Friday, September 3, 2017, 3:45 am
Hato Enterprise
…..
"Fight fire with fire..."
It was almost four in the morning when she arrived at the office. An ungodly hour even for her but if she had learned anything over the last week it was that her partner was a workaholic. She never saw him leave work before she did and had a sneaking suspicion that the only reason she had found the office empty before was because he was on a coffee break. It wasn't only him who was camping out at the office. The new influx of personnel that she had encountered were all from the Uris.
There was an office culture of leaving after their bosses went home and so many people seeking to climb the corporate ladder were currently slumped over their keyboards with computer screens filled with half-finished proposals and spreadsheets. She had previously thought she herself worked too much but she had nothing on the Uris.
Despite the Uri associates being new, they seemed to have picked up on the office gossip quickly enough. She remained the office pariah. A failed heiress. Anyone who wanted to climb the corporate ladder knew well enough not to interact with her unless absolutely necessary.
Sighing, she looked around their dark office and immediately got to work. She tossed her purse into her chair and walked over to her partner's desk for reconnaissance. If he could read through the Hato files so could she. Amia pulled out her own gray notebook and pen but paused.
"Fight fire with fire." She whispered and stowed away her own pen for one sitting prominently in the center of Sylas's desk.
She had seen him twirl this pen often in a rather irritating and distracting manner. He called her annoying, for what reason she didn't know, but she at least had the politeness to not point out his absent-minded pen habit. She held the shiny, sleek black pen between two fingers and noted its weightiness. On the side of it was his name engraved in gold leaf. It looked rather important but she shrugged her shoulders. It was her pen now. As she tested it out in her notebook, she relished the smooth feel of the ballpoint gliding across the page and felt even more resolute in keeping the utensil for herself.
She then got to work taking notes on all of the deals currently pending under his name and all of the grand openings and appearance requests in his inbox-none of which he had responded. Amia bit her bottom lip and glanced at the office door. This was wrong, she knew it was, but at the same time he deserved it. He had interfered with her sphere so she had every right to interfere with his. Without a second thought, she spent the next hour accepting every public appearance he had been ignoring on his behalf. Ultimately, it would only benefit the merger and increase morale for their branches to see their leader care about what they were doing. In the back of her mind, she smirked at their mutual passive aggressiveness toward one another. As she pressed send on the final email, she sat back in his leather chair, thoroughly satisfied with her handiwork, a smile creeping across her face as a trio of ecstatic emails swarmed his inbox in rapid succession.
The door to the office opened and she had to fight the instant urge to jump out of his domain and scurry towards her own. No, even though it was uncomfortable he had to see how it felt to have another person invade one's private space. The devil stepped in, dark hair mused from sleep but otherwise alert and surprised to see her sitting in his chair.
"Good Morning Mr. Uri." She greeted but didn't get up.
"What are you doing?" He asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Nothing."
Sylas calmly walked over to his desk, with every step his aura becoming more and more murderous. He turned the computer screen towards him and investigated what she had done. He glanced at her once before opening the first email. Amia felt her heart rate increase as she waited for his reaction.
On behalf of Kodama Inc, we would like to say thank you...
His hand tightened over the mouse.
Smith & Sons are excited to begin working closely with...
Sylas' jaw clenched as he quickly scanned the email.
This appearance will...
This kindness will be an honor...
Thank you...
Thank you!
He turned off the computer screen and loomed over her, his eyes clearly disapproving of what she had done. He leaned down and placed both hands on the chair's armrests, effectively erasing all means of escape. Unperturbed by his intimidation, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared back defiantly.
"Do you realize what you have done?" He asked evenly.
"Of course Mr. Uri." She replied. "It will be beneficial for company morale to see that their boss will personally get involved in the work they do."
Sylas's eye twitched as he listened to her reasoning and she couldn't help but feel a little more confident. That was the crack in his mask that she had been looking for.
"If I go to even one of those asinine conferences or make an appearance at a ceremony the rest of them will expect the same." He growled. She leaned closer to him, her mocking smile widening.
"I'm sure they will all appreciate it."
"Hato-" he began but was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
"Come in." Sylas called, crossing his arms over his chest as he backed away from the chair and leaned against his desk.
"This isn't over Hato." He hissed under his breath.
Amia crossed her legs and cocked her head slightly to the side to show she was outwardly unbothered by the statement even though internally her heart was about to explode. The door to the office opened but neither one of them looked in its direction.
"Good morning!" A cheery voice cut through the tension in the room. Amia felt her head turn so quickly she almost got whiplash. Standing in the doorway holding a tray of coffee and a bag of bagels was Sara with a big, excited smile on her face.
"Surprise! Happy to see me right!"
…..
9:30 am
….
"Oh Ami, I'm so excited we get to work together! Who would have thought huh?" Sara prattled on excitedly, her voice bouncing off the ladies' restroom walls.
