Chapter 3 : Vengeance

                           Emily's POV

Suzzane has been trying to reach Mr Smith since the moment we got to know about his sudden decision. I'm still in a shock— too stunned to get my brain to work. Why will Mr Smith do that with me at the final moment? 

Is Olivia behind this?

I remember after disappearing for the dare, I didn't show up. Kane didn't let me. Did she think I ditched her and left the venue?

Lord! She can't do this just because of a dare. 

"Emily, are you alright?"

I hear Suzzane, laying my head on my desk, my eyes closed. Nodding slowly, I let out a deep sigh and get on my feet. 

"Are you going somewhere?" She asks.

"I'm around. Keep trying to reach Mr Smith" 

I walk out of my small cabin, striding through the corridor. With the cold breeze hitting my skin, I look around at my tiny sector, surrounded by greens, and birds chirping through the nest. It's hard for the sunlight to pass through the deep greens, still, small rays flickering from each angle. 

This place— this environment always lets me stay calm, no matter how tough the situations are. I have faced another challenge today and that's not new to me. I'm used to it and I know I'll overcome this moment too. 

I climb up the stairs of my two-storied brick built office. The ground floor occupies the garden along with my cabin and record room and upstairs there's a huge space for our girls to work. It's divided into two sections— one part occupying the trainee girls and another side having the workers. 

As I reach the upper floor, the noise of little birds in the section chirps inside my head. These birds are none other than my girls, all aged from twelve to eighteen. 

I peek through the window, finding them laughing and gossiping together. I remember I had a tough time helping them to recover. A year back, they didn't even know how to smile. Now they can laugh, play and talk. Mental health is so freaking important and unfortunately, some dumbass businessman can never think of anything except money. Only if they knew how precious these smiles are, more than money. 

"They are excited about the new programme," Joanne says, coming out of another section. 

"I know," I let out a sigh. "I hope I'll be able to keep their smiles on"

"What happened, Emily?" The thirty years old woman asks. Joanne has been in the workers for more than three years and now she's stable in her life, training the new ones with her best.  "Are you alright?"

"Didn't Nina tell you anything?"

"Oh! I know that. But I'm not worrying. Because you'll handle it," she taps on my shoulder. "You have been tackling so many lives for three years with a smile. Why are you getting upset today?"

"I don't know," I walk into the section, discovering others working with the fabric. "Suddenly, it feels like it won't be easy like before"

It's unknown to me too. Why am I getting so nervous all of a sudden? I can feel that the experience of last night is taking a toll on my brain. 

"I don't want their hard work to go in vain. We have so much hope for this project and then the girls—"

"Everything will be fine. Don't worry," she says. 

"Emily, can you please come downstairs," Suzzane comes inside panicking. 

*

"Mr David sold his shares to one of his business partners. And he was dealing with you on that specific share. In fact, the big advance amount he gave us is from the same share. His other company which he doesn't even own now," Suzzane explains. 

I wasn't ready for this mess. 

How can it be possible? How can Mr Smith sell his shares overnight? Even if he did, I believe that the projects and investments completely depend on the investor, not on the investing company. 

I listen to Suzzane without uttering a single word. 

"Why are you silent?" She yelps. "We need to do something as soon as possible"

Turning onto my heels, I grab my bag and look straight at her. 

"I'm going to meet Mr Smith. He has to explain this to me. He holds the responsibility"

Frustrated, yet trying to be calm, I march faster towards the door and get interrupted by the clerk.

"Emily," Fredrick stands in front of me, nervous. 

"What's wrong? I'm going to Mr Smith's office"

"I think you don't need to know. The new investor is here to meet you"

My eyes open wide in shock. It was unexpected to me that the new investor who eventually cancelled the projects is here to meet me.

Why will he even bother to come here?

"Who's he?" I gasp.

"Someone you may want to see again and again, Miss Benson," the familiar husky voice struck my head like a thunderstorm as I look past Fredrick.

Kane is standing by the door with a wry smile on his face. I can't help diving into the entire flashback of last night, so hot and intense, still filled with regret and hatred. 

Damn!

My guilty gaze can't stop scanning him from head to toe. Now, I can see him properly after five damn years. He has changed a lot— but still holds the most attractive features. The only difference is his wholesome smile has turned into a vicious one. Whenever he smirks at me and darts his dark gaze, my heart automatically starts thumping.

Fuck!

This is not the moment to simp over your ex, Emily.

I scold myself and gulp down, trying my best to be normal.

It takes me a while to come back to reality and realise he's the one to buy Mr Smith's share. 

Why? Just why? 

I thought I would never face him. 

He walks up to me as Fredrick moves from the way. I feel my heart almost coming near to my mouth in nervousness. No one in this agency knows my past with him and I don't even want anyone to know. 

"Nice to meet you again, Miss Benson," he brings his hand up for a handshake. 

I want to avoid this at any cost. Feeling his touch is almost next to death to me. I already created a blunder last night just because I couldn't have control over my damn desire.

My tensed hand lifts around him as he lightly shakes my hand, looking at me intensely. 

I nod. 

"So, if it's possible, can we have a chat over the projects you were having with Mr Smith. I'm handling the projects now," he slides away from his hand from mine and tucks them into his pockets.

I nod again. 

My voice seems to get frozen inside my throat. 

"Frederick, we should leave," I hear Suzzane saying and walking past me with Fredrick.

