Chapter 3

• IRIS
• ~•~
• I got dressed for work the next morning. I could not figure out what to wear, so I grabbed whatever my hands touched first.
• Janet and Maria slept over, so Janet drove me to FiveTech in her black Toyota. Of the three of us, she was the wealthiest.
• "Have a fun day, darling!" Janet screamed from the driver's seat, and I laughed.
• My hair was in a mess, there were dark circles underneath my eyes, and I could barely see anything clearly, but I was going to head to work and get my day kick started either way.
• I pushed through the glass doors of FiveTech, the number three technology based company in all of America, and number one in New York. I had been working in this company for five years, after six months as an intern. I worked as a sales representative, and had managed to climb up the corporate ladder just a little bit.
• Dedication and commitment have brought me this far. However, I wasn't feeling very dedicated and committed that morning.
• The first unusual sight I caught hold off was the empty receptionist desk. I frowned at the empty seat.
• Miss Penny was always the first person to step into the office in the morning. I knew this much from the many nights I had slept over in the office while working. It was not normal for her to be absent from her office so early in the day.
• Not only that, but the entire ground floor seemed deserted. There was barely any sound, and the only sounds I could hear were the echoes of my heels clanging against the white marble floors as I walked. I clutched my handbag and headed to the elevator.
• Was there a meeting I did not know about?
• No memo had been sent to me?
• Then again, I had been too drunk in the past sixteen hours to check my email.
• Shit! I cursed internally.
• I got into the elevator, and found my way to the twelfth floor, where my office stood.
• Once again, I was greeted by an empty corridor, and empty offices as I walked past.
• Was today a public holiday?
• No. I would have known that much.
• I was grateful to find Sally, my office neighbor- as I liked to call her - rush out of our office and close the door behind her.
• Her eyes widened when she saw me. She shook her head and rushed towards me.
• Confused, I peered at her.
• "Sally, what's going on?"
• "Don't speak. You're not even fashionably late." She spoke with a tone of urgency. I saw her half walk, and half run past me. I followed her closely behind.
• I heaved a sigh and looked down at my pants. I was well aware of what she meant.
• "What's happening?"
• "There is a meeting in the boardroom. Something about the company being bought over night." She whispered, as though she was scared the walls would tell on her.
• However, her whispering was the least of my problems.
• My shocked glare rested on her.
• "What? A new CEO?" We were already taking hasty steps towards the boardroom.
• "Yes. And he doesn't look very friendly. Hot? Yes. But as friendly as Mr Five? Hell no." She threw the words over her shoulder.
• When we got to the glass doors of the boardroom, she stopped and turned to me.
• "Once we are in, make sure you apologize for coming late. Perhaps you would be forgiven."
• It was more of a warning than an advice.
• "Wait, what? Sally, I…" She pushed the door open and walked into the boardroom before I could finish my sentence.
• I had no choice. I was forced to resign myself to fate and pushed the door open. Immediately I stepped into the room, I did as Sally had advised.
• "Sorry I'm late, everyone!" I foolishly called out, wearing a nervous smile on my face.
• All heads turned in my direction, and all eyes met with mine in that instant. A wave of nausea rippled through my skin and bones.
• I wished they would not look at me, or the ground would open up, and I would disappear into it.
• In a room of over fifty people; male and female, my eyes had to land on a vaguely familiar pair of sapphire blue orbs at the head of the table, seated on the seat of the chief executive officer of FiveTech global.
• My breath hitched. My heart did a thousand and one somersaults in my chest, and my throat ran dry immediately.
• I swallowed hard to dampen it, but it only worked for ten seconds.
• His eyes were on me. He was looking at me.
• I could not be mistaken. He was the only one I knew with long silver hair, and a slashed left eyebrow. And that tattoo on the right side of his neck…
• Flashes from last night violently flooded my mind. My head throbbed badly, my right hand flew to my forehead. I could have fallen to the ground, but a gracious co-worker caught me before I could.
• He couldn't be our new CEO!
• The man from last night, the stranger I kissed in the club could not have bought my company in what, less than twelve hours?
• What was he playing at? What was he trying to do? How the fuck did he know I worked here?
• I was going mad. Even in the fully air conditioned room, beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. It soaked my collar and the back of my shirt.
