Chapter 1

1

ARIA

“Aria Whitlock.”

I tensed a bit, my head snapped towards the man who had been standing in the elevator with me for the past few minutes.

He was holding a magazine in front of his face, hiding his face from me. My brows dipped as I stared at him. He wore a navy-blue pine striped suit, brown expensive looking shoes. His complexion was fair, not tanned; only his veiny hands were visible to me.

Confidence oozed from him.

And I knew he wasn’t an employee.

Even though the pay was good here at Pierce Industries, this man looked like he took a swim in luxuries.

His suit, his shoes, his Rolex watch screamed money.

“They say you never smile.”

My eyes flicked to the magazine that hid his face from me. His voice was deep, husky and so fucking beautiful.

Were voices even considered beautiful?

Even if they were not, his was. And I was acting weird.

Even though I was standing beside him, I could see his face and the tremendous urge I felt to see him was weird for me.

“They say you have an RBF.” His words held a tone of amusement.

What?

I decided to play along. If this mysterious man wanted to remain a secret, so be it.

“RBF?”

He chuckled, a rich and husky voice that had a shiver racing down my spine.

“Resting Bitch Face.”

My lips parted as a scoff left me. Did I have a resting bitch face? I never noticed.

Lies.

Yeah, maybe I did have a resting bitch face.

“No one has ever seen you smile,” He spoke, my eyes were glued to the magazine, wishing I could see through it. I wanted to see the man who wanted to hide from me yet had no problem talking to me.

“Will you smile for me, Aria?” I was shocked at his question. I couldn’t see him but I heard the smile in his words.

A smile.

The man wanted a smile. No. He wanted me to smile. For him.

I cleared my throat, gripping the straps of handbag tightly as I spoke, “I don’t smile for creeps.”

His husky chuckled filled the air again. His lean fingers tightened around the magazine. My eyes moved towards his arms, hidden beneath the pine striped suit, the bulge of his muscles was evident. He was tall. Like tall tall. I was 5’8” myself, but this man was taller than me. From where we stood, I reached his shoulders.

“So, will you?”

“Will I what?”

“Smile for me, Aria.”

“I told you I don’t smile for creeps.”

“What if I am not a creep?”

“You’re hiding your face behind a magazine, man in suit.”

“You said it yourself,” He paused, “You think a creep would wear a suit like this?”

His words had me wondering. I moved my eyes away from him and stared at the elevator doors.

“You’d be surprised to see the darkness that lingers beneath the beauties of this life.” My voice was serious, the sharp intake of breath beside me told me he had sensed the change in my tone.

“Yeah,” He spoke after a minute, “Not all beauties are fake though.”

They were. Everything was fake. People wore masks that hid the real monsters they were from the world. I had seen the monsters; I had faced them.

I was once their victim.

“You’re beautiful, you know.” He said then, as if trying to change the topic.

I let it go.

I felt something funny inside me at his words. Something that I was not used to feel. I immediately tampered it down, I didn’t need more problems in my life.

“I know.” I deadpanned.

“I feel like it’s going to be difficult to make you smile.” He drawled, I sensed the underlying teasing in his words and just shook my head.

The elevator dinged. I had reached the desired floor. I moved out, leaving the man in suit alone but not before I heard his words,

“I love a challenge, ocean eyes.”

***

When the elevator doors opened the next morning, I was met with a familiar magazine man.

I bit my lip when they threatened to twitch. It was a sight that you didn’t see every day.

A tall and muscled man hid behind a magazine but still teased and laughed like a kid.

Straightening my shoulders, I walked in the elevator and stood beside him after pressing the buttons.

He hadn’t taken the magazine away from his face.

“How are you this morning, Aria?”

I squinted my eyes at him, he wore a black suit today.

“How do you it was me?” I asked, genuinely confused. I hadn’t talked and he hadn’t taken the magazine away from his face.

“You smell.” I gasped.

My eyes widened with mortification and my jaw fell at his words.

I smelled?

 No, I didn’t. I bathed before coming office every day.

I was aware that my cheeks had heated up when I discretely tried to bury my face in my shoulder, trying to sniff myself.

“… like vanilla and ocean.”

My head snapped up. Oh God!

He burst out laughing a second later, his whole body shook, the pages of the magazine had crumpled from his tight grip. His back was slightly bent as he laughed.

I couldn’t remember the last time I was so embarrassed. I didn’t need a mirror to confirm that I was looking like a ripe tomato.

He laughed.

And I watched mesmerized, even though I couldn’t see his face.

I heard him, took the beautiful, rich sound of his laughter.

Not many people laughed so freely around me. Gideon and I did but it was just limited to snorts and light chuckles.

But this man, he laughed like he had no care of this word.

It was contagious.

I couldn’t help but smile even though he couldn’t see him. 

He stopped when the elevator dinged, he straightened up, adjusted the magazine so I couldn’t see his face and took a few steps.

I wanted to see his face.

