บททั้งหมดของ BENEATH THE MASK : บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

POV: VivianThe elevator ride down was taking longer than I would have liked.My lips were pressed tightly in a thin line, it was so tight that I could feel the pressure in my jaw. I ground my teeth together, and the dull throb at the side of my head grew stronger with every second that passed. I stared straight ahead at the reflective door, at my reflection. But I didn't need to look at my reflection to know the feeling of anger that was flowing in my vein.Who the hell did Damian even think he was?All these years — I’ve tried to make whatever this thing between us was actually work. I waited patiently for him. I reached out first all the time. I was the only one who called all the time. I bent and bent and bent until it felt like I was breaking and losing myself.And what did I get in return?Cold eys. Silence. Distance.It felt like he was playing games with me.The elevator dinged softly as the doors opened. I stepped out without hesitation, my heels clicking loudly on the clea

POV: DamianBy the time I walked back into my penthouse, my whole body felt like i had been one of the contestants in a fear factor tournament.I knew a Nigerian American once back in the army and he'd have said, ‘body no be firewood.’ That phrase always made my day.The door closed shut behind me with a soft click, finally shutting off the outside world. Home at last.As I walked into the sitting and passed the passage to my beadroom, the lights came on automatically, one after the other, reacting to my movement. Motion sensors. The joy of not having to look for a switch on the wall, right?It was one of the many things I had installed so I wouldn’t have to think when I got home.Because right now, I was too tired to even think of anything tonight.I loosened my tie as I walked toward my bedroom, rolling my shoulders, trying to release some of the tension locked in my muscles. It was normal for me to come home very exhausted. Long and tiring days were also part of the job.But to

POV: Damian“What the fuck are you doing in my office, Marcus?”Those were the words that left my mouth the instant we walked into my office.I closed the door shut behind me and walked toward my desk, already irritated just by seeing him. That irritation doubled when I turned and saw Marcus sitting comfortably on the couch, one leg crossed over the other like he owned the place. This fucking idiot.I scoffed.“Sure. Why don't you just sit down and make yourself comfortable?”Marcus grinned, sitting down there looking completly unbothered. “Well, you refused to make time to see me, so I figured, why not come to your office instead? Maybe then I’ll finally be able to convince you to spend some time with me. Come on, it will be fun and you know it.”I looked at him with a bit of disgust in my eyes. “Are you being serious right now, Marcus? I’m very sure when you asked last night, I told you clearly that I wouldn’t be hanging out with you.”“Come on, Damian,” he said casually. “I came h

POV: AkaydaThe second I walked into the apartment, the weight of the whole day came crashing on me. I dumped my bag on the floor with a soft thud, and I let out a long sigh before collapsing face down on my bed. My body felt like it had been through a marathon I hadn’t signed up for.Thank god. I had made it through the rest of the day without any more surprises. Just that alone deserved a small celebration—but I didn't even have the energy to lift my hand. Ever since I had heard my stage name come out from the mouth of my boss, Damian Knight, I had been on edge all day long. Every slight movement, every word he said, every time he looked my way felt like a test. Every time he called me into his office, I would mentally prepare myself to hear the words I had been dreading: that he knew my secret. He knew who I really was But… somehow, I had survived the day. Somehow, I had made it through without being caught, and I had even managed to do my job without any more mistakes. And th

POV: VivianI slammed the door shut behind me with a very loud bang. The sound echoed loudly through Damian’s office, but I didn’t give a damn, if I had to break the door, I will.I was fucking pissed right now. I wanted answers and I was going to get it.I walked straight to the couch and flung my bag onto it without even thinking twice, I could literally see my chest rising and falling because of how high I was breathing.“What was that?” I snapped.Damian didn’t even flinch.He walked over to his desk, calmly, like I hadn’t just asked him a question, like my anger meant absolutely nothing to him. He sat down slowly, crossing his arms before leaning back in his chair. Was he trying to ignore me or what?“What was what, Vivian?” he asked, his voice maddeningly calm. I scoffed loudly. “Oh, don’t do that, Damian. Don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” I said pointing towards the door.He raised a brow, unimpressed. Oh, that's what we're doing right? Two can play