Falling for the Chase

Episode 55: Madman

Episode 55: Madman

"You sly bastard."

"A pleasant good morning to you too, Valentina."

"Oh, don't give me that fake crap. I know exactly what you've been up to." Slamming the stack of papers down onto his office desk, Valentina glared at the head of the pack of wolves that surrounded her for years.

Mr. Malik's hands drew for the documents and his dark eyes began to scan them.

They lifted onto the actress as he noted that none of the sections had been signed with her signature.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked deadly quiet.

Her face contorted at the shades of his irises becoming even darker despite the area letting in a ridiculous amount of light, against the will of the towering skyscrapers outside.

"You know exactly what it means. I'm not signing anything that has this company's name on it. Not now. Not ever." She growled.

He merely continued to look at her and it made her get even more riled up.

"Thinking you can trick me with some cheap trick like this? Get real! I've been in this business long enough to spot the clues. Putting my projects given this year all the way to the same time of a renewal period? To think you'd be smarter than that. I must've given you more credit than you were due."

At that his eyes sunk into an abyss as he regarded her. She barely flinched, stifling a reaction, as he drew for the stack of papers and threw it across the room, it flying over her shoulders. Valentina had been a witness to his temper only once, but that display had been enough to know what was to come when you messed with a man like him.

He acted on impulse. Taking his frustrations out on objects around him, even his secretary had once been on the receiving end because she was too close in proximity.

Despite her racing heart beats, Valentina held her ground.

She wouldn't tremble in front of him.

She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing that she feared him like everyone else around him did.

He was a madman in a suit.

The actress knew that much but he wouldn't be rash enough to physically harm her, knowing the consequences that may await him outside of these doors.

He wouldn't dare.

"I think you don't understand how this works, Valentina," he got out gruffly—stiffly. "You don't have a say in the matter. You signed a contract with us. Whatever we indicate is best for your professional course of actions, you have to abide by. Now go pick up those papers like a good girl and sign them."

She felt her eyes twitch. "No."

"You don't have a choice. You will sign them."

"I will do no such thing. I have had it with you and your slimy company. You people have no sense of morality and have made me so fucking depressed while working for you. The fact that I've had to cover up your image at the expense of my own over these years has made me sick to the stomach. Do you think any amount of damage control can hide who you really are? It never will. A monster can never hide its true form."

Mr. Malik ran a hand over his beard and looked at her with an openly hard gaze.

"I think you've become spoiled over the years, Valentina."

Before she could even question what the hell that meant, he lunged over the desk at her and grabbed her hair.

She shrieked out in pain.