“Until next time, ocean eyes.”

My traitor heart surprisingly skipped a beat at the nickname.

“Won’t you tell me your name?” I asked when he stepped out of the elevator.

“It's ‘the man who made Aria smile’, ocean eyes.”

My eyes widened a fraction. How did he see me smile?

He had dark hair; raven black and they looked soft like silk.

“You have a beautiful smile, ocean eyes.” He spoke just when the doors closed.

I was left alone, with a racing heart and messy mind.

My hand went up to my face, my fingers grazed over my eyes then moved to my lips, “Ocean eyes.”

I stepped back with a tiny smile playing on my lips.

“Ocean eyes.” I whispered to myself.

Men were more trouble than they're worth.

***

“Are you done?” I asked Gideon who was reading some files sitting behind his desk.

He looked up when I stuck my face through the door and shook his head.

“No,” He paused, his eyes sweeping over the mess of files on his desk, “Can you come to the mansion?”

When I raised a brow, he continued, “We need to work on the contract with Petrakis.”

“The new shareholder?”

“Yeah,” His Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed, “That one.”

He looked tense.

“Fine.” I nodded, “Call me when you’re done.”

He smiled- grimaced before returning the nod.

I closed the door and moved into my office. Taking my handbag, I stepped out and moved towards the elevator. When I stepped in, my mind went back to that man.

I shook my head, shooing away the memories. Men were more trouble than they were worth.

When the elevator pinged, I made my way towards the underground parking lot. It was empty. No one was here. The cars were gone except mine and Gideon’s. When I stepped in, I felt something off.

It was a weird feeling. The feeling of having eyes on one’s self. The feeling of being watched.

I fastened my pace, my stomach flipped when I heard the footsteps approaching me.

Be brave. Be brave.

The footsteps grew faster and closer. Taking a deep breath, I halted and turned around, ready to attack.

“What the fuck?” I whispered out.

Nothing. No one. No one was here.

I whirled around, swept my eyes everywhere but not a single soul was in sight.

My heart raced, adrenaline rushed through my system making me ready for fight or flight.

Or in my case, it was flight.

I heard them. The footsteps. I couldn’t be imagining them; they were loud and clear.

Without wasting a second, I pushed my legs faster and basically fled towards my car. The sounds of my heels clicking on the floor echoed in the empty basement.

God damn whoever was in here.

I had no desire of getting mugged or hit or worse, raped.

I cringed at my own thoughts as I pushed the key into the hole and worked to open the door. My body sagged with relief once I was inside the car. Placing my handbag on the other seat, I ignited the car.

“Not your day, Aria.” I muttered to myself as I drove out of the basement, “This is not your fucking day.”

“Motherfucker!”

I cursed, my eyes wide and heart thrashing inside me when my eyes fell on the wing mirror.

Someone was there.

Someone who looked familiar.

I jerked forwards, my hair flying around when I suddenly applied the brakes.

I gasped, pulled my hair out of my way and opened the door in a hurry. When I stepped out, no one was there.

The basement was empty.

I swore I saw someone. There was a man… wasn’t there?

I rubbed my tired eyes, my heart was palpitating, my insides were a mess. Blood rushed through my ears, my heartbeat was loud, I could hear the thump-thump in my ears.

What the fuck was happening?

Were my eyes playing a game with me? Was I imagining things?

“Calm down, heart.” I tapped on my chest as I moved back towards the car.

“I don’t want another surgery soon.”

***

This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.

I had to be dreaming.

But the way his lips stretched into a vicious smile told me I wasn’t dreaming. This was real.

When I had looked out of the window during the red sign, I had expected to see everything. Cars. People. Children.

Not him.

Never him.

Never had I expected to see Fabiano Lombardi staring back at me with a smile that sent chills run down my spine.

I continued to watch him with wide eyes, an immense wave of terror formed inside me the longer I stared at him, staring at me standing within the people.

He stood out like a sore thumb.

He was lethal. Vicious. Merciless.

He was a fucking psychopath. Sociopath. All the other paths one could find, he was all of them.

Horns blared around me but my eyes were stuck on him. I watched as he tilted his head and studied me, like a predator eyeing a prey.

Unfortunately, he was the predator and I was the prey.

“Move bitch.” I jumped in my seat, eyes flying to the car that passed me. The man gave me his middle finger, glaring at me. When I looked ahead, I understood why.

The sign had turned red again.

I looked out of the window but didn’t found him.

It was like he vanished in thin air.

Everything looked normal again.

Was he really here or was it just a trick my mind was playing on me?

Still casting an uncertain glance at the spot where I had seen him, I drove away when the light turned green.

***

Everything was fine for the next two weeks. So immersed in office work, I had forgotten about him.

But he wasn’t a man one should forget.

And he proved it when the storm hit me.

Fabiano Lombardi was that storm who appeared in the middle of that night and destroyed everything that stood in his way and left nothing but ruins.

And he took me with him.

***