Chapter 3 A Deal with the Devil

Alina stared at the crisp white envelope in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly. Inside was an offer-a contract from "Damon Cross."

Her pulse pounded in her ears. This wasn't just a job. This was "a leash."

She should have "walked away." She should have torn up the paper, thrown it in his face, and told him to leave her the hell alone.

Instead, she asked, "What exactly would this job entail?"

Damon's lips curled into a smirk, as if he had known all along that she wouldn't refuse outright.

"You'll be my personal assistant," he said, slipping his hands into the pockets of his tailored coat. "You'll handle my schedule, accompany me to meetings, and be available whenever I need you."

Her stomach flipped. "Available whenever I need you."

"And if I say no?" she asked, forcing her voice to remain steady.

Damon's expression darkened, amusement fading. "Then you'll find out what it's like to have enemies watching you."

A chill ran down her spine. "This wasn't a choice."

She swallowed hard. "Why me?"

His gaze didn't waver. "Because you're not afraid of me."

He said it was like a challenge. Like he was "daring" her to prove him wrong.

Alina exhaled slowly, weighing her options. She could refuse, but would that really keep her safe? "Vortex" wasn't just a club-it was a gateway into a world she wasn't meant to see. And Damon Cross? He was the devil guarding the door.

If she walked away, would he "really" let her?

The thought sent a tremor through her.

She didn't trust him. But for some reason, she believed him.

Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on the envelope. "I'll think about it."

Damon watched her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a murmur.

"You have twenty-four hours, Alina." His voice was velvet-soft, but laced with something dangerous. "Make the right choice."

With that, he turned, stepping into his black car. The door closed behind him, and within seconds, he was gone-vanishing into the night like a shadow.

Alina sat there, staring at the empty street, "wondering if she had just made a deal with the devil."

Alina barely slept that night.

Every time she closed her eyes, "Damon's voice echoed in her mind." The way he looked at her, like he already owned her. The warning in his tone, the veiled threats.

She could feel him "lurking at the edges of her thoughts," an invisible force she couldn't shake.

Sophie's words haunted her, too.

"He's dangerous, Alina. People disappear around him."

And yet... there was something about him that pulled her in. "The power. The control."

It scared her.

But it also "intrigued her."

By the time morning came, her decision was still "uncertain."

Alina arrived at campus earlier than usual, hoping that some normalcy would clear her mind. She walked into the library, taking a seat by the window, pretending to study.

But her focus was nonexistent.

Every so often, she found herself glancing at her phone, half-expecting it to ring.

Half-expecting "him" to call.

"Waiting for someone?"

Her body "stiffened."

That voice-smooth and sharp as a blade-"did not belong in a college library."

Slowly, she turned.

Damon Cross stood a few feet away, impeccably dressed in a dark suit. The contrast between him and the rows of textbooks was almost "laughable."

Her heart "skipped."

"What the hell are you doing here?" she whispered.

His lips curved. "Checking on my offer."

She clenched her jaw. "Didn't you say I had twenty-four hours?"

"I did." He took a step closer, his presence "overwhelming." "But I don't like waiting."

Alina exhaled, gripping the edge of the table. "You can't just show up here."

Damon tilted his head, eyes glinting with amusement. "I can do whatever I want."

Something about the way he said it made her "shiver."

She shot him a glare. "What part of 'I'll think about it' do you not understand?"

Damon leaned down slightly, voice lowering. "The part where you think you have a choice."

A shudder ran through her.

Before she could respond, he straightened. "Your answer, Alina."

She hesitated, glancing around. Other students were nearby, oblivious to the fact that she was "being cornered by the most powerful man in the city."

She hated that he could do this. That he could just "walk into her life and demand something from her."

But the worst part?

She hated that she was "tempted."

With an exhale, she met his gaze. "Fine. I'll take the job."

Damon's smirk returned, slow and victorious. "Good girl."

Something about those words "burned through her."

Before she could dwell on it, he reached into his jacket, pulling out a sleek black business card. He slid it across the table.

"Be at my office tomorrow morning. 8 AM sharp."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving behind nothing but his scent and the weight of "a decision she couldn't take back."

Alina stared at the business card, her pulse still unsteady.

She had just made a "dangerous" choice.

And something told her... there was no escaping it now.