Chapter 18
Emmaline stilled on her spot after hearing that deep baritone. She could hear the wild thumping of her heart which wasn’t because of love but of fear. Though she had seen sincere guilt in his eyes when he begged for her forgiveness, still she couldn’t bring herself to trust him. Damien was capacious and the troubles with which he had bestowed her before were no less than a reality check to not trust that man anymore.
“What do you mean?”, whispering, Emmaline pivoted to face the devil who was staring at her impassively, his chilly gaze made her apprehensive.
The caring and soft Damien was no longer there instead she could see the same mogul who had ravaged her peaceful life.
Dipping his hands in the pocket of his sleek black trousers, Damien took a step in her direction before speaking firmly, “Ms. Browns, I think I had described the conditions of the contract in a very suave manner. You had three days to get yourself a job or return to my company. You lost the deal so it’s time you fulfill your promise.” He spoke causally.
But his words riled her up.
Pushing him back, Emmaline screamed, “WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPLY? DIDN’T YOU SAY JUST NOW THAT YOU WOULD STOP BOTHERING ME THEN-“
“But I never said that I will leave you alone or discard you from my life.” Damien cut her in between stunning her to silence.
Emmaline was gobsmacked by his words. She kept staring at him with wide eyes while Damien continued moving in her direction, his steely eyes glittering with amusement.
“Did I Ms. Rosaline?”
He spoke under his breath; his taunt didn’t go unnoticed by her. Narrowing her eyes at him, Emmaline jutted her chin out before fighting back, “So, it was all a show? I never knew you are this malicious, Mr. Knight. How low can you stoop so low?”
Damien let out a snicker, “Oh, you have no idea to what extent I can go to possess what my heart desires.” He replied and stepped into her private space. Emmaline instantly moved back but she got goose flesh when the back of her legs met the cold door. She tried to move aside but Damien sensed her move and placed his right palm on the door above his head, caging her small figure.
His closeness revolted Emmaline but Damien kept leaning forward.
“MR. KNIGHT!!”
Frustrated, she yelled and placed her hands on the front to push him but she quickly retreated when something clicked her.
The sparks which she feels always. Which turns her giddy and her mind blank. She didn’t want to feel them now.
Why does her heart always bask whenever her tormentor is around? Even after whacking her brain for weeks, she failed to pinpoint the reason behind it. That’s why she forbade herself to touch him as she didn’t want to confront that euphoric feeling anymore, at least not now.
But poor her, Damien read her thoughts and deliberately leaned his body on her, her small fingers unconsciously got wrapped around the collar of his suit. Her blue eyes turned large as saucers. Damien noticed the red hue that tainted her cheeks. She looked so adorable when confused.
But Emmaline was pissed. She immediately tried to move her hands back but before she could do so, Damien gripped them tightly and placed a kiss on her right palm.
“Why did my reply aggravate you so much, kitten? You knew everything from the start. Were you sleeping when I was penciling in the condition of our contract, no right? Did I drug you before making a deal with you, no right? Then why are you throwing a fit after getting defeated?” He rasped as he was enjoying it too much.
Emmaline tried to pull her hands from his deadly grip but Damien only tightened his grip further making her hiss.
“You’re now going overboard, Mr. Knight. You’ve tested my patience enough but now you have crossed all your limits. I am warning you, Damien, get your hands off me before I break them and shove your fingers down your throat.” She threatened him. Her aura abruptly turned forbidding.
Damien was taken aback by the fierceness in his tone. Pure, unadulterated rage was dancing in her blue hues and her expression turned austere and lethal.
He felt intimidated.
For the first time in his life, he got intimidated, that too by a girl, a seventeen-year-old teen.
Damien clenched his razor-sharp jaw revealing his perfect jawline. Pulling Emmaline closer to his face, he glared into her eyes which she returned with the same intensity.
“You’re right Princess. Let’s end this cat-and-mouse chase and talk turkey. I am telling you for the last time that you would work in my company, under my nose. End of discussion. NOW IF I HEAR A SINGLE WORD OF DEFIANCE COMING FROM YOUR MOUTH, I WON’T HESITATE TO MAKE YOU AGREE TO MY WORDS IN MY WAY. And trust me, Princess, you don’t want to see that side of mine, yet.”
He raged; his skin turned red in anger.
But Emmaline stood her ground. She held his gaze and scoffed, “You know Mr. Knight, I am not even surprised to hear that from you. After all, what more can one expect from a self-conceited bastard who thinks everyone is his puppet?”
