Chapter 4 I'm not a slut!

Almost all the eyes inside the luxurious conference room she entered were fixed on her. Those were the eyes of the company's highest officials. Lyka swallowed hard, certain that she had entered the wrong door.

"Ms. De Luca, to the next room please," said the secretary who followed her. With a bitten lip, she apologized to the people she disturbed. As she turned away, a man spoke.

"Meeting adjourned. Directors, I'll see you tomorrow. Ms. De Luca may now enter."

One by one, they marched out of the large room, their scrutinizing gaze never leaving her. But Lyka paid no mind. Her attention was focused on that voice.

That voice! That goddamn impossibly sexy ice-cold voice!

It sent the same icy chills down her spine as before. She would never forget it. Her palms clenched when the swivel chair he was sitting on turned towards her.

"We meet again... Lyka."

The scumbag!

"It's you!" she uttered, pale. She couldn't believe that after several months, he still had the intention to meet her. "Who are you? What do you need from me?" That was the first thing she wanted to know.

She knew that every employee she encountered had warned her to be cautious around this person because he could be dangerous, so she mustered her courage.

He gave her a sharp grin. "Stop the drama. You know exactly who I am and what you are here for."

"I don't know you. You're not even whom I thought you were!"

His eyebrows furrowed. "So, what you're saying is that you let me fuck you that night, and you didn't even bother to check who the hell I was?"

"I thought you were Blake Darklore, for heaven's sake!" Lyka's cheeks flushed. "Look, I don't have to explain anything to you. I have no connection whatsoever with Darklore, Inc., and I have no intention of pursuing my loan application here. All I need is Draconia, but wasn't it already sold? So, why did you have to summon me?"

"You were in the house of a man you didn't even meet?" He seemed unwilling to let go of that idea.

"And you trespassed an exclusive dinner date, took advantage of an unsuspecting woman who thought you were someone else."

"Blake Darklore is one of my people. I own that mansion. I thought you were a gift or something. A whore who-"

"I am not a whore!"

His eyes rolled. "Well, you traded sex for a dirty old house."

"I did not! My intentions were pure. I only wanted to negotiate buying back my dirty old house at a reasonable price, and I needed some more time before the company sold it away."

In response, he placed a brown envelope in front of her, knowing it contained documents. "You think I believe that crap? Okay, let's cut this short then. I'm giving you my end of the bargain. You can have your Draconia back, and my company will grant you the loan you need with no interest charged at all. You don't have to say thank you. I enjoyed fucking you anyway, so I think you deserve a bonus."

Lyka felt as if her entire being had been trampled upon by his words. She wanted to cry, but anger overshadowed it because of his humiliation towards her. Instead of taking the envelope, she glared at him intensely. She didn't care what kind of person he was or what he could do to her.

"I am not a rag that you can use and then degrade like this."

"For someone who asked for payment before sex, you really are talking a lot."

"I'm not a slut. You don't know me, and you have no right to judge me!"

"You know people are judged by their actions."

"One mistake doesn't define someone's personality, Mr. Whoever-The-Fuck-You-Are."

His hands clenched as if hearing profanity from a woman was a new experience. "Just sign the goddamn papers and get lost!"

"No. I came here to tell you that I don't need the papers anymore. That night was a mistake. I abhor every minute I spent with you. You disgust me like a shit on a platter. I'm going to earn Draconia back. I'm buying it from you, even if you triple the price. I don't care." Anger welled up in Lyka's eyes. "Furthermore, I don't need your freaking money. I can find investors for my shop. I don't need anything from you!"

Damien reddened with irritation at her words. "Really? Are you not going to backstab me and come with a lawsuit claiming I raped you just to get more money? That's what you sluts do."

Lyka's hands tightened. "You raped me, technically. You weren't even my date; you made me believe you were Blake Darklore!"

"Why don't you just tell the truth and accept the payment?" he coldly told her.

"Asshole!" she exclaimed. "I was minding my own business! I had no intention of ever seeing you again! Keep your money. I can't believe I fell for you. Your attitude is disgusting!"

But the man remained unfazed.

The man she met at the mansion was passionate, sweet-talking, and kind. He was entirely different from the man standing in front of her now. She had indeed been deceived that night. When a lion seeks its prey, it often behaves like a lamb.

His gaze still sharp, he continued to stare at her. She exchanged a challenging look with him before finally turning away. She was near the door when she felt an intense dizziness. The world seemed to spin, and her vision suddenly darkened. She no longer knew what would happen next, as she was enveloped in darkness.