All Chapters of Pawn of Fate: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

The hum of fluorescent lights and the gentle whir of computer fans filled the air as I stared at the clock on my desktop. 5:58 PM. Two more minutes until freedom. I drummed my fingers on my desk, my other hand absently twirling a strand of my mousy brown hair."Emilia! Got a sec?"I jumped, nearly knocking over my "World's Okayest Engineer" mug. Mary Bee, my best friend and the marketing department's golden girl, was leaning against my cubicle, a mischievous glint in her eyes."Christ, Mary! Warn a girl next time," I said, clutching my chest dramatically.Mary rolled her eyes, her perfectly manicured nails tapping an impatient rhythm on the cubicle wall. "Drama queen. Listen, we're going out tonight. No excuses."I groaned. "Mary, I can't. I've got to finish this report on—""On the new wind turbine design that no one's going to read because it'll get buried under a mountain of corporate BS?" Mary cut in, raising an eyebrow. "Em, when's the last time you did anything fun?"I opened

The cold tile of the bathroom wall pressed against my back, a stark contrast to the heat radiating from the masked man's body. His hands cradled my face, thumbs tracing the edge of my mask."Are you sure of this?" he murmured.Was I? God? No. This was madness. I didn't know this man. He could be anyone—A distant crash jolted me back to reality. Right. Gunshots. Panic. The real world crashing in on this surreal bubble we'd found ourselves in."I... I don't even know who you are," I stammered, my hands fisted in his shirt.He chuckled. "Isn't that the point of all this?" His fingers skimmed down my neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake. "Tonight, we can be anyone we want to be."My breath hitched as his lips found that sensitive spot just below my ear. "And who do you want to be?" I managed to ask.He pulled back slightly, his eyes intense behind his mask. "Yours," he said simply. "Just for tonight."Something in his voice, raw and honest, broke through the last of my hesitatio

I expected awkwardness, maybe even coldness now that the heat of the moment had passed. Instead, he surprised me by pressing a soft kiss to my forehead."You're full of surprises, aren't you?" he murmured.I laughed, the sound slightly hysterical. "You have no idea."He chuckled. "You are something incredibly stupid and incredibly hot."I couldn't help but laugh. "That's one hell of a way to describe me."He set me down gently, steadying me when my legs wobbled. "You okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. He lowered me gently to my feet, his softening d*ck slipping out of me. The cool tile beneath my feet was a stark contrast to the heat still radiating from my body.My legs trembled still weak from the intensity of our lovemaking. "Are you okay?" he asked.I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I was more than okay. I was... transformed.He smiled, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "Good," he murmured.As we dressed, his fingers