DORIAN'S POVHis lips quivered, and his eyes widened. "You... Do you agree?" He asked, his eyes showing his disbelief. Maybe this would have been amusing if I had been faced with someone else, but with Marcus, it only served to fuel my displeasure toward him. I dropped the pen that I'd been swirling around my fingers for a while and opened a file, "Do you think I shouldn't agree?" I asked coldly, and his eyes wavered. He immediately clasped his hands and shook his head, "No, Mr Dorian. You've made a very good decision and I will make sure you do not regret it!" He said with excitement written all over his phone, and my eyes went cold. Opening the file to the next page, I immediately signed it before throwing the pen to him, "Sign it then. It's easier to change my mind," I muttered with my head slightly bent. I needed to hide the glint in my eyes...Marcus picked the pen, he was very happy and being an open book, everything he had in his mind was clearly placed in front of me~He
ANNA'S POV "So, how has your stay been? Do you find it fun?" Dorian asked me over the phone. I snorted and rolled my eyes, "As if there's anything fun about working," I replied, but at the moment, there was a smile playing on my lips. Having been in the company for a few days, I had learned the way of the company and made friends with some people. The workers were nice, so that was only natural and including Katt, an accountant staff member who had become my friend. "Really? That's sad. I find work fun, though," Dorian replied, I could hear the amusement in his tone. I rolled my eyes again and smiled but in a low light so he wouldn't hear it, "I'm not like you, Mr Dorian. You are a workaholic while I'm a fragile woman," I replied. "Fragile woman? Why do I suddenly feel like finding that out?" Dorian asked, and my cheeks turned red. I blushed and covered my mouth. I was about to reply when I heard the sound of footsteps, "Let's talk later, Dorian. There's someone coming," I sai
ANNA'S POV Helen's words were shocking. I had intended to apologize to her so everything would end, and there would be peace between us, but who would have thought she was this stuck up?Using my body to claim positions?What was even more annoying was that I wasn't able to reply to her when Dorian walked in, and with the look on his face, he seemed to have heard her. He walked over to my table and had a seat, "What did you say earlier? Mind clarifying it?" He asked, his voice cold and detached. Helen, who had been an aggressive woman from the beginning, grew meek, and all she could do was stare at Dorian with innocent eyes. She looked like someone who had fully surrendered, which was quite surprising. "Helen, I just asked you to repeat what you said. Can't you hear me?" His voice was a bit louder. Helen trembled. She lowered her head, "I didn't mean it. I was just..." She looked at me, "I was just telling her a story about someone. I wasn't insulting her," She forced a very ugl
DORIAN'S POV I only intended to check on Anna to see how she was doing in her office when I overheard what was going on inside. It was so dirty and disrespectful that I felt my blood boiling. So, why did Anna still support her?I expected her to tell me the truth so I would be able to help her deal with someone as rude as Helen, but who would have thought she would lie to me instead. As curious as I was about the matter, I decided to let it be and just ask her later, which was why I asked her to see me when she was free. "Boss... Mr Dorian..."I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. "Sorry, I was thinking about something." I apologized to Brenda, who had been standing in front of me for a few minutes already. "Submit the files. I will go through them and sign them," I told her. "Okay, sir. Should I approve the request brought by the Samsung company?" Brenda asked, and I frowned. I had totally forgotten about that. "Do you think the content is favorable to us? You know our rules,
ANNA'S POV After listening to the rumor from Kaff, a part of me indeed felt jealous and unable to think straight. Asking Dorian was the only thing I could do, and his reply made me extremely satisfied, but what was this feeling?Just when I thought he was going to change the conversation, his eyes suddenly turned to that of a predator, and he stood up. Unable to calm my racing heart, I decided to stay away from him. At least he heard it, but he followed me instead. He continued moving closer until my back hit the wall. I was flustered and needy... My knees were weak, and if not for the support of the wall, I might lose my balance. Dorian's closeness was doing wonders to my mind, giving me no chance to think straight, but there was one thing I needed at the moment, and that was to kiss that beautiful lips."Would you think it's inappropriate to kiss you in my office right now?" His question was like a bowl of ice cream. Sweet and attractive. It made my throat die, and I couldn't h
