Chapter 3 First encounter

Elena arrived at the estate for the nanny position, walking in with a mix of nerves and uncertainty. The place was grand... too grand. She felt slightly out of place, a bit under dressed which gave off a small fish-out-of-water vibe.

"For the nanny offer?" a gentleman in a sharp navy suit asked, meeting her halfway down the corridor.

"Yy..Yes," Elena muttered.

"Alright, come with me," he said, already turning to lead the way.

He guided her through a set of wide doors into a large waiting lobby. A few other women were already seated, most of them looking polished and overly confident.

Elena had barely lowered herself into a seat when she heard a loud voice from inside.

"Neeeext!"

A lady with perfect posture and glossy curls walked out, barely looking at the others as she passed.

Another went in. Then another. It became a cycle. A series of "Next!" moments.

Elena's heart pounded. Her throat felt tight.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves Just as she tried to stand up to adjust her side a glass frame up above her fell and scattered on the floor

She gasped, heart racing in her chest. The sound startled everyone...as their heads turned, and a few of the candidates gasped out loud.

"What the actual" a deep, irritated voice rang out from the far end of the corridor.

Elena's heartbeat skipped, and she turned sharply toward the voice.

A 6'2 tall man in a dark suit stood at the far end of the hall.His jaw was sharp, and his eyes looked very serious.

Elena's breath caught.

"He... he's..." she whispered, voice thinning as her chest rose and fell in panic. She couldn't finish the sentence before a rush of heat surged through her.

"Make me forget my problems," his voice echoed from the past, deep and rough. "And I'll make you forget yours."

Even under the mask, his eyes had burned into her soul.

She remembered how he'd grabbed her by the neck, not hard, just enough to steady her. Just enough to take control. Her back against the wall. Her body was trembling.

And before the alcohol could fully cloud her senses, he was already kicking her rose with so much soft pressure on the bed, skin to skin, heat meeting heat... He removed his mask without a word, while in the heat of the moment, he lowered his body against hers, and now it was chest to chest rubbing and greeting each other.

A painful, pleasure-laced moan had escaped her lips that night as her face tilted toward his and for the first time in that night, she saw him clearly without the mask, his muscular face rubbing teasingly on her belly...

"Hey!!!!!!"

The sharp voice yanked her back to the present.

Elena snapped out of the memory like waking from a fevered dream

Her eyes widened, locked on the man approaching.

"He's the one..." she whispered under her breath.

Her gaze clung to him, wild and stunned, as he walked toward her.....

How dare you?" His voice was sharp and cutting through the room like a blade.

As the other candidates all stood there fearing for her.

Elena instantly dropped to her knees, panic rising in her chest as she tried to gather the shattered glass.

"I.. I'm sor... sorry," she stammered, her fingers trembling as they grazed over the broken pieces.

"Sorry?" he scoffed, stepping closer. "Do you even know how much that cost? That could buy your entire existence."

Her throat tightened. The words stung more than she expected. Still kneeling, she kept fumbling with the shards, her heart pounding in her ears.

Before she could respond, he yanked her up with a force that sent a shock down her spine, and her back collided with the wall behind. She gasped more from the closeness than the impact.

Elena's eyes widened. He was towering over her now, his tall frame leaning in, just like that night. The scent, the stare, the storm in his gaze.... it was all there.

"I will make you pay," he said with a deadly look.

"Mr. Hughston! You're here," Chris called out, rushing from the interview room.

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes flicking from the shattered frame on the floor to Damien standing tall over a woman frozen in place.

"Pick her," Damien muttered without turning.

"Huh?" Chris blinked. "Mr. Hughston... "

"She's going to work. To pay for this," Damien said coldly, his eyes briefly dropping to the glass fragments. "Start her today."

Chris looked like he wanted to object, but Damien silenced him with a look.

"They can all go home," Damien added, gesturing toward the waiting candidates.

Then his eyes locked onto Elena's trembling self.

"And you..." He said, voice like steel, "Don't even think of running. If I have to tear the world apart to find you, I will. And I promise you, I will."

With that, he turned and walked out...