“EMMALINE!!!”
Damien growled and immediately moved away from her.
Emmaline was taken aback as she watched Damien who was trying hard to control his anger. She thought maybe he would get violent and try to attack her. And why not, she deliberately cursed him but his reaction was a big surprise.
Though his actions befuddled her, his frustration gratified her wounded soul. Her lips curved in a triumphant smirk. Finally, she managed to give him a taste of his medicine.
Damien closed his eyes and took deep breaths. His figure started shaking violently. Emmaline noticed it but she continued as she wanted to get under his skin more.
Squaring her shoulders, she crossed her arms over her breasts and started to speak in a boring tone, “Why are you so mad? Isn’t that the truth? You’re tormenting a girl who is almost a decade younger than you. You harassed me, tried to take advantage of my situation, and threatened me to keep my mouth shut. You are a burden on this planet. People like you shouldn’t be born. You are blessed that you got such a supportive and influential family but instead of being grateful, you considered yourself God. You have wealth, and power instead of being magnanimous, you’re troubling the ones who live on hand to mouth. You are a blot in the name of a human being. Bugs like you should be abandoned by society.” She snapped but was startled when Damien all of a sudden looked at her and shot her a death glare.
“ENOUGH EMMA!! NOT. A. WORD. NOW.” He warned her. His pupils started to flicker which for sure scared her.
Her sanity precluded her to speak further and she somehow agreed to her heart when suddenly the things which he had made her go through flashed in front of her eyes.
Rage subsumed her again. She was fed off being his doll.
“NO, I WON’T!!”
Emmaline shouted and approached him within three long strides. Grabbing his collar, she pulled him towards herself and spat on his face, “Who do you think you are, huh? Just because I am poor doesn’t give you the right to oppress me. I am neither liable to submit to you nor obey you. You molested me, I slapped you, you asked for forgiveness, even if it was fake, I gave you. With that, I ended our chapter but you kept pestering me. And now you dare to say that you love me. What do you take me as? I DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME BUT YOU ALSO DON’T HOLD THE RIGHT TO JUDGE ME, UNDERSTOOD!”
She shouted and pushed him hard. Damien stumbled back as he wasn’t prepared but before he could overcome, his face got turned to the right as Emmaline slapped him hard.
But she didn’t stop there and gave him two more slaps back-to-back.
“You are no less than a monster. I regret meeting a man like you. I was stupid to make a deal with you when I knew the repercussions beforehand. Working in your company was the biggest mistake of my life and forgiving you was a crime. I HATE YOU. I HATE-“
Before she could lash him further, Damien grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed her petite figure on the wall. Emmaline gasped in pain, feeling her back on fire but a scream left her mouth when Damien slammed his fists on the wall above her head with full force.
Her body shook due to the impact. Emmaline squeezed her eyes shut but was forced to open them when she felt something warm trickling on her right cheek. Frowning, she slowly opened her eyes but her core dried by watching the view in front of her.
Two dangerously beautiful golden hues were staring right into her soul. The malice and rage in them were enough to churn her insides in dread.
They looked vicious, and relentless, and had a tinge of raw possession in them.
Emmaline was hella confused.
‘Wasn’t his eyes grey a while before, how come they turn golden all of a sudd-’
Her chain of thoughts got broken midway when the realization struck her like a lightning bolt.
Her body started to shake like a leaf. Emmaline lifted her index finger and pointed at him before stuttering.
“Y-You’re a werewolf.”
Her eyes were still wide open and her voice came out low as if she was paralyzed.
The painful reality from which she had been running for years, the bitter truth that she was trying to weed out from her life, was today standing right in front of her.
How badly she wanted Damien to object to her words but her hopes crashed when instead of refusing it, he flashed her a diabolical smile.
Covering the sliver space between them, Damien cupped her wobbling chin between his long fingers before angling her face to his level. Emmaline shut her eyes, scared to face the horrifying truth.
“Open your eyes Em. Look at me. Yes, you’re one hundred percent right. I am a werewolf but that shouldn’t bother you when you’re just like me.”
His last words snatched the ground beneath her feet. Her eyes immediately shot open. Damien smirked watching her shocked expression.
Emmaline tried to refuse but was struck out when Damien chuckled darkly as if he had sensed her action.
“You can fool humans babe but not a werewolf itself, wolfy.”
*****