Marcus’ POV “What's the matter with you?” Rachel asked me for the umpteenth time as we laid on the bed.It was the middle of the night yet for some reasons she was still awake and disturbing me like it was daytime.“Nothing, can you just let me be and stop pushing!”“Alright, you didn't have to yell. Sorry for disturbing you,” She said in an injured tone as she removed her hand from my body.I realised my mistake and reached out for her but she moved away before I could. It was clear that she was mad at me. She hadn't been receiving the level of attention she was used to getting from me anymore.It wasn't my fault though as she had been on my neck since I came back from the meeting with Dorian.I thought that I had done a good job in hiding my emotions but she appeared to have a sixth sense about it as she knew instantly that something was off with me as I came back.Seeing Anna in Dorian's company had thrown me off as she was the last person I expected to see. Truth be told, I had
Anna's POVI was just going to bed after a long day of work when my phone pinged. I had a new message and I looked at the phone in dread before I picked it up.The message was short and went straight to the point.; You have a meeting with Marcus tomorrow.I glanced in confusion at the message and wiped my eyes to make sure that I was reading the right thing. It was indeed the right thing. The message was from Dorian.It couldn't be right though as he had told me that it was in a few days. I was yet to brace myself for that and here he was springing it up on me. Tomorrow was too sudden.My first instinct was to call him and I was just about to do that when I checked the time. It was almost midnight. Certainly too late for a call. Obviously, he wasn't asleep as he had just sent the message but I didn't want to risk annoying him by calling him this late.I had to be content with dropping a message of my own. I typed it out quickly and then read it one more time to be sure that there wer
(Dorian's POV)From the vantage point in my office, I observed Marcus and Anna through the tinted glass talking below. I’d set the meeting up knowing it would force her to face Marcus, curious to see how she would handle the whole thing.I couldn't hear what they were saying but as the conversation unfolded, it became clear she was handling herself far better than even I’d anticipated.There was a calmness about her as she didn’t let Marcus’s usual arrogance get to her. She barely flinched at his condescending tone or his smug expressions, and something about her composure made me smirk in approval. I leaned a bit closer, watching as Marcus’s expression shifted from confident to rattled. The subtle changes in his demeanor were easy to spot: the slight stiffening of his posture, the narrowing of his eyes, the irritated twitch of his jaw. He wasn’t used to this side of her, and it was throwing him off-balance.There was a satisfaction in watching him squirm under her steady gaze, and
Anna's POV "You were meant to be an experiment," Dr. Reinhardt said to me leaning over to emphasise his words.I wondered what I had done to warrant the attention of this mad German scientist. I knew though that it had to be because of Dorian mixing up with the wrong crowd.The heavy door behind Reinhardt hissed open and a guard in a black uniform stepped in and Reinhardt nodded toward me."Prepare her for transport."I yanked at the restraints with all the strength I could summon. I wasn’t going to let them win like this.The guard moved closer and just then the lights flickered.The sudden dimming made Reinhardt pause and looked up at the overhead lamps which buzzed as if it was struggling for power. Then, in a blink, red emergency lights flooded the room.A low alarm groaned through the facility and the pitch kept increasing.Something was wrong.Reinhardt’s expression tightened as he turned toward the guard. "Find out what—"~BOOM!!!~The entire room shook and dust rained down
Sophia's POV Before I could react, hands grabbed me from behind, yanking me backward. I thrashed around but they were too strong. A sharp sting burst across my skull as someone struck me, my vision blurring with pain."Dorian—" I barely managed before they forced me down.I caught a glimpse of him fighting, moving like a blur—until a taser’s electric crackle filled the air. His body convulsed, muscles locking up as he collapsed.“Dorian!”A thick bag was shoved over my head, muffling my scream. Then—darkness.When I came to, my head throbbed like I’d been hit by a freight train. My body was heavy, sluggish. I tried to move, but resistance met me—straps. Thick, unyielding. My wrists, my ankles, even my torso were pinned to a cold metal table.Panic surged through me. My breath came in ragged gasps as my mind raced. Where was I? Where was Dorian?Footsteps. Slow, deliberate.A shadow passed over me, the dim overhead light shifting. Then, a voice—smooth, practiced, unsettling.“Anna.”
