Elysia's POV:
"Shut up, Elysia," Ares spoke, his deep voice gentle yet firm. My body froze at his words, not moving an inch from my spot, the air between us thick with unspoken tension.
He was close, dangerously close; hovering over me. Just an inch of movement, and his lips would touch my nose.
I could feel his minty breath on my cheeks, his familiar musk scent tingling my nostrils. His eyes were fixed on my forehead, but the proximity and warmth sent shivers down my spine. Mixed emotions surged within me, and I was on the verge of fainting.
It was Ares' kindness that made my heart beat for him for the first time. Those few years of secretly following him allowed me to witness the real Ares. He would stop in the streets, helping people, even if it was an exhausted old man or kids fighting. He'd sit with them, provide company, talk and laugh, help with anything he could, resolve issues, and leave quietly without seeking credit.
That's when I realized Ares helping me the day I was bullied in school was nothing but kindness. It took me years to make myself understand that showing kindness isn't love. Yet, here he was again, stirring up everything I'm trying to bury.
"Does it hurt?" I looked up, hearing his voice, locking eyes with his intense warm ones. My eyes slightly widened, feeling a jolt of electricity passing through my body when I felt him stroking my jaw with his thumb.
"No," I answered in a daze. Feeling his touch was like a dream for me, and the way he looked at me made my heart flip crazily.
I noticed his eyes turning into a darker shade of brown as his gaze shifted to my parted lips, then back to my eyes, as if searching my soul.
Why... is he looking at me like that?
I had never seen this kind of look in his eyes. It was unfamiliar, yet I felt something I had never experienced before, like my whole body was on fire.
This was not right. He is an engaged man; he is committed to someone else and shouldn't be like this to others.
As this thought crossed my mind, I abruptly turned my face away and stood up. Ares seemed surprised by my sudden movement as he straightened, blinking a few times. I wanted to move away from him, but his legs were still on both sides of my chair, holding it, which he didn't even bother to move.
"T-thank you, sir. I'm, I'm fine now," I stammered, extremely bothered by his closeness.
Even while standing, I couldn't move an inch. He was almost sitting on my table, but still, I was just leveling with his chin, looking anywhere but him.
My hands were clutching my clothes. I didn't even have enough space to raise my hands, afraid they would land on his chest.
"I swear, Elysia, if you say 'sir' again..." My eyes snapped to him, observing his now pissed expressions and clenched jaw.
"S-sorry, Mr. Knight!" I blurted out.
Ares' lips parted, glaring at me. "Seriously?" If he was pissed before, then he was absolutely mad now.
What did I do now?
"You, you're my boss." I responded as a matter of fact. What else does he expect me to call him if not sir or Mr. Knight?
"Do you know that there are billions of nerves in a human body, and miraculously, you manage to get on every single one of them." Ares responded through gritted teeth, standing up from the table.
'What doesn't get on your nerves, you jerk?' I wanted to bite back but shut my mouth when I noticed his glare. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under the ground at this moment.
I stepped back instantly, silently releasing a relieved sigh, pushing away the sudden emptiness I felt without his warmth around me.
Ares stepped away from me, marching his way out of my office, but stopped at the entrance. "Arrange the files in my office in chronological order, and filter the older ones, transfer them to the storehouse, and set the others according to their importance. Report to me after that." He ordered.
I automatically looked at the clock and blurted, "But it's almost 5 P.M."
"So?" Ares raised his eyebrows in an uncaring manner. "I'm your boss after all!" He said in a mocking tone.
"Do you have any objections, Miss Lawson?" He inquired coldly, raising an eyebrow, challenging me to defy his orders. I had to work on my designs tonight.
Guess I would just have to work overtime tonight. I flashed him a wide fake smile and answered, "No, Mr. Knight."
He was being a jerk again...
Ares' lips pressed into a thin line, looking at my fake smile. As he turned around to leave, my hands turned into fists, faking a punch on his head.
"Jerk, holding a grudge," I mumbled under my breath when he was out of the office.
He abruptly turned around, and I instantly pulled my hands down, shutting my mouth.
"Did you say something, Miss Lawson?" He inquired in the same bossy tone. I quickly shook my head, my heart beating uncontrollably in my chest.
Did he hear what I said?
"Better," he muttered loud enough for me to hear and left.
I couldn't help but stare towards the way he left. It could be my imagination, but I think I noticed his lips turning into an evil smirk just before turning around.
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"Ares Simon Knight, you Dinosaur!!!!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the silent store room as I unleashed my frustration on the file rack, punctuating each outburst with a kick to the carton beside it.
"Coldzilla, T-Rex, Grudgezilla!!!" My chest heaved rapidly, my eyes fixated on the towering piles of work in front of me.
For an entire week, Ares had seemingly made it his mission to personally burden me with an overwhelming workload. Days were spent confined in the store room, and nights stretched into overtime in his office.