• Once I was seated, he tore his gaze away from me. Sally appeared to be giving a presentation, as the personal assistant to the human resource manager. While she spoke, he focused his eyes on her and the projector in front of the room.
• The lights had been turned off, but it didn't make me any less nervous.
• I was still as aware of his presence as I had been when I first walked into the room.
• Once the meeting was over, he dismissed every one of us.
• I returned to my office, but I could barely concentrate for more than half of the day.
• At exactly twelve noon, there was a knock on my door.
• "Miss Peterson."
• I jerked up from my reverie, and turned sharply towards the door.
• "The CEO wants to see you in his office. He says you have five minutes."
• My heart sunk to the bottom of my chest. Hot sweat busted through my pores and flooded my face again.
• What had I done? I shouldn't have gone to the party last night! I shouldn't have drank too much! And I sure as hell should have never accepted Janet's stupid dare!
• His office door opened when I got there. I sucked in deep breaths several times, but nothing could prepare me for the meeting ahead of me.
• "You cannot stand in front of my door forever, little dove." His voice graced my ears, and I felt myself freeze at the spot.
• Little dove. That was the name he had called me before promising to ruin my life. My intestines formed a tight knot in my stomach. I was fighting hard to breathe.
• He was right. I could not stand in front of his door forever. The earlier I faced him, the faster I could get this shit show over with.
• I walked into his office, and closed the door behind me. I stood in front of the door, watching him cross his legs and recline into his chair.
• Mr. Five's name had been replaced with his on the plaque.
• Five Montgomery, was now Damon Maddox.
• Damon Maddox. I flinched.
• Even his name sounded treacherous.
• I swallowed hard and kept my gaze on the plaque.
• "You might want to walk to my table to receive what I have for you." He said again.
• My eyes hoisted up to stare at him. I let out a ragged breath, before I looked down at the table. A white envelope was displayed in front of me.
• I felt a sharp pain in my chest, one that I could not express just yet.
• I started to walk towards the table, begging my knees not to fail me. They threatened to turn to jelly, and send me to the ground.
• As I stood in front of his desk, a sinister grin spread on his cheeks.
• "What…" I had started to speak, but my voice came out as a mere whimper.
• "What is this?" I asked.
• "I want to believe you're learned, and you can read." He replied, without looking at me.
• I snatched the envelope from his desk and tore it open. I unwrapped the paper, my keen eyes skimmed through every word.
• With every typed word I read, every sentence I skimmed through, my heart sunk deeper in my chest.
• "You're…" My lips quivered. I could not find my voice anymore.
• "You're firing me?"
• It was at that moment he looked up at me.
• "Why do you sound surprised?"
• "Why?" I coughed out. The tears I had fought so hard to hold back since my break up with Philip last night, rushed to the forefront of my eyes.
• I made no effort to hold them back.
• "It is my company, Miss Peterson. I can do whatever I want. However, since you asked…" he leaned out of his chair and folded his arms. He stared straight into my eyes, so I knew he wasn't bluffing.
• "Incompetence."
• The words slapped me across my cheeks. It was a heavy blow to my chest.
• "Incompetence?!" I cried out.
• "Please…" I pressed my palms together as I cried.
• "You cannot do this to me, please. I need this job! It's all I have!"
• "You should have thought about that before coming late to work." His blue eyes leered at me. His jaw hardened. Every action of his stemmed from pure hate, I could feel it.
• "I would do anything to make it up to you, sir. Please, please just let me keep this job!"
• "I'm afraid I can't do that." He replied.
• "I have asked the HRM to send out a vacancy notice for your spot already."
• No. Please no.
• "However, there is one thing I can do for you."
• I sniffed in my tears and stayed quiet.
• "I could offer you another job…"
• My eyes flew open with hope.
• "...as my mistress."
• The hopes were slammed against the hard floor.
• I watched him flash me a forced smile, but it was all to mock me.
• He was making a joke of me, playing with me!
• Bile rose from the pit of my stomach. I could taste it at the tip of my tongue.
• "Fuck you." I spoke, through bared teeth. I squeezed the paper in my hand into a rumpled ball and flung it at him. He slapped it away from his face.
• A stray tear rushed down my right eye.
• "Fuck you." I said once more, before turning my back on him.