Anna's POV The train rocked gently as it sped through the tunnels and Dorian and I were pressed into a corner near the doors, heads down as we tried to blend in. My heart was still beating rapidly as I was jittery from what we had gone through.Across the car, a man in a dark jacket shifted slightly, glancing at his phone. I stiffened. Was he watching us? Or was my paranoia getting the best of me?Dorian must have noticed my tension because he leaned in, voice low. “Stay calm. If they had people on the train, we’d know by now.”I nodded, but the tension coiled in my chest refused to ease. The train rattled through the tunnels, fluorescent lights flickering overhead. Everything felt like a threat and I hated how jumpy I felt, not that I could help it.Dorian’s grip on my wrist tightened—a silent reassurance. “Breathe,” he murmured.The man in the dark jacket stood, heading for the next car. I tracked his movements until he disappeared.Still, the unease remained.“We need to get off
Anna's POV The neon light of the rundown motel flickered as Dorian parked the motorcycle behind the building, out of sight from the main road. My legs were shaking as I came down, barely catching myself before my knees gave out. Every muscle in my body ached, but I forced myself to move. We couldn’t rest yet.Dorian scanned the empty lot, his sharp eyes searching for threats. When he was satisfied we weren’t being followed, he gestured for me to follow. The motel’s chipped paint and broken sign told me everything I needed to know—no security cameras, no questions asked.Inside, the air smelled of stale cigarettes and mildew. The receptionist barely glanced at us as Dorian handed over cash, securing a key without a word. He didn’t ask how long we’d stay, and I was grateful for that.The moment we stepped into the room, I locked the door and sagged against it, pressing my forehead to the cold wood. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving only exhaustion and the lingering terror of how
Anna's POVThe cold night air was too much for me as we ran past Berlin’s darkened alleys. The city lights were particularly bright but we kept to the shadows so we wouldn't be seen.My heart pounded as I ran but I kept moving. Dorian’s grip on my hand was firm, pulling me forward, guiding me as if he could sense the safest paths.We barely spoke, just exchanged quick glances as we wove through the streets. Dorian tried calling the organization’s emergency line, his jaw tightening when no one answered. A second call. Nothing. The third went straight to voicemail. He cursed under his breath. We were on our own.The weight of that realization pressed down on me. Whoever had attacked us knew exactly where we were. They had planned this. And now, with our protectors possibly dead, we had no backup. No weapons. No safe place to go. I shuddered as I feared what they'd do if they caught us. A distant shout echoed behind us, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. My stomach twisted. The
Dorian's POV That night, as soon as we were alone in the hotel room, words became unnecessary as we rushed at each other. The tension and the raw emotions that had been simmering beneath my skin all burst free the moment I kissed her. Anna melted into me, her fingers threading through my hair as if afraid I would disappear.I wasn’t sure if this was real or some cruel illusion, but I didn’t care. She was warm, solid, alive—and that was all that mattered.We spent the night tangled together, whispering each other’s names and relearning the feel of one another’s bodies. Every touch was urgent, every kiss desperate, as if making up for lost time. And when exhaustion finally claimed us, I held her close, unwilling to let go even in sleep.The next morning, sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, casting golden patterns on the bed. Anna stirred beside me, her bare skin warm against mine. I watched her face for a moment, memorizing the peaceful rise and fall of her breathing, the way
Dorian's POV I stared uninterestedly at the runway as the plane shuddered to a stop, and the seatbelt sign dings off. I stood up, unbuckled and lurched forward, only to be stopped by the wall of bodies cramming the aisle and I was almost pushed over.I scowled deeply when people began yanking their bags from the overhead compartments like it was a race, the same way Americans did. It was everything different from what I thought Germany to be.Someone’s backpack swung dangerously close to my face and I ducked. I gripped the armrest, exhaling through my nose as I waited for the madness of the economy class to die down.I glanced at my phone—no signal yet. The flight attendant was smiling that tired, practiced smile, reminding us to be orderly. No one listened. The line inched forward, the guy ahead of me struggling with an overstuffed duffel. I shifted my weight impatiently, my carry-on wedged between my feet. The air was hotter and stuffier, like the plane itself was urging us to lea
Beth's POV I woke up the next morning pensive and annoyed, partly because I had a restless night punctuated with brief dreams and overthinking. I was motionless for a minute as I tried to remember the details of the dream but gave up when I couldn't recall it.I looked at my phone and groaned as I saw the time. I had overslept which was something that happened rarely as I was a stickler for routine. With a manic burst of energy, I got up and began preparing for work. I needed no one to tell me that my day was only going to get more weird.Once my schedule was broken, it was only natural that the rest of the day became shitty. I knew that much from experience.My pensive mood continued as I drove to the office and I only heard my name after I had been called at least thrice. I snapped at Brenda when she got in my business then asked her to call a mandatory meeting for all employees.She didn't hurry to do it but hesitated a bit and I knew she was curious as to why I was calling a me
“What do you think about all this, Aldred?”As Rey’s question echoed in the air, Aldred gave a knowing smile—as if he already expected the question.“It’s probably a ruse. The actual Warehouse must be hidden underground.” Rey made a slight grimace underneath his mask.‘Just as I suspected…’Even with this discovery, it didn’t change what they had to do. ‘We still have to invade. The entrance to the underground passage must be here somewhere.’Rey almost felt like he was invading the territory of a mafia group or some sort of cartel. He hadn’t done it before, but it seemed like this was how it would feel.“This establishment is run by Evals Redart, the biggest guy in business in the South.” Aldred went on, his tone still retaining the same hint of amusement from earlier.“I don’t imagine that we’d run into him here, but if we do, then the KariBlanc Group would like to stay out of it.”Rey let out a sigh and shrugged lightly.“I hadn’t planned for both of you to come inside with me a