I don't know which of my words pissed him off so much that he is revenging on me like this now, but now I'm getting certain that he heard me calling him names, which is why he has been giving me challenging glances to defy his orders, so he could pick a fight.
As I hoisted the box of files I needed, making my way back to the executive floor, sympathetic glances followed me from my colleagues' offices.
Of course! Since I was the "boss's" hot target these days, everyone was expecting me to resign sooner or later, or at least cry my eyes out with all his orders, but what can I say, this workload, demanding as it was, paled in comparison to the hours I had once dedicated to work when we first learned about mom's condition.
My phone buzzed in my pocket just as the elevator doors opened with a ping. I stepped in, holding the box in one hand, and retrieved the phone from other. A man dressed in black entered after me.
I gave him a glance, furrowing my eyebrows. He didn't seem like a guy who would work here; he was wearing a cap and had a mask on his face.
Shrugging my thoughts away, I picked up Beastie's call. Random people couldn't enter the Knight Group anyway.
"Hey, another overtime today?" Esme's voice echoed through the phone.
"It seems so," I sighed. Her presence at the hospital, looking after my mom, was a relief. Otherwise, the worry of leaving my mom alone would have consumed me.
"Do you want me to take some action?" Esme offered, her tone suggesting a range of creative solutions. "I could give that idiot a lesson or two."
I chuckled, "And how would you do that, Miss Vasquez? Hopefully, not the fists again?" I spoke in a low voice and stole a glance at the stranger in the elevator, who now had a phone in hand with an open camera. Esme and her habit of jabbing people's jaw was still something I couldn't get used to.
Poor Sven had endured the most damage. I couldn't blame Esme though; Sven intentionally got on her nerves always, then came to me for complaining and cleaning his wounds.
A low chuckle sounded from the other end, "I have countless other ways to create trouble than using my fists, darling. Say a word, and I would simply shut down the systems of Knight Group for a whole day. It would take an hour at the most, and you could enjoy seeing that idiot losing his sh*t," a hearty laugh escaped my lips at Esme's words. I know she could do that in a heartbeat; there's no doubt.
"Don't please, I swear, Beastie, I could already imagine him losing his cool," I responded between giggles, imagining Ares pulling his hair because literally no one could beat Beastie when it comes to hacking.
"If you say so," she responded still chuckling at my laugh.
"Ah, how's mom doing?" I asked instantly. I noticed through the peripheral vision that the man beside me just raised his phone, but when I looked towards him, he was standing straight.
"Good, actually! The new procedure that Dr. Finn suggested is working great, and mom's body is responding well. He's optimistic that her condition will improve with the new doses; she may not need extra support to walk either. We just need to wait for the donor, but her condition is out of danger. God bless the man who donated the essential equipment and money; otherwise, we wouldn't be able to afford this treatment even after working like this for our whole lives."
I smiled through tears, wiping my eyes, "You're right! God bless them!" I responded in a low voice, stepping out of the elevator as the doors opened with a ping. Holding the box in one hand and the phone in the other, I hung up after telling Beastie that I would call after work and leaned against the wall.
No one could understand how relieved and hopeful I felt at this moment. Seeing your most important person lying in the bed, fighting for their life is as painful as the one experiencing the pain yourself. No matter how strong upfront I was putting, inside I was scared to death. If something happened to mom, what would I do alone without her? My life would mean nothing without mom.
Shaking away the negative thoughts, I stood straight, intending to go to Ares' office when I paused. Glancing back at the elevator, I realized there was no sign of the man who had entered with me. The closed doors puzzled me; this was the last floor, with only a roof above.
"Stop being paranoid, Elysia!" I scolded myself. Shrugging, I made my way back to the office, knowing that years of living in secrecy had made me excessively cautious.
I knocked on the door and entered Ares' office, box in hand. "Here are all the files for Sanchez Group, Mr. Knight," I announced, placing them on the table beside the couch, which had become my makeshift office for the past week.
Ares rose from his chair, approaching the couch where I stood. He held a file in his hand, his attire more relaxed without the tie and coat. The top buttons of his white shirt were open, offering a glimpse of his muscled chest. Sleeves rolled up to his elbows, veins subtly visible beneath his sun-kissed skin as he held the file.
My gaze shifted to his face, dark brown hair brushed backward covering his nape, a few strands dangling on his forehead. Furrowed eyebrows created creases as he focused on the file. Elegant frameless glasses rested on his finely sculpted straight nose. His lips were pressed in a thin line, and a stubble adorned his strong, defined jawline.
On impulse, I wanted to stroke that stubble but quickly pushed the thought away, diverting my attention back to the box filled with files. This internal struggle had become a daily ordeal. Working was challenging enough, but seeing him in this state every day wasn't making it any easier.
Gingerly stealing a glance in his direction, I saw him stopping beside me, engrossed in the file.