"Y-yea." Amia said distractedly as she washed her hands in the sink.
Sara smiled from ear to ear as she primped her hair in the mirror to ensure the perfection that was already there. Several women walked in and out of the bathroom shooting her rather pointed looks and whispering to each other. Sara rolled her eyes at their antics and touched up her lipstick. Amia couldn't help but wonder why her friend was the subject of their ire.
"Ignore them." Sara said as though she could read her mind. "The women that work under the Uris are vultures."
"What do you mean?" Amia asked, taken aback by that statement. Sara looked under the stalls to ensure there were no eavesdroppers before turning back to Amia.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"Both sons are woefully single and filthy rich. It doesn't help either that they are actually good-looking." Sara whispered with a smile playing on her lips. "The women that work for them are always trying to climb the corporate ladder, it's very cutthroat if you ask me. Many of them are just trying to fuck their way to power."
Amia felt an unease begin to settle in the pit of her stomach at what Sara was telling her. How many of these women had Sylas been with? Realizing she was just another name on a long list of others made her feel queasy. Suddenly, the embarrassment she thought she had buried bubbled up to the surface.
"They hate me because they see me as a threat. As if Sylas would ever notice any of them anyway!" Sara laughed confidently.
"Really?" Amia asked as disinterestedly as she could to not tip off the gossiping pink-haired women.
"Of course! Sylas is too good for any of these power-hungry skanks. Even if I wasn't here I doubt any of them would be successful, they certainly weren't before I came along. Besides-"
Sara looked around the bathroom again to make sure they were alone and slid close to Amia.
"Sylas is a prude. The biggest stiff you ever met! In the three years I've worked for him I have never seen him with another woman. Keep that between you and me though. If the other women thought they had a shot with him it would be open season!"
….
5:57 pm
….
Amia frowned as she held the smooth black pen in her hand, the cool metal warming under her fingertips. She wasn't quite sure how to process the information Sara had divulged. Should she care? Did she care and if so, why? Her cheeks flared up in embarrassment. He could sleep with anyone he wanted. It wasn't any of her business...
"Hato." Sylas called from across the room, causing Amia to look up from her notes.
"Have you seen my pen?" He asked and Amia looked down at her notebook, his pen glaring up at her.
"What pen?" She replied innocently.
Being that he was a demon, it was evident that he knew she was lying but he didn't press forward on the issue. Instead, he only glared and grabbed his briefcase.
"I'm leaving." He said and Amia flashed him a smile.
"See you on Monday Mr. Uri."
When the door to the office closed, she leaned back in her chair and snickered. Today had been a relatively successful day and now it was over. She had lasted through the week! She needed to celebrate this little accomplishment with someone, but who? She almost began texting Ezra but thought better of it since he was sure to be busy with her father. Aviva surely had her own weekend plans as she always did. Her sister was much too popular for her own good. Amia spun lazily in her chair and scrolled through her phone to see who might be available. Absently her thumb landed on a contact she had not spoken to in a while. She pressed the name to expand the contact information and sighed as she looked at the picture. Noah Sanders.
Amia rested her chin on her palm as she stared at the blue eyes smiling back at her. She hadn't spoken to him since their breakup, as amicable as it was. He had wanted to stay friends and even though she had agreed, deep down, she knew she couldn't be his friend. Things between them were much too complicated. Her heart clenched regretfully and she quickly swiped his picture away. There had to be someone else free. She sent out messages to Ellie and Iris and got back to work while she waited for their replies. It wasn't like she had anything better to do anyway.
….
Friday, September 3, 2017, 9:45 pm
Galliano's
….
Sylas glanced down lazily at his watch as he listened to Sara prattle on about the crossover of the staff and the physical accommodations that would need to be made. He tried to focus on the words coming out of her mouth but couldn't. His mind just wouldn't let him focus. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with his secretary per se, she was the most efficient one he'd ever had, but something was off. When her mouth moved, he imagined a softer voice coming out. Green eyes slowly faded to a pale lavender framed with thick lashes. Then he remembered the stunt she pulled earlier and Sara's face returned to normal.
'That damn Hato.'He frowned and tapped his fingers against the table.
A warm hand touched his arm and he looked up. Sara's mouth pursed into a tight line, a look of concern in her eyes.
"Are you okay? You've been off all day."
"I'm fine. Get back to the report."
"Sylas," She reprimanded as she straightened the paper strewn over the table. "I know you better than that. You were off your game today. What happened?"
"Sara," he said flatly. She looked over at him expectantly. "Drop it."
The woman deflated slightly but she perked back up again almost instantly. Her ability to rebound was nothing short of impressive. She touched his arm again and he had to fight the initial urge to recoil.
