down. The air between us feels thick, and charged. His breath grazes my lips, and suddenly I'm aware of how close we are.

Too close.

My heartbeat stutters, and heat creeps up my neck before I can stop it.

I clear my throat, taking a deliberate step back, masking whatever the hell that moment was.

"See you soon, Beaumont," I murmur, brushing past him. My shoulder bumps his as I walk away, leaving him standing there.

Wondering what the hell just happened, I head for the elevator without looking back.