"If you're done checking me out, Miss Lawson, we can focus on the important matter," he stated seriously.
My eyes widened in horror. How had he noticed? He was engrossed in the file the whole time.
"I-I... I wasn't," I stammered.
Oh God, this is so embarrassing!
Ares raised his head, looking straight into my eyes, causing me to gulp. "Hm, is that so?" he commented in a cold, casual tone.
I nodded vigorously, attempting to conjure an excuse. "I, I was looking at your glasses," I blurted.
Bravo! Great excuse, Elysia. I wanted to facepalm myself, realizing the absurdity.
Ares' eyebrows arched at my response, but the man had no intentions of letting it slide. "Then what's that? I don't remember seeing you rubbing your skin recently," he remarked, his calm voice reaching my ears, and my eyes instantly widened further if it was even possible.
My face...
It must be!
"I... I was in the store room earlier," I began, trying to maintain some semblance of pride. My hands gestured aimlessly.
"Hm, Hm," Ares nodded, listening attentively, looking at me.
He doesn't even give this much attention in the board meeting then why was he looking at me like that? It was making me forget what I was saying.
"So, this happened that, it was too dusty there, and, like I have, Um..." I pointed towards my face.
"Sensitive skin," Ares completed for me, raising his hand.
"Yeah, that's right..." My words trailed off when I felt his hand gently wiping sweat off my forehead, nodding attentively.
"Hm, what happened next?" he inquired, but I was already a goner, completely forgetting my initial explanation.
As if it weren't enough, my ears heated up. I was undoubtedly bright red.
Before I could muster an answer to this handsome devil towering over me, the office door suddenly opened, along with Maron's voice.
"Hey, guys, time for lunch," I looked up, sighing in relief, but instead of Maron, I was met with Ares' broad back.
"Okay, coming in a minute," Ares responded to Maron. I couldn't see if he signaled something to Maron, but he left, stating he was waiting outside.
Ares turned to me, bending to my face level. "Take your time before coming out. I'll be waiting outside too," he said in a surprisingly gentle tone and left the office, leaving me rooted in place.
My mind processed everything that had just happened. I was sure he was trying to shield my face from Maron. He used to do the same thing in school.
When my face returned to normal, I went out to find both of them waiting for me, chatting. We made our way to Ares' car.
I don't know what came over him recently, but Maron has been inviting me to lunch with them daily, and Ares suggested I join so we could discuss work issues and save time. At first, it was awkward, but Maron's friendly nature helped me blend in, with Ares mostly silent and not bothered.
As usual, I was about to get into the back seat when Maron blocked my way. "Sorry to stop you, Elysia, but can you please sit in the front passenger seat? My back is aching, and I want to lie down for a bit," he said, placing a hand on his lower back.
"Oh, sure, sure, sit comfortably," I opened the door for him. He flashed a thankful smile before getting in.
I sat in the front, glancing at Maron in the back seat.
"Are you okay?" I inquired, just as Ares walked towards the car, talking on the phone.
"I'm better, thanks," Maron said, gesturing towards the whole back seat, giving me a thankful glance. I waved a hand at him with a smile, signaling it was nothing, when Ares sat in the car, starting the engine while listening to the other side.
"Yes, we are not going to change the rate, inform them," he spoke and hung up, maneuvering the car out of the building.
He probably didn't notice me in the front seat, or if he did, he didn't show it.
I didn't want to sit in the front seat; it wasn't my place. I entwined my hands on my lap, playing with my clothes.
I couldn't understand Ares these days. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what, but there was a change in the way he treated me.
The thing that bothered me the most was his closeness. I was sure he wouldn't be doing this intentionally, but I couldn't help feeling weird about it.
If I hadn't seen him with other female employees, I would think he treats everybody like this, but he doesn't. His feathery brushes against my hands, closeness while he shows me documents, his stares when I'm saying something, his sarcastic comments, sometimes teasing even, and his gentle touches like today; everything was bothering me.
I hate thinking this way about Ares, but it almost felt like he was leading me on by behaving like this. Yes, he is kind, but the things he was doing could give wrong signals to others.
Come to think of it, I never saw anyone making their presence known as his fiancée. He doesn't even wear a ring.
What is actually going on?
When Ares stopped the car in front of the restaurant, he told us to get in while he parked the car.
Maron's phone rang just as we got out of the car. I nodded at him, making my way inside the restaurant when someone was coming outside from the same way.
I didn't have a chance to do much as the person collided with me.
"I'm so—" I was about to apologize when the words died inside of me.
Standing in front of me was the person I hadn't seen in years, someone I genuinely considered a friend once.
"...Aubrey Anderson!" My voice came out in a whisper.
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So, someone is back! What are your thoughts about today's chapter, please share in comments, I would love to hear out what you guys have to say about all of them? 🤗
Chapter isn't edited, sorry for the mistakes, just let me know if you find any! 😊