chapter 2

: BARGAIN

Chaos swirled around the entire building. Employees rushed past my desk, straightening ties and prepping files, all for the arrival of one man. Eventually, Mr. Miller called me down to the lobby. We stood outside the company's main entrance as two pristine black SUVs idled at the curb.

The heavy doors opened in perfect sync, and four broad-shouldered men in tailored suits stepped out. One of them immediately moved to the rear door, opening it with strict formality. Then, the guest stepped out.

My breath caught in my throat. “Who the hell is he?”

He had dark hair, flawless skin, a wide back and shoulders that tapered down to an incredible waist that has no business being that slim.His charcoal suit clung to his frame like it was guilty of looking too good.God had clearly taken His time crafting this man.Suddenly, his dark eyes scanned the crowd and found mine.

Time completely stopped. The noise of the city, the movement of the staff, the entire world it all faded away.

"Focus," Mr. Miller muttered sharply beside me. I snapped out of it, dropping my gaze to the pavement as my pulse hammered against my ribs.

“What was that? Why did it feel like I’d known him for a lifetime?” I peeked up slightly.

"Mr. Miller," the guest said, his voice smooth and deep as he shook my boss's trembling hand.

Then, he turned his full attention to me. He took my hand in his, bowing slightly to press a firm kiss to the back of it. “My lady,” he said. An electric spark shot straight up my arm.

My skin felt like it remembered his touch long before my mind could process it. And God, he smelled intoxicating. Clean, dangerous, and completely addictive. His thumb brushed lightly over my knuckles. He smiled slow, deliberate, and wicked like he knew exactly what he was doing to my composure.

Suddenly a heavy throat cleared behind him. It was his lead guard. The guest finally let go of my hand, casually adjusted his cuff, and walked past me into the lobby.

I forced a professional smile and stepped aside to follow. The guard who had opened the SUV door fell into step right behind me. I felt it instantly, an intense, burning stare boring holes into my back. Or was it just my imagination?

My mind kept drifting back to our mysterious guest. “Why did he feel so intimately familiar? Like we had met in another life.” I laughed at that thought as if.

We reached the executive elevator. I pressed the up button, and the doors slid open. We stepped into the mirrored cabin, my boss grinning like an idiot the entire time. I internally rolled my eyes. “So there was someone in this world that Mr. Miller was terrified of.”

"What’s your name?" The question cut through the quiet air, directed squarely at me.

The guest ignored my boss completely, even as Mr. Miller scrambled to kiss up to him. Normally, I would feel offended on behalf of the company, but watching my boss squirm was too satisfying.

I looked up to answer. Big mistake. The guest was towering over me, staring straight down. “Damn. Was I really that short, or was he just too tall?”

"Amelia, sir," I replied smoothly.

He nodded once, his expression shifting as if he were permanently memorizing the syllables. "Amelia," he repeated, the name barely above a whisper. His voice was low, rough, and it sent an involuntary shiver straight down my spine.

I quickly dropped my gaze back to the floor. What is it about him? And why was he making me feel this way?

"Where do you stay, Amelia?" His dark eyes glowed with a quiet, intense curiosity.

Seriously, what was wrong with this guy? He came here to negotiate with my boss, so why was he interrogating his secretary instead? A part of me wanted to pretend I hadn't heard him just to avoid the awkwardness, but Mr. Miller would have a fit if I ignored a VIP.

"Hmmm, I…."

The elevator doors opened before I could formulate an answer. Thank God.

My boss stepped out first, followed closely by the guest and his security detail. I kept my head down and walked straight to my desk, waiting to be summoned.

A few minutes later, my desk phone rang. "Make us coffee," my boss’s voice snapped through the line before he abruptly hung up, sounding thoroughly frustrated.

I huffed, slamming the receiver down. “Why was he always so incredibly rude? If I didn’t desperately need the money, I would have given him a piece of my mind and walked out for good.”

I wasn’t exactly lucky in the family department. I had grown up in an orphanage, and the facility directors had used their connections to get me this administrative job. In return, they still came by my apartment every single month to collect a portion of my paycheck to pay off what they spent raising me. I was just another kid nobody wanted, working to pay off her debt.

I pushed open the heavy office door, a serving tray balanced in my hand. Two coffees, perfectly prepared.

I set the tray down, handing one cup to my boss before turning to the guest. He reached out to take the porcelain mug, his eyes locked onto mine. His warm fingers deliberately brushed against my own. The same electric sparks from earlier shot up my arm. I gasped softly, instantly yanking my hand back.

"Thank you," he said smoothly.

“You’re welcome, sir," I murmured, taking a hasty step away from the desk

"I’ve changed my mind. I’ll take her as the bargain." The entire office went dead silent

Take who? Take me for what now?

"But sir…" Mr. Miller stammered.

"I’ll forget the outstanding debt," the guest cut in, casually sipping his coffee as if we were discussing the weather. "If you hand over your secretary to me."

I froze on the spot. “Does this psycho think I’m some kind of trophy he can just barter away?”

"But Mr. Leonhart, my daughter would be more than efficient enough for your estate, why her? She’s just a…"

"I don’t think what I intend to do with her is any of your business, Mr. Miller."

That instantly shut my boss up.

“Leonhart. Where on earth had I heard that name before?”

He placed his coffee cup back on the table, his fingers lingering on the porcelain for a second too long before pulling away. Then, he stood up and walked toward me, his movements slow, fluid, and deliberate. My eyes tracked his every step.

He stopped a mere inch away from me, reaching out to tilt my chin up with his thumb until I had no choice but to look into his eyes. My breath hitched. For a second, my lungs forgot how to function.

"But if you must know," he murmured, his face inches from mine, "I’m in love with her." The room fell into absolute, stunned silence.

"Come with me," he whispered.

I snapped out of the trance and yanked my face back from his touch. "I’m not for sale." I blurted, turning on my heel, as I marched straight out of the office, with my heart hammering violently against my ribs.

Outside in the corridor, his massive guard was already waiting for me. "Miss Amelia, my boss wishes to speak with you further."

"Tell your boss I’m not interested," I snapped, attempting to push past his bulky frame.

Without a single word of warning, the guard grabbed my wrist, pivoted, and hoisted me over his broad shoulder in one swift, effortless move like I was a sack of potatoes.

"Hey! Put me down!" I screamed, kicking my legs wildly and slamming my fists into his solid back.

"I’m sorry, miss, but my boss wants to talk to you. "The elevator doors slid open ahead of us, and he walked right in.

Oh no, this cannot be happening. Where the hell are they taking me?