All Chapters of HIRED AND WANTED : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

AMARA'S POV****The message came in very early this morning.Ms. Clara (Secretary): Good morning, Amara. Mr Wellington will be attending a dinner meeting this evening. You'll be accompanying him.A pause. Then another message followed.Ms Clara: Location: The Von Krauss Residence.Time: 7:30pm.Dress code: Formal.I stared at the screen for a long moment, blinking like maybe the words would rearrange themselves into something less irritating.Dinner meeting.That meant leaving the office. That meant being beside him for hours. That meant being trapped in his presence, forced to breathe the same air af if we were normal.I typed a reply with stiff fingers.Me: Noted.I dropped my phone on the bed and stood up, suddenly took restless to sit still. I walked to my wardrobe and stared I to it like the right outfit would somehow make this day easier.It wouldn't. But I still chose carefully.A crisp white blouse. Clean and fitted, not tight but enough to show I knew exactly what I was doin

AMARA’S POV***I stepped out of the elevator, walking briskly towards my office. Through the glass panels of Dorain's office, I caught sight of him, sharply dressed, jaw tight, his voice boomed through the ajar door as he scolded the employee. The staff looked flustered, almost afraid. What has gotten into him today? I wondered, slowing my pace for just a moment, taking in the rare intensity of his irritation. This wasn't a man used to being frustrated, let alone losing control like that.I shook my head, pushing the thought aside and walked to my office. Dropping my bag on the chair, I gathered the files and notepad, bracing myself to face the Dorian I just saw.I squared my shoulders, took a deep breath, and walked into his office.“Good morning, Mr Dorian,” I greeted.“What do you want?” He snapped, barely looking up from the documents scattered across his desk. His voice was cold.I set my files down carefully. “Here's the schedule for today, and the documents you requested are r

DORIAN’S POV***The office was silent, but my mind wasn’t.The city outside my windows had already dimmed into night, the city lights glowing faintly through the glass. Everyone else had gone home hours ago. The building was almost empty.But I was still here, not because I had to be but because I didn’t want to go home.Home meant silence. It meant thinking. It meant remembering the way Amara looked at me earlier today like she’d won something without even trying. Like she’d enjoyed watching me unravel.A date.And the worst part wasn’t the word. It was the fact that she said it with ease. As if it meant nothing. As if she didn’t know what it did to me.I pressed my fingers against my temple, forcing myself back into the documents spread across my desk. Contracts. Reports. Numbers. Anything that wasn’t her. But every line blurred into her name anyway.I’d barely signed the last page when a knock came. I didn’t look up.“I said I’m not seeing anyone,” I muttered.The door opened regard

AMARA’S POV****Jack’s idea of “something small” was apparently an apartment packed with people, loud music, and enough alcohol to drown a city.The moment Davina and I reached the door if the apartment, bass hit my chest like a second heartbeat. The hallway already smelled like liquor.Jack opened the door before I could knock, grinning like he’d been waiting with his hand on the handle.“There she is,” he said dramatically, pulling me into a quick hug. “My lifesaver.”I rolled my eyes. “Don’t start.”Davina leaned close to my ear. “He’s so dramatic.”“I know,” I whispered back.Jack stepped aside to let us in, and instantly, we were swallowed by the party.The apartment was huge. One of those New York spaces that made you wonder what kind of crime someone committed to afford it. The lights were dim, the kitchen counter was filled with bottles, and people were everywhere—laughing, dancing, shouting over the music like they enjoyed struggling.Jack leaned closer to me. “You’re staying

AMARA'S POV***I didn’t even know why I came to the pool.Maybe because the apartment felt too loud even after the music died. Maybe because my head wouldn’t shut up. Maybe because every time I closed my eyes, I saw Dorian’s face at that party—dark, unreadable… dangerous.And the way he looked at me during that stupid dare. Like he wanted to drag me off Jack’s lap and lock me away.Then he left.It shouldn’t have bothered me. It shouldn’t have mattered.Because the moment he disappeared, the whole party felt different. Like my skin suddenly remembered who it belonged to… even though it shouldn’t belong to anyone.I couldn’t sleep after. Davina knocked out quickly, sprawled across the bed like she didn’t have a care in the world. I lay beside her, staring at the ceiling, listening to the distant hum of the city outside the apartment windows. But inside me, everything was too loud.So I got up quietly, grabbed a towel, and walked out.The hallway lights were dim. The apartment was quiet