The van stopped in front of one of the high-end apartment buildings on Park Avenue. The door opened, and Mr. Colt extended his hand to help me out of the car. My heart thundered, and my body flooded with cold sweat, but I kept my expression blank. The last thing I wanted was for those men to know just how terrified I was.If Killian Blair wanted me to acknowledge just how powerful he was, he achieved it tenfold. I even began to debate whether I had made a mistake walking away from him last time. Certainly, that pondering lasted only until I recalled his words about my father. My resolution instantly formed in a blaze of rage. I would not let him threaten me and force me to do anything, and if he tried to… I would fight with all the skills I possessed.I was led through the elegant reception hall toward the elevators. “This way,” Mr. Colt said, gesturing at the one reserved for the penthouse. An apartment with a private elevator... How unsurprising.Grinding my teeth, I walked inside t
Was I doing the right thing? Probably not. Did the perspective of dealing with Killian Blair almost every day scare the holy crap out of me? Definitely yes. So why did I agree to all this? Well, I told myself that it was because I needed a job—and not just any job but a decent, well-paid one.I still had over fifty grand to pay to my father's creditors, and they were the people I certainly didn't want to mess with. I needed to keep my payments steady much more than I needed to eat three meals a day. In my situation, the director's salary was like a dream come true. Wouldn't I be an absolute fool to reject such an opportunity?The thoughts kept swirling in my head as I waited for Killian to finish talking with his lawyer over the phone. It was about the contract I was going to sign. Surely, it sounded more like I was about to sell my soul to the devil.“Patrick, my lawyer, will be here within an hour,” Killian informed me as he walked over to the sofa. He sat next to me, and I instantl
Killian had given me three days to say goodbye to my old life. After that, I would have to move into his penthouse and officially become his girlfriend. Of course, that change would also mean beginning my job in a shiny, brand-new position, and I couldn't wait for that to happen.It was two in the morning when I returned to Ashley's and Aaron's apartment. I assumed they would both be asleep by now. My plan was to quietly open the door and sneak into my bedroom. Well, I highly underestimated their curiosity and impatience…The second I opened the door, the lights in the corridor turned on. The twins stood at the opposite end of it, both giving me a meaningful look. A nervous chuckle escaped me. “Hi,” I muttered, awkwardly waving my hand.Aaron locked his eyes on me. “Beer, wine, whiskey, or vodka shots?”My lips twitched into a half-smile. “Um… I drank wine, so I'd rather—”“I'm asking, what should WE drink while listening to YOU?” He crossed his arms over his chest.I shrugged. “I'd s
KILLIAN“We've prepared the funds and all contracts just like you wanted, Mr. Blair,” Patrick informed me, and I could feel my muscles relax. It was the crucial part of the plan, and it was even more important for my father never to find out about it.“Excellent. Thank you for completing everything on such short notice.”“That's what you pay me for, Mr. Blair.” Patrick chuckled.I ended the call and leaned back in my chair. Tony watched me from a sofa, a cup of espresso in hand. I could never understand that guy's work schedule and how he could afford to sit in my office for hours while running a multi-billion-dollar company. He took a sip from his cup and narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you sure about this?”My brows knitted. “You have to be more specific.”“I don't mean the fake-girlfriend part; it was my idea anyway. I mean… Making her a director in a company on the verge of bankruptcy is a little…”“Dangerous? Ridiculous? Reckless as fuck?” I offered. “That's why I've taken precautio
JOSIE“Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip,” I muttered under my breath as I balanced on five-inch heels.The one-day high society survival camp Theresa had put me through paid off… or so I hoped. My hair had never looked more glamorous. My skin literally shone, and, for the first time in my life, everything within me seemed almost flawless. Of course, that was on the outside; my rattling insides were a completely different matter.Truthfully, I was terrified. I told Therese that going to Blair Digital during lunch hour was a terrible idea, but she only shook her head and laughed. “You'll be just fine, Josie,” she'd said then. “Besides, you need to practice. If you can't handle a few of your coworkers, how are you going to face a bunch of arrogant snobs?”She had a point. If I were to swim in the deep waters soon, I'd better start trying to float in the shallow waters first. So here I was—floating… sort of.My new appearance drew attention. I might not be dressed in screaming colors, b
Killian's words rang in my head long after our lunch had ended. He was right, though. I had crossed an invisible line. Signing that deal was something I would have never even considered doing just a month ago. I had been raised in the belief that breaking the rules was strictly forbidden and that those who broke them were to be punished. But that was not how the world was built.Over the years, I had seen it time and time again; some rules simply didn't apply to everyone. Those who were rich or knew the right people had privileges, while those like me… didn't. Also, the privileged ones were rarely punished for their deeds, even if those deeds were uniquely despicable. I painfully experienced it myself.Truthfully, I wasn't powerless either. As a teenager, I used to crack the codes and break into various systems for fun. I had the skills to bend some of the rules to my will, but since using my skills often required doing something illegal, I had thoroughly used them only once.I had br
My ex-boyfriend stared at me with widening eyes. Two other men who were with him in the elevator paid us no attention, too busy looking at their phone screens. They rushed past us, and a moment later, there was no one in the corridor aside from Dylan Steel and me.“What are you doing here?” he strained through his teeth while his eyes greedily traced every detail of my improved appearance.My shoulders moved in a faint shrug. “Working… or rather planning to, but I would need to get inside that elevator first,” I said, pointing at the car behind him.His brows rose, and an angry smirk appeared. “You got your job back?” The mockery in his voice was impossible to ignore.“Not quite. Now if you excuse me…” I sidestepped him and entered the car.He grabbed my wrist. “You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?”My brows knitted. “Doing... what exactly?”“This.” He gestured at my dress and hair and clicked his tongue. “You're trying to seduce me now that I am a married man.”Disbelief cut off
I got a text message from Killian saying he had to go on a three-day business trip. I should have felt relieved. Not seeing him for the next three days would surely give me peace of mind and allow me to focus on my current task. Yet, for some unexplainable reason, I felt something akin to disappointment, which only grew when I returned to the penthouse, finding it quiet and empty.“It's a good thing he's gone,” I told myself. “You don't need distractions, and he IS one hell of a distraction in your life.”Unfortunately, even with him away from New York, my thoughts stubbornly drifted to his words—absolutely shameless words. I couldn't stop replaying them in my head, and I knew that I needed to strengthen my defenses. I had to keep my guard up at all times, even during stupid phone calls.He was a deadly predator, playing with his prey. He was giving me a false sense of security, but I would be a fool if I didn't realize I was already inside his cage. Let's face it, I was losing this g