Her Beast

The papers took flight, spreading everywhere, especially hitting my face. I don't blame them, though. They had been directed at my face. I swallowed and looked at the exquisitely dressed woman, her long, manicured finger dangling on her lip. If she hadn't been such a stupid vixen, I would have called her beautiful in fact.

Some of the papers landed right on my foot, covering my old worn out sneakers. I looked down at it, stopping myself from having any sort of reaction at all.

"Is this all you got? I gave you two weeks and this is all you can come up with?!"

I swallowed again, then looked up.

"He isn't exactly someone you can just walk up to and ask questions. I had to do everything, lurk around his home, stalk his bodyguards.."

"You say you had to do everything like that isn't what I pay you for."

She moved closer to me, her 6 inches stilettos landing on my small feet. I closed my eyes in pain as she moved her weight from one foot to the other, then flicked her fingers right in my face.

"I do not care what you have to do, get better information on him before 8 a.m. tomorrow or you don't even have to come back."

She stepped away finally, dismissing me indignantly.

I nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

I walked away, locking her office door behind me.

"Hey, what's up?" My only friend in the entire office, Blair, walked to me, her eyes wide. "Did she do something to you, again?"

"She wants a comprehensive report on the CEO of Gems."

Blair's eyes went even wider, if that was possible, and held my arm.

"CEO of Gems? THE CEO OF GEMS?" She screamed and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, The CEO of Gems." I said, emphasizing "the."

"A man like that.." she started to say, but I cut her off.

"Doesn't exist." I sat on my office chair, and rolled my body to face her. "CEO of Gems is the only kind of himself there is. The world won't be able to handle two. It's only fair for one person to hoard such huge amounts of money."

"It's not only about the money, Kristine. It is more of him! Him!"

I shrugged, swallowing down the intimidation that crawled up in my mind.

The first time I had been in the same vicinity with him, well, more like his bodyguards, I couldn't help realizing just how cruel and unfair life could be.

One person owned Gems group of Companies, or at least, the larger part of it. One person owned such huge cruise ships. Just one person. While I am here, getting stepped on by my boss just scratch up a few bucks.

I shook my head, trying to stop myself from thinking about it. It wasn't like I could go there and beg on my knees till he noticed me. It wasn't like I would just come across him on the street in normal clothes seeking adventure and then ask him about things he obviously does not want known, since he had chosen to keep them to himself in the first place anyway.

I shook my head. I needed this job no matter how miserable and still broke I was despite it. I, however, knew things were easier with it, with the constant electricity bills, house rent and all. At least, I could shoulder them without completely crippling right now.

I sighed audibly and turned to Blair.

She was my opposite, completely. Where I wore trousers and baggy shirts with worn out sneakers, she wore short zipped skirts with blouses that showed her endowments. She had big blonde hair that was always expensively styled, and big blue eyes that seemed to say everything her mouth couldn't.

"What do you think I should do?" I asked her, squinting my eye.

If I could boast of anything, It would be my attitude. It was huge, way bigger than my bank account would ever be.

She ran to her station and brought back her chair just as fast. I still wonder how she manages to navigate through her constant running bouts with such big heels.

She sat in front of me, staring at me right in the eyes.

"Are you still digging about him?"

I nodded. "If I don't come up with something by tomorrow morning, I will be jobless. A month after that, probably homeless too."

"Oh, stop with the sob story. I know what you should do."

"Tell me." I leaned forward, eager to hear it. I just hoped it would make sense, cause she had a tendency to spew rubbish in the most serious times.

"Give him an offer he can't resist."

I rolled my eyes and leaned away. "We are talking about the most influential, richest, most sought after bachelor who has made it to Forbes 30 under 30 list, and you are telling a common girl who is striving to keep my job to give him an offer he can't resist? Really?"

"Oh, Kristine, your problem is, you are so wise, yet so naive sometimes."

She dragged my head to her, then whispered in my ear.

I looked at her, my eyes unbelieving. I have finally lost hope in Blair's suggestions.

"I'm serious!" She yelled, stomping her feet. That attracted a few glares from the others, but we ignored them. We were used to it, anyway.

"You know how many women who are way better than me he has encountered? Women are literally throwing themselves at him, Blair."

"You are not throwing yourself at him. You are taking the initiative of a spy. A lady spy who would disguise and get him just where she wants him."

"You are letting the movies you watch get into your head too much."

She face palmed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, think about it. In the end, you just have to get into his office, then make him get you to his house. After that, you take up clues from everywhere. What is the easiest way to know a person? It is by being in their space. Think about it."

She rolled her eyes again, then turned away to face the documents laid out on her desk.