Tension builds inside me, sensing I'm all alone in this cabin with him. But I have to be professional. At any cost. It's about my agency, my girls, my workers. There's nothing about my past anymore. Nothing matters. 

"Ka—" I pause. "Mr— Mr Gabriel"

I strive to speak looking up only to lose my voice again as Kane abruptly decreases the gap between us. I go out of breath, gaping at his rock hard reaction. 

"Mr Gabriel, it's— it's my office," I manage to act well even though my inside is burning.

"And do you think I care, little dove?" His whispers come out both scary and intense, delivering shivers down my spine. 

A wry smirk crosses his face as he steps closer to me and I step back, keeping my eyes on him.  The eye contact is weird and dangerous. I don't know where it's going. 

It forces me to lower my gaze and step backwards until I stumble behind the desk. My heart stops beating as he leans down to me,  grabbing the desk by caging me with his arms. 

"It's not a— place. Please," I stammer. 

"Was someone else's wedding venue a proper place to beg me for fucking you?" He groans. 

"Kane, please," I finally hear my voice aloud. "It— it was just— forget it"

"It must be easy for you to forget. Not for me. Now since you have given me a pinch of your taste, I want more," with his cosy breath fanning my skin, my eyes enlarge. 

My entire body feels numb with just one statement. I don't know what he's planning to do. 

"Well," he pushes himself back, finally making a space between us. I let out a deep sigh. "Let's talk about the work first"

"Yeah," I speak out right away. "I don't think Mr Smith has given you the project. He gave you the shares, right? There's no point in cancelling my deals with him"

Kane folds his lips and scoots back onto the desk behind him and tilts his head at me. 

This guy!

I thought I got over him. 

I believed I did— only until he crossed my path again. My loins already start aching by the way he's staring at me. 

"You're still so smart, huh!" He gasps, keeping the smirk on. "Definitely, the first thing in you that took my heart away"

I don't react even though his words are affecting me so much. 

"I knew you were gonna ask that," he shrugs. "So, let me tell you, Miss Benson. I bought the rights Mr Smith had on your project and he happily gave it to me"

I'm too stunned to react or speak after what he said. Did he deliberately do that? His wry smile says it all. 

"Did you— did you deliberately—" I can't even complete as he interrupts me.

"You took so long to understand this?" He chuckles. 

I can't believe it. Anger thumps against my veins as I glare at him in disbelief. 

"No," I whisper. "I believed you could never do such a thing"

He pauses to gaze at me for a while, then lets out a small laugh. 

"You believed? I think you should stop expecting things from me, Em. I don't even remember how I used to be. Why don't you just forget too?" He hops down from the desk and strides toward me again. "I can do anything now. Any fucking thing," reaching closer to my face he seethes.

From when did you become so venomous, Kane? 

I whisper inside even though I know the reason. 

The nervousness I was feeling until now is gone. I lift my gaze, full of confidence and grit my teeth at him. 

"Whatever we had is personal, Kane. You don't know anything about my work. It's not about me. You wanna ruin me? What's the fault of those poor girls?" I almost cry out.

"When did I say I want to ruin you?" His eyebrows draw together, giving a rise to my confusion. "I'm here to fix the deal"

I gulp down, sensing the intensity of this situation. Even though I hardly know this man standing in front of me, completely opposite to the one I knew, I can sense how things are gonna mould. He's not going to make it easier for me.

"H— how?" I murmur. 

He taps on his phone, keeping his eyes on me. In just a couple of seconds, a guy comes in and hands him a file, disappearing the next moment. 

"Do you realise that you have taken a huge loan from Mr Smith?" He asks, turning the pages.

"It wasn't a blind decision. I know what I'm doing. I have been working for three years," I say confidently. 

His lips stretch at one side in a mockery smile. 

"And you may lose the agency if I ask you to repay that and you can't," he raises his eyebrows. 

Terror cramps inside me with his words as I gawk at him in disbelief. 

"Mr Smith wanted to give willingly. It was nothing like a loan," I exclaim.

"But he gave it from the share funds," he says. "I hope you understand what that means, Miss Benson"

"You can't be serious," I screech at the top of my lungs. 

"I am pretty serious," he leans a bit closer to me. 

"I told you it's not about me. There's no fault in those people. Why are you doing this?" I groan.

"Did you let me finish?" He raises his eyebrow. 

I seal my lips abruptly and gaze at him. 

"Why didn't I send you the direct notice of paying the debt and end this?" He asks. "Definitely, I'm here with a better offer for you"

"What?" I ask, pressing the anticipation inside. 

"I'm ready to continue this project if you agree to provide something in exchange," he whispers, reaching closer to my face. 

My heart pounds faster as I strive to figure out what he's gonna ask for. 

"What? What do you want in exchange?" I stammer.

The vicious smile crosses his face again and he leans closer, his nose lightly touching mine. My legs freeze and I can't even move to make a distance. 

"You," he whispers, sending chills down my spine. 

It shudders me from the core as I gawk at him, widening my eyes. 

"M— me?" I exclaim. 

His smile vanishes and his eyes darken at me. I feel his hand sliding up to my throat as he grabs my neck and pulls me against his hard torso, his other arm snaking around my waist. 

The sharp vengeance of his gaze pierces my skin like a small blaze simmering like a volcano.

"Yes," a groan escapes his mouth. "You, your body, your soul, your heart, your breath, every fucking thing you have, every single bit of you. I want all" 

My devastated eyes explode at him in shock and fear when I realise I'm already bound to his shackles and it's too late to escape.