Elyana
"There you are." A stunning woman in a red dress appeared in the corner of her eye.
Her voice was soft and sweet, but the glare that she sent her way was not. Obviously, she disapproved of what she just witnessed.
"Tyra, do you need something?" Instantly, the man holding her trapped in his arms dropped his hands on the side and stepped backwards.
"I've been looking for you, darling." The woman strode toward them, stopping at the man's side. "And who's this?" Her eyes scanned her from head to toe, seemingly sizing her up and finding her lacking.
Wait! What?
Darling?
Her eyes darted at him before turning to the woman, discreetly studying her under the frame of her glasses, wondering who she was.
Indeed, the woman looked like a supermodel. Exactly the type of woman that a man like him would probably go for. Not anything like her.
Plain, simple, a nerd at heart.
"I'm nobody." She answered, keeping her head bowed low, eyes focused on the floor, and hands clasped behind her.
At least, to him, she was no one.
But—
Who was this woman to him? His girlfriend, his fiancée, or his wife?
Then, what was he doing sleeping with her if he was already involved with someone else?
Men.
Damn it! They were all full of shit. And he was no different.
"Anyway," The other woman dismissed her presence as if she were nothing. Turning away as if she had just lost interest in her. "The meeting is about to start," She said instead, latching her hand possessively on his arm.
Staking a strong claim on him.
"We should be going, darling?" The woman said aloud. It was clear she wanted her to hear, emphasizing the endearing word with a drawl.
Oh my!
The meeting. She almost forgot.
Was he the important client that everyone was talking about?
Mr. Tate?
"Excuse me, but I need to get back to work." She bolted out of there as fast as her feet would take her.
Literally, she sprinted as if her pants were on fire, not caring if she almost stumbled on her own two feet in her haste. Luckily, she didn't fall this time.
Her lungs were burning by the time she stopped running. Then, she hid behind her small table in the corner, where no one would notice her.
"Fuck!" She expressed, gasping for air. "Why do I keep bumping into him?"
The more she thought she would never see him again, the more he showed up everywhere.
There he was, all over the place.
Invading her space. Her mind.
Unconsciously, her eyes looked down at her belly—at the child growing inside her womb.
"I guess I found your father, baby." She whispered. "But he's a total asshole."
Honestly, she had contemplated looking for him. Maybe even giving him the chance to be part of their child's life. But now, perhaps it might be better if she kept her child to herself.
Besides, it seemed he didn't even recognize her from that night.
"I think we are better off on our own." She concluded, gently stroking her belly as if she were caressing her child.
"Hey, newbie." A knock on her table jolted her from her musing, making her sit straight in her chair as she made herself look presentable. "Elyana, right?"
"Yes, Mrs. Wright." She answered since there was no one else around except her. "Do you need anything done?" She asked the CEO's Executive Secretary.
While the CEO was away, she had been taking most of her orders from Mrs. Wright. She was strict and demanding, but not totally unreasonable.
"Mr. Caldwell is just attending a meeting with a client." The older woman told her. "As his new assistant, I want you to present him with his schedule for this week." Handing her a list of the boss's itinerary and tasks.
"The CEO is here?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "Today?" Suddenly, she felt anxious, a complete bundle of nerves, at the thought of meeting her boss for the first time.
As Elyana Pryce, the daughter of James Pryce, she had nothing to worry about meeting such a prestigious man.
However, it was a different story when she was just plain Elyana Pryce. Not the daughter of a successful tycoon.
And as far as everyone in the office was concerned, she was not an heiress, but just an intern.
Like every employee at Storm Chaser Publishing, she could not lose this job, especially in her situation. Not when her father was about to disown her once he learned about her transgression.
"Yes, Elyana." The woman raised her eyebrows at her as if she just asked the stupidest question. "You're finally meeting your boss."
"Put these contracts on his desk." Mrs. Wright placed several folders in front of her. "Don't forget that Mr. Caldwell likes his coffee black." Then, the woman turned and walked back into her station.
Immediately, she picked up the thick folders in her arms, rearranged her glasses, and fixed the strands of hair hanging loose across her forehead. Then, she followed the woman until the woman stopped and glanced her way.
"Remember..." Mrs. Wright looked at her with a clear warning. "If you want to keep this job, keep your distance."
Of course, she understood. She already had enough trouble on her plate to add another.
Seducing her boss was the last thing on her mind.
For the last ten minutes, she had arranged the folders on her boss's desk twice or thrice, memorized his schedule by heart, and made his coffee twice, wanting everything to be perfect.
As they say, first impressions last.
Now, all she had to do was wait.
Wait for her boss to walk through that door as she made a final sweep of the room.
Any minute now, as she glanced at the time. The meeting with Mr. Tate must be over now.
"Don't worry, Elyana. You got this." She had nothing to worry about.
As long as she didn't have to see Mr. Tate again, or at least anytime soon.
If that man was signing a contract with the company, she had to accept that seeing him in the future might be a constant possibility.
"How did the world suddenly become so small?" She thought as she crossed paths with this man again and again.
It was as if fate had been playing a cruel joke on her.
Anyway, the time had finally come as noises came from the other side of the door.
When the door cracked open, she immediately saw Mrs. Wright. Behind her, she noticed a man in a black suit.
It took several seconds before she finally saw him.
Her boss.
"No!" Elyana gasped in shock, gawking at the man who just entered the room.
"Mr. Kowen Caldwell, the CEO of the Storm Group." The announcement rang loudly in her ears.
"No, it can't be him." She whispered, lips trembling and breath shaking, completely caught off guard by his sudden presence.
After spending a perfect night with a stranger, she thought she would never see him again. But here he was, standing in front of her.
The man who filled her mind day and night.
The man who was the father of her unborn child.
And the monster that haunted her.
The BIG BAD WOLF in her nightmare.
But he was not alone, as a woman followed him closely behind.
If there had been a female villain in the Red Riding Hood story, she believed that woman would fit into the role perfectly.