Chapter 3 Anyway

"Come to my office. Now."

Ashley took a long breath before swiftly rising and straightening her outfit. She had only been in her job for a week, yet it felt as if her entire life had transformed overnight. She knocked on Damien's office door, her pulse thumping.

"Come in," he said, his voice loud and powerful.

Ashley pulled the door open and stepped inside with caution. Damien sat at his desk, his gaze locked on the screen of his laptop.

"Close the door and sit," he urged, his tone sharp.

Ashley did as she was told, anxiously tucking her hands into her lap.

Damien continued, "I've got a new task for you."

He clicked something on his laptop before finally turning his attention to her. "It is a little outside the scope of your usual duties, but I'm confident you can handle it."

Ashley nodded, even though her throat was dry. "What do you need me to do, Sir?"

Damien sat back in his chair, his gaze sharpening as it passed over her. "I need you to obtain information on a certain piece of technology. "A piece of hardware, to be precise."

"Hardware?" Ashley repeated, perplexed. "What kind of hardware?"

Damien curved his lips into a smile. "The kind that isn't exactly legal."

Ashley felt her heart skip a beat. "Illegal tech?"

"Yes." Damien's eyes shimmered as he noticed her reaction. "I need you to look into it. Find out all you can about who makes it, where it's distributed, and how I can get my hands on it."

Ashley blinked, her thoughts whirling. This was far above her expectations, but what did she expect? Nothing is simple with Damien Gray.

"I... I don't know if I'm comfortable with that."

Damien's gaze darkened, and the air between them appeared to thicken. "You do not have an option, Ashley. You signed the contract or are you going back on your words? I hate people that don't keep their word."

She felt her stomach fall. He was correct. She had signed her life away. "What exactly is this hardware used for?" she asked, just above a whisper.

Damien leaned closer, his gaze locked on hers. "That is none of your concern. All you have to do is find the information I asked for. You understand?"

Ashley paused, feeling entrapped. "I'll do my best."

Damien's smile grew. "Good girl."

***

Hours later, Ashley sat at her computer, her head still whirling from the talk. She had no clue what type of technology Damien was referring to, but it didn't sound like anything she wanted to get involved with. Nevertheless, she had no choice. The deal sealed her destiny.

Her fingers sped over the keyboard as she sifted through several databases, looking for any hints of the devices Damien referenced. Her nerves were getting the best of her. What if she made a mistake?

She moaned and rubbed her temples, trying to release the tension. She couldn't afford to mess this up. Not when Damien is breathing down her neck.

***

A few hours later, Damien's office door opened, and Ashley jumped. Damien approached her desk, his countenance unreadable.

"Do you have what I need?"

Ashley gulped hard. "I am still working on it. I discovered some information, but I need more details to be sure."

Damien's jaw tightened, and he leaned across her desk, grabbing its edges. "I don't like waiting, Ashley."

"I-I'm sorry," she begged. "I'll finish it as soon as possible."

Damien's eyes narrowed. "What have you found so far?"

Ashley quickly opened up the files she had been working on, outlining the limited information she had acquired. Damien listened quietly, but she could feel the stress leaving him in waves.

When she finished, he stood up, his face frigid. "That's not good enough."

Ashley bit her lip, feeling the heaviness of his disapproval. "I apologize; I will keep digging. I will discover more."

"You are always apologizing. I don't tolerate failures, Ashley," he hissed. "If you can't do the job I hired you for, then you're useless to me."

"I-I didn't mean to...," Ashley mumbled, her pulse beating. "I'm trying my best..."

"Your best isn't good enough," Damien interrupted her, his voice low and menacing. "Do you think this is a game?" This is my life, my business, and I will not let you ruin it because of your stupidity."

Ashley's breath seized in her throat. She had never seen him that angry before. But there was also something boiling beneath the surface. His displeasure was not only professional; it was also personal. She could feel it in the way his eyes locked on hers and his body was just a bit too near.

Before she could stop herself, she said, trying to sound bold, "I am not stupid. I just need more time."

Damien's eyes sparked with something she couldn't quite recognize. "More time?"

"Yes," she said swiftly. "I can do it, Damien. "I just need more time."

There was a lengthy silence, and the tension between them deepened.

Damien took a step forward, his body towering over hers.

"More time?" he said gently. "Fine. But just don't ruin this up for me. "Make one mistake, and you'll be sorry."

Ashley hastily nodded, "I won't. I promise."

Damien did not say anything. Instead, he just gazed at her for a minute longer, his eyes black with unidentified emotions. Then he turned and walked away, leaving her alone to her racing thoughts.

"What exactly does he need this for anyway?