ONE DECADE AGO

Augusta's POV:

She knew how long it could take to complete a novel...having done the calculation of it all, it set her off that she could not make it even at the appointed time.

Being a writer isn't easy. It takes a passionate and impassive individual to press on with it. She thought all her life that she could never be passive towards writing, until today.

Her legs scurried as fast as they could, and her heart pounded twice as fast as she remembered the times when she would rather sit and watch the latest movies on Netflix. Those days were gone now that she needed proof that she had completed her assigned job.

What could she do? She had wondered once upon a time whether a day would come like this. She never knew she thought about it for so long for it to finally become her reality. Disadvantages of the law of attraction. If only she could focus better on the mind-settling side of things which was exactly what she needed now, it might work that her meeting with the company's CEO would be cancelled.

Unfortunately, the more she tried to think it could be that way, the more frightened she became because doubt bounced about her mind like a basketball. Her head was all jumbled with what could and could not be.

She heard her phone ring, making her curse out loudly. It earned her the stares of the workers passing by. She was too occupied to even care.

The caller called at a very bad time. She paused to confirm if she was on the right path before reaching into her pocket to take her phone. She nearly groaned seeing it was her mother. She knew exactly what her mother was calling her for and didn't understand why it couldn't wait until she got home.

"Yes mum, this is not the best time to call."

"Now you can't possibly be too busy for your mother can you."

She swallowed a groan. "Why did you call?"

"Hmm...just checking to see if you've finally considered having..."

"Mum, can this not wait till I get back home?" She said placing the phone between her ear and shoulder as she arranged the documents in her hands. She was so late.

"But..."

"Mum, it's my first day at work and I am already ten minutes late for work. Sorry mum but we'll have to discuss this later. Bye!!" She heaved a sigh when she cut the call. "Shit, I am so late." She turned to dash to the office, but instead hit a hard...body? She was quite sure there was no wall in front of her before.

Unsure, she slowly raised her head, her gaze scanning his outfit till she was eye to eye with a man she had never encountered before. Wow was the first word she could think of. Like a normal human, she noticed his mode of dressing...classic, business-like...from the shoes to the shirt and suit. His silver wristwatch caught her eye because it glittered proudly on his wrist.

Then his face, well-chiselled jaw, straight nose, and lips were formed in the perfect shape possible. She noticed the black stud on his ears. With clean shaved beards and perfectly shaped brows that seemed to have scars. The hair...it was clear that he's Italian. His looks gave that away.

Then her eyes shifted to a less friendly gaze... scornful even. The eyes of her boss. It was then she remembered she still was on the ground. In a second she was up on her feet dusting herself before looking down. Her documents were completely disarranged. She inhaled in exasperation, but she didn't want them to notice so she did it slowly.

"You. are. late." The venom dripped from that voice. Then he turned to the handsome man next to him. "I apologize Grey for the intrusion. This is Augusta, my supposed secretary." He left the part of him being her husband out. Even from the way he mentioned his name, she could tell that Grey was a close friend of her husband. Didn't he make mention of their engagement to him? Mr. Grey scanned her attire, then her face. She felt hot under his gaze as she watched one of his brows cock.

"I apologize for my mistake. I didn't see you there."

"Can you stop giving excuses and just be remorseful for once?" Her boss gritted his teeth but he wasn't loud at all.

"Go easy on the lady Lorenzo." Mr. Grey commented. Lorenzo sighed.

"Pick up these files before I get back, Augusta," Lorenzo said before leaving. She wasted no time taking most of the files from the floor. She was about to take the last when she saw a masculine hand pick it up. Her gaze followed the hand upwards. Seeing it was Grey, she felt a mixture of gratitude and surprise.

"Thank you, Mr. Lorenzo." She earned a smirk, before watching him walk past. She heaved a relieved sigh. She knew her fiancee was already displeased with her...even their marriage was arranged so it wasn't her choice...it wasn't because of love. Her father wasn't a simple man. He'd controlled her all her life, and he had forced her into this company since she was getting married to one of the top businessmen on earth. To him, it was nothing to sell his daughter off out of lust for money.

Her mother knew everything about this but had always told her to be patient. She was in no way intruding on her wanting a marriage arranged out of love. She had no choice now. To keep her father's business running, she had to marry Lorenzo. He wasn't the best man she'd met. But he was the man that she was meant to get married to and the thought of it bruised her.

She sighed. Her mother only tried to keep her hopeful by reminding her that it was only for a limited time, and she would have the world to herself by then, so she should look for someone she could settle with...the lights faded because that night was the night fire lit up their house. It was bad enough that she lost her parents in the fire, now she was captured and taken as a slave. A sex slave. That was the end of her journey as a worker she was forced even into the life she was living right now. She was no longer a writer. She was the enemy of an enemy and some people's nightmares. Something she'd never dreamed of being. Ever.

And it was all, a decade ago.