"Well I've finished my report and you look like you could use a drink. How about we go to a place I know and-"
His phone vibrated loudly on the table between them, his father's name appearing on the screen. Sylas paused as he stared at the vibrating device. His father never usually called him personally. He always relayed messages through his mother or a secretary. Did something happen? Mumbling about having to freshen up, Sara scooted out of the booth and he answered the call.
"Father." He greeted and Felix's voice rang loud and clear on the other end of the phone.
"I have received some rather interesting news of your work this week."
"Oh?" Sylas replied, he had no idea what his father was referring to.
"I have been wanting you to show more initiative in the company for awhile. It pleases me that you are taking a more hands-on approach with our branches. Well done."
His father was never one to say goodbye, so he hung up the phone soon after. Sylas stared at the device in his hand in awe. What in the world had Amia written in those emails to garner that kind of respect from his father? He opened his emails and read the ones she had sent earlier that day. Nothing in them was outrageous but they were all written in a manner he would never have approved of. It was much too accommodating for anything he would have written. Yet it was enough to get the branches to express their gratitude to his father. He would actually have to follow through on all of the promises that had been made on his behalf but now his frustration at that idea was lessening.
"Is everything okay?" Sara asked as she slid back into the booth.
"Hn." He mumbled as he scrolled through his emails. He had to find that damn Hato. Sara clapped her hands together and smiled.
"Great! So how about those drinks?"
Sylas absently glanced at his watch and slid out of the booth. He had a hunch as to where she might be. He hastily opened his wallet and handed the confused woman more than enough money to cover their bill.
"Another time Sara." He mumbled absently, ignoring the crestfallen slump of her shoulders as he walked away.
….
Friday, September 3, 2017, 10:30 pm
Hydrangea Park
….
When his taxi arrived at the empty park, his heart sank momentarily at the prospect of his hunch being wrong. That was when he saw her familiar crop of wild dark hair sitting under a flickering street light, just like the previous week. He smirked as he saw her reach into her bag and pull out a beer can. He crept up behind the unsuspecting woman just as she took a gulp.
"I'm pretty sure this isn't legal." He said and beer sprayed everywhere.
She jumped off the bench and turned around, a hand clutching her heart and eyes wide. Sylas couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her. Her wide eyes turned into a glare as she finally calmed down.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. Sylas shrugged and helped himself to one of the beers in her bag.
"I wanted to go for a walk." He explained, not wanting to reveal that his real intention was to see her. To see the woman who had managed to gain a sliver of his father's approval. She didn't seem to buy his excuse but sat on the bench anyway.
"This is a strange time to go for a walk." She grumbled.
"Do I have to tell you everything I do and my reasons why? Are you my keeper?" He teased and pinched her cheek. She swatted his hand away but a small smile played at the corners of her lips. Those pink lips he had been thinking about all night.
"No one would want to keep you." She snorted. "You are a terrible pet."
He scooted closer to her and breathed deeply. Despite the smell of beer on her clothes, she still smelled good. It was a distracting smell when they were in closed quarters but out here, he could indulge his senses fully. Her thick hair was pulled up, exposing her neck in a tantalizing way. Without stopping, he pressed his nose between her ear and jaw. She shivered but didn't move away. What was she thinking in that head of hers?
"How am terrible?" He growled as he felt her pulse quicken. "If I recall it was you who decided to go through my things and set me up to do things I had no previous intention of doing. I believe you are the terrible one."
"You shouldn't sit so close to me." She mumbled and slid away but he followed.
"Why not?"
"It is unprofessional."
Sylas smirked at her excuse and took the liberty of kissing her jaw, inhaling her scent as he did so. Why did she have to smell this good? He relished the warm feel of her skin against his tongue. He'd always had great self-control when in the presence of the opposite sex but this woman made him want to topple all of the barriers he usually put up.
"Sylas-" she squeaked and he chuckled.
"So now you say my name."
He roughly pulled her over so that she was sitting in his lap with her legs on either side. He quickly undid the top three buttons of her shirt and greedily planted kisses along her collarbone. She squirmed in his lap under his ministrations. He pushed her skirt up slightly and felt himself harden at the tiny flash of lacy dark blue panties. It was but only a glimpse and it didn't satisfy him fully. He wanted to see more.
"We shouldn't do this." She moaned weakly.
She was absolutely right. They shouldn't be doing this, yet he wanted nothing more than to proceed. He wanted to feel her beneath him and once more moaning his name. It was like an itch that felt good to scratch. If he just got her out of his system this one time he would be able to treat her with ambivalence just like any other woman in his life. Right? He could feel her heat radiate over his clothed member and desired nothing more than to take her right there on the park bench. He grabbed her hips and pressed her closer, grinding up against her dampening panties.
"Amia." He groaned as he slid his hand up her thighs and grabbed her ass tightly. Her slender fingers wound through his hair and tugged his head back.
"No."