I stood in front of the company, for the hundredth time questioning Blair's suggestion. The glass building towered above me so beautifully, sending waves of insignificance and inferiority complex down my spine. I tried hard to swallow, but couldn't. It felt like this lump of intimidation was too big for my throat.

I closed my eyes. "Kristine, All you have to do is go in, pretend to be his girlfriend, go in to his office and explain things to him. He wouldn't be that bad," I said to myself reassuringly.

I had scraped up the plan in my head already, and it all made sense.

I walked calmly towards the building, before I heard a car stop behind me. I stopped, my heart shattering with fear. Was he not in the office already? Had I miscalculated his arrival? What is going to happen now?

I stood there, my back still turned to the car. My eyes closed, my fists clenched. My chest started to hurt violently as I heard footsteps.

"Miss?" I heard a voice say. CEO of Gems would never attend to me. I opened my eyes. The man in front of me was blinding, his blonde hair boyishly styled, his small eyes squinted at me. He was the kind you were most likely to fall for in high school. The high school sweetheart.

"I.." I mumbled, wondering what to tell him.

I came here to pretend to be the CEO's girlfriend so I can be granted access to his office and then interrogate him? Pretty nice.

"I was just..."

"What is your name?" He asked, and adjusted his posture in front of me, his lips curving upward in a boyish smile.

It was a bit comforting, to be honest, and I found myself relaxing.

"Kristine," I said, and adjusted the skirt I was wearing.

It was Blair's, and it was particularly tight on me. I didn't feel comfortable in it, but luckily, his eyes never dropped below my face.

He seemed to be searching for something in my eyes, and then he shrugged.

"You are here to interview the CEO, am I right?"

I was caught already? Wow. These people are something else.

I cleared my throat nervously.

"Come with me, then." His smile grew wider as he gestured at me, and I started to follow, unsure if it was a good idea at all.

We walked into the main hall of the office, a huge space that could fit four of my apartment. It was sparkling clean, the workers all wearing expensive clothing, walking round attending to their business.

They greeted the man with me every time they passed by, and only cast a small glance at me.

None bothered to greet me, and I didn't care either.

I directed my gaze upwards, looking at the offices that seemed like they extended into the sky. The building was beautiful, very dark. The architecture exquisite. It told a whole lot about the CEO. Dark, unknown, secretive. The floors were covered in black, shiny marbles, and apart from the large pots of flowers, there was no sort of flowery decor in the office.

It seemed like the office had an atmosphere of its own, one that was cold and eerie, as if you were walking to the devil itself.

I tripped on my heel suddenly and let out a loud yelp, causing everyone to stop and look at me.

It wasn't exactly loud, just the place was quiet.

The man who was walking with me turned to me, and then looked at my foot.

"Is something wrong?" He sounded genuinely concerned, and I gestured at my foot.

"My shoe broke," I told him, then adjusted my foot, trying to see if I would be able to walk with it.

It was too loose, and I know I was guaranteed to fall in less than ten minutes if I tried walking with it.

He bent and looked at my foot, then stood up and gestured to another man who had been following us.

"Get her a more comfortable pair of shoes," he said, his tone ordering.

The man nodded obediently and walked off.

"We should wait here for a while," he told me, then folded his arms behind him.

"Thank you,"

"I admire you," he said, then as if he had said something funny, burst out in a small laughter.

I didn't think anything was funny however, so I kept my face stoic.

"You really came to interview the CEO. No one has ever dared to do that."

"Well, I guess they didn't have their jobs on the line."

He smiled at my nonchalant reply. "You think so? Meeting him will not assure you your job either."

"Who are you to him?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"I am a Director here."

I expected it. Not just anyone could dare to bring in an interviewer to see the CEO unless he himself was a big shot. Not as big as the CEO, but at least, he had more than an annoying boss to his name.

Suddenly, the office grew even quiet, if that was possible.

Everyone around us turned, each having this blank fear behind their eyes.

I turned to the place they all seemed so focused on, but it was just an empty glass balcony.

I turned to the director who only shrugged. "You'll get to meet him now."

My heart jumped in my throat, my chest constricting painfully.

Him? As in the CEO of Gems?

I stared hard at the balcony, waiting, even though I felt like running out of the office.

His presence was a heavy one, and even before he arrived, the entire office was in anticipation.

No one moved or made an attempt to, and I thought it would be wise to do the same.

I stood there watching, and suddenly, an elevator door opened.

I closed my eyes and prayed. "God, please give me the strength to overcome this."

The door opened wider, and he stepped out.

