Chain Of The Obsession

ies permeated my uniform, and the sounds of clinking glasses and chatter, mixed with an old radio played at a decibel level that sent my

as due

last tip I coul

my manager, barked, running past

y breath, already setting out 

offee before him. He was reading his phone, dressed in a s

tighter. One more hour. All I nee

it ha

ision. A cr

all over my front, s

or, cups broken, coffee and

Heart pounding against my ri

, I lo

with the coldest blu

ess power. Black suit, white shirt, an expensive watch glea

eath hitch icy blue, penetrating, a

d hard. "I

shoul

was low,

ted. Coffee dripped from his perfectly

n

apkins with trembli

hip, leaving the mark of

oze in midair

ilent. Now, every pa

ips, trying again. "

, his eyes darkening

delivered it that

ders. "I-I'll compensat

s, but it had no warmth. Onl

n't aff

urned. He w

it card from his jacket, handed it to me

owe

at him.

t waver. "You

I said again, frustrat

oincidence," he said

eath. "I don't have

asking fo

ed. "Th

work f

of si

at him.

this was absolutely normal. "You wi

nded. "That'

his brow

nd shook my head. "You'

He tilted his head, studying me like I

ld warn you - this suit costs more than you mak

mach t

he counter, pretending not to look, but of cou

ched m

was u

was i

dn't hav

hose to press charges, I would drow

ow who you are,"

icker in his e

n Blac

eath

rd that n

yone

ises. Ruthless. Dangerous. A billionaire wh

st poured co

ea

"It's not like I ha

s curle

what, exactly, w

al assi

"You alread

d

wh

interrupted smooth as gl

lse p

as a b

ble, aw

choice di

wed hard

or a moment I thought I must hav

oor. "Report to my office in the

s disappearance. "W

ne shoulder, blu

figure

he wa

t a shak

ll had I ju

dn't ha

e glass-clouding skyscraper. The giant Blackwood Enterprises

-looking building - li

n Bla

dy. The morning rush hummed around me, business people in suits scurr

alk away. Act like las

then

till due. And Damien wasn'

red my shoulders and enter

s, walls covered with smooth black panels. A polished receptioni

y. "Um ... I'm here t

ver my secondhand top and cheap jeans. A fli

ave an ap

. "He told

w, clearly skept

a Car

. She had widened her eyes for the briefest of moments

pushing a button. "Take the

ted. "To

nd, already on t

ea

black elevator. As soon as I entere

as I watched the numbe

20th floor

nd, my nerves

I just

opened with a

here

out over the city. Sharp morning light carved shadows across his strong

ond, I wa

he tu

in on mine, unreada

ate," he

the cloc

It's not eve

itched. "Ex

chair sitting in fro

ore moving on,

he rested back against

s tone steady but stern. You work for me now.

wed. "Wh

ad. Rule one: al

at I say, no q

That sounds

hed. "That sou

arms. "Any

es

ittle closer, hi

e never li

etween us

the way he said it m

answer, he sa

ob star

What the hel

me. Then he grabbed a stack of p

morize the details. If

agreements, business deals, n

You think I'm supposed

ou're smart. F

teeth, but

e first document a

hat I was getti

n Blackwood wasn