Chapter 1
Three moments. That’s all it took for everything to go up in smoke.
Fate has always been cruel to her, and now Soraya is starting to believe that fate might just be a man.
When he stepped out of the elevator, his presence added something dangerous to the air. His eyes were as hypnotically beautiful as they were menacing.
Icy grey surrounds the brown in the center as if trying to back it into a corner.
An undeniable air of authority resonated from him as his footsteps demanded attention from those in the meeting.
The men, all laughing and ‘requesting’ Soraya to flash them some skin, all went silent as the door was kicked in.
His overbearing figure stood taller than those in the room, his anger-filled eyes washing over everyone, but he paused briefly at Soraya’s slumped form.
She briefly looked him in the eye before quickly looking back down, her worn-out pumps looked like they could blend in with the cream colored carpet except for how they pinched her left pinky toe.
It’s just another one of the new higher-ups; they’re all bark, no bite. The blinds were open. Someone would step in if it goes too far, right? she thought as a stiff tiredness tried to consume her, Adam, cuddles, my bed, and for this day to be over with. That’s all I want. Why is it so hard to get?
he barely flinched, but inside, every nerve braced for impact, as her boss stood to greet him, a hesitant smile on his face, “Mr. Lee, I didn’t think you would-”
He didn’t get to finish as the man punched him, knocking him flat. Soraya’s head snapped up at the sound of gasps through the room, but none of the other men moved to help her boss.
Without urgency, the man tied his chin-length curls back into a low ponytail, staring down at the man he had just given a busted nose. The moment was so mundane it almost masked the brutality that followed, until the carpet bloomed red beneath Soraya’s boss. His mahogany face was splattered with crimson, but he seemed unfazed by it.
Soraya stared, her heart racing quickly as she looked around the room, catching the looks of terror on the men’s faces. The people in the office stood frozen in place, watching through the window, surprise filling their eyes the same way Soraya made sure to match. But deep down, there was something much darker than surprise that wanted to surface.
Soraya’s pulse thundered in her ears as the man rose again, unbothered, his breathing calm, even after cracking open another skull.
The ones still sitting made a move to leave the room, but another guy quietly shook his head, standing in front of the closed door, “Mr. Lee is just demonstrating consequences. There is no need to panic, gentlemen. Just cooperate.” The voice matched his professional attire, emphasizing the authority that Mr. Lee had.
His figure was slightly shorter than Mr. Lee but there was still something in his eye that held a glint in them as well. Not as violent as his superior, but something just as deadly.
She covers her mouth as the smell of iron takes over the room, her face the perfect display of shock, disbelief, and fear. But inside, something warm and dark had her studying the man’s fist as he plummets it into his third victim. She noticed how red complements his complexion instead of the dark purple suit being ripped off for constricting him and thrown at the man by the door.
His black dress shirt fitted him well enough to show off his arms and back. His muscles tensed, and he briefly looked up, catching her gaze on him.
Her heart skips a beat as he looks her up and down before turning to the other man, “Elijah, let her out. The rest stays.”
A flicker of disappointment tightened in her chest. She buried it quickly, not knowing where it came from.
Fear. Or something else entirely?
She rushed to the door, avoiding the blood and the chaos around her.
Some part of her had wanted to stay. To see what he’d do next. That part terrified her the most.
Elijah takes an envelope out of his suit, handing it to her as he opens the door for her, nodding, “Have a nice day, Miss Corbin.”
She meekly whispers a thank you before walking to her desk in the back, passing by all the curious and envious eyes. She ignored all of them. The envelope was burning in her hands with a strange sense of anticipation coursing through her.
She sits down quickly and opens the envelope, reading it three times before setting it down. A recommendation letter signed by Elijah E. Theodore.
Soraya turns to her computer, searching for his name in the search engine, only to find that he is Mr. Kion Lee’s assistant. A man nearly as untouchable as his boss, who can either make a business tremendous profit for a lifetime or destroy it and the owners with a single sentence.
In all the photos, wherever Mr. Lee was, Elijah was right there, either behind or beside him.
She turned back to the conference room just in time to see Mr. Lee hoist the last man by the collar. The man’s sobs were muffled, but Soraya could still hear them. Elijah didn’t look up, just tapped away on a tablet like he was reviewing stocks instead of watching a purge.
Soraya stared, not knowing what to do next. It felt pointless to get back to the piles of paperwork next to her.
I just got this job three months ago, I don’t know if I will be able to get another well-paying job like this. Damn it rent is due in a few days and the landlord isn’t going to give any extensions.
She looked around, it seemed she wasn’t the only one to think that.
She sighs, rubbing her face softly as she listens to the whispers of unemployment around her.
“How long do you think we have before the company shuts down?”
“With how pissed Mr. Lee looks, I say by the end of the day.”
A man sighs, “Then there’s no point in us staying right?”
An older employee scoffs, “Young people have no sense of loyalty these days. The company won’t fall like that just because of some brat with a temper who throws his weight around. You all should be ashamed of yourselves for thinking about leaving.”
Soraya rolls her eyes at her words, sensing that loyalty is everything and the back-in-my-day speech.
Synthia groans, “Please don’t start that blasted speech of yours. No one is in the mood to have their ears bleed.”
“Why you little b-”
“Besides, you’re under a rock if you think that Mr. Lee wouldn’t be able to destroy a company within an hour after leaving the premises. He’s one of the top ten wealthiest people in the world. He’s a Tycoon in not just one business trade but three. He’s shut down 15 companies within the last 3 years, and you think he won’t do the same here?”
Synthia shakes her head as the old man opens and closes his mouth, “Quit dreaming, that man can literally do anything he wants, illegal or not, and there isn’t a soul that would be able to question him.”
Soraya looked back at the paper in front of her as she powered up the computer and started working on her resume.
She could sense that what Synthia said was true. There isn’t much use in debating anything else. They are all out of a job by the time they clock out today, if not sooner.
Soraya ignored everyone as they debated what to do between glances at the conference room. It went silent for moment and everything seemed like it had froze as Mr. Lee walked out covered in blood. His face blank as he looked around the room once before going towards the elevator. Elijah clapped his hands grabbing the rooms attention but Soraya watched as Mr. Lee ran his hands threw his hair, his back still tense and the blood dripping off his hand dripping on to the floor.
Why did he beat everyone in the conference room to a pulp? Why didnt he do the same to me?
Elijah voice echoes as the elevator door announces it’s arrival, “As of right now, Gopher CO is being demolished and everyone needs to leave the premises immediately. Your HR department should be on the first floor ready to give you all your last checks. Thank you for your cooperation.”
And with that he turned doing a light jog to get into the elevator with his boss before the door closed separating them from the chaos erupting around her.
Soraya hit ‘send,’ the whir of the printer the only sound she trusted in a world that had just been torn in half.