I watched him closely, my eyes filling for no reason. All my life, it's been a constant struggle. Bills, my step mother, my dad's work injury that led to his coma, my job, all of it has been a constant battle.

And here I am, due to all of those standing in front of this man. This man who showed me all of the things I lacked, all of the things I yearned to be.

His suit was a perfect designer suit, tailored for his well built body and the outer coat had a designer muffler cuffed around it.

I bet his suit could buy my existence.

I managed to tear my gaze off his suit and body and traced my way to his face.

Hard, straight jaws, one that gave off a masculine aura that's hardly resistible. His lips were set in a straight line, and I didn't even look up to his eyes, but I could feel the coldness, the unbreakable ice. I swallowed as my eyes travelled higher to the straight roman nose, high sculpted cheek bones.

His eyes...he had a disorder in his eyes. Heterochromia. His eyes were different. Two different colored eyes. One, a solid black that matched his dark suit in a crazily attractive way, the other a beautiful light green. The concept of heterochromia always scared me, but somehow, this. God.

I watched his eyes for a while, they weren't directed at me. He was scanning the entire room, his face stoic, his forehead wide and smooth.

He spoke a body language of opulence and masculine beauty, a language of money and affluence. He was perfect. The perfect intimidation. The perfect prey for a gold digger.

"You." His voice boomed and I felt my heart string snap.

He wasn't referring to me, but to someone else. I swallowed hard. What if he had been referring to me?

"Why is file 284 missing from my office?"

From the corner of my eyes, I saw a man tremble and shake, then swallow hard.

"Sir..I..Uhm..this morning. A cup.."

He kept mute for a while, and I turned to the CEO. His face was still indifferent, cold. He didn't offer to finish the sentence for him, or reach assumptions, he simply drilled holes through his eyes with his steely gaze, till the man knew he had to talk.

"Sir..it's currently..drying in my cabinet. The file..it got wet."

There was silence again.

"File 284 got wet?" CEO of Gems said, and a brow shot up. Aside from that, he had no other expression.

"I am sorry. Sorry, Sir. I swear I didn't mean to do it, I just...I am clumsy sir!"

The CEO nodded. "So, you are clumsy."

"Yes, Sir. Please forgive me. I swear, I won't.."

"I know you won't do it again. You won't have the chance to."

I saw the man's eyes widen. Wait. did he just...fire him?

"Sir!" He screamed as he fell on his knees, his hair falling out of place.

"Please, I really need this job, I.."

The CEO didn't say another word, but the man who had brought me in did. He made a phone call that lasted around 10 seconds, and before long, heavily armed security guards had burst in through the door and surrounded the man. He seemed to know his time was up and he helplessly stood and turned away.

I stood, my mouth wide open as he walked away, our eyes meeting for only a millisecond. He looked distraught.

All because of a wet file? Wow. Looks like my boss, Melinda, really needs to step up her game. But then again, she didn't own Gems company and people were not running to be employed by her.

The CEO turned away sharply and took a step forward, before stopping suddenly.

He turned back again, and this time, it was me. His gaze landed on me, and I swear, I knew I went through the first five stages of a heart attack.

"Who are you?" He asked me, no sign of curiosity or confusion on his face.

"I brought her.." The man beside me said, then looked at me, sparing me a small wink. I swallowed.

"For?" The CEO's gaze never left me.

"She is, well, just a..an acquaintance."

I know he wasn't convinced. Even the cold way he was still scrutinizing my appearance told me he wasn't convinced.

"Get her out." He didn't look like he needed to stress himself to make people do things for him, and I saw everyone's gaze turn to me. My time in Gems was over, just like it had been for that man.

But I needed my job. I needed to tap information about him. I needed to keep my job, and very desperately at that.

I felt the other man nudge me a little bit, and when I looked at him, he tilted his head, signaling I had to go. He had been of so much help, but the owner wants me out. Nothing he can do.

I saw the CEO start to walk away, and I knew I had to be daring. I had to do something.

I moved out of the man's grip and stepped forward.

"No," I said in my loudest voice. I thought the workers would gasp at my audacity but I think they just pitied me, as all of them kept still and silent.

He looked at me, not the least bit surprised.

"I am not leaving," I said again.

His eyes were sharp and icy, but it wouldn't pay my bills.

"Why is that?" he asked calmly, probably to find out what kind of psychiatric help I needed so he could send me to them.

I swallowed. "I.."

The man beside me touched me lightly. "Whatever it is, don't do it. It won't end well. Stop this now and let's go."

He tried to pull me to him, but I snapped. I could only think of my job at this moment, so I said the first thing my mind kept pushing to me.

"I am pregnant, CEO. And it's your baby."