“What the hell!” He huffs, cupping his nose.
“My folder that was sitting on the desk outside my dad’s office. I know it was you. And as soon as I get the security footage, I’m pressing charges for trespassing and theft. You’re not allowed on that property and you fucking know it.”
“Would you calm down. I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“Don't play dumb with me.” My fists ball at my side and I’m ready to release again if he doesn’t quit lying to me. I’ll tie him to a chair and torture the truth out of him.
I’m so angry that tears begin falling down my cheeks. Normally, I’d hide them. I don’t wear my emotions, but this is different. Niles went too far this time.
“Go watch your footage and you’ll see that you’ve lost your damn mind again. Just like last time.”
“Don’t you dare!” I can feel the tick in my jaw as heat rises to my head. “Don’t you dare bring up my past to me. If I went crazy, it was because of you.”
Niles walks behind his desk and grabs a handkerchief, holding it to his nose as he talks. “Oh, you mean when you broke into that woman’s house and she found you in her room when she was sleeping.”
“I was trying to talk to her and it was the only way I could get her to listen.”
“How about when you cornered her with your car, knocking off her bumper, and refusing to let her leave while you screamed at her for selling the tape.”
“Hitting her car was an accident.”
Niles comes toward me, but I take a step back. He eats up that space quickly, grabbing me by the arm and pulling my body flush with his. “And who got you out of that mess, Mira?”
I don’t flatter him with an answer. Yes, he paid her off so she wouldn’t press charges. We agreed on a restraining order and I haven’t seen her since.
“I did,” he answers his own question. “You can call me the villain, but we both know I’m your knight in shining armor.”
I attempt to jerk my arm away, but his grip only tightens. “You’re the fucking devil.”
“And you’ll soon be my wife.”
Spit flies from my mouth right on his face. “I hate you.”
“One day you’ll love me.”
I make another attempt to get away, but it doesn’t work. If I try to fight back, he fights harder. That’s the way Niles works. He doesn’t play push and pull; he just pulls.
“Let me go!” I shout.
He drops the rag from his face and it falls at our feet. In one swift motion, he pulls me tighter, pressing his face to mine. I pinch my lips tightly, not letting him touch his on mine. I can feel the blood on his face smear across mine. “I’m never letting you go. In fact, I bought you something.” He pulls back then drags me by his side over to his desk. With his free hand, he opens a drawer and pulls out a small black box. He hands it to me, but I just look down on it with pure hatred, the same way I look at him. “Go on, open it.” When I don’t, he takes it upon himself. He flips the top and shows me the glistening diamond ring. It’s at least four carats on a white gold band. A root canal would be more appealing than wearing that thing.
Niles grabs my hand, clenching it tightly in his, and he slides the band on. I swing my arms and try to fight back to no avail. “If you don’t let me go right now, I will scream at the top of my lungs.”
“Let it out, Sunshine. This room is soundproof. You’re welcome to scream all you want. In fact, once we’re married, I prefer it while I have you bent over this desk. I know you’re tainted by other men now, but I can learn to accept it.”
“You’re disgusting.” Niles’ phone rings on his desk and he lifts the phone to his ear while still holding onto me.
“Thanks. Send him in.”
“Send who in?” I ask, curious as to why he’d let anyone see what he’s doing to me right now.
Niles grabs another handkerchief and wipes his face, leaving behind some blood stain, but getting the majority of it. “I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.”
There’s a knock at the door that grabs my attention.
“Come in,” Niles hollers.
The door opens, and my heart drops. It sinks slowly, painfully, and deeply. “Sawyer?” I say in question. Why is he here?
Then I see the folder in his hands. My folder. “You.” My head shakes in disbelief. “It was you.”
His expression doesn’t match the one I saw early at Glasson. This one looks sorrowful. He’s not at all surprised to see me, which tells me all I need to know. I can’t help the tears that fall down my face. I go to walk away, planning on taking the folder on my way out, but Niles stops me.
“I’ll take that.” He holds his hand out to Sawyer, who doesn’t even hesitate to pass it over. Niles leans forward, ghosting my ear with his mouth. “Now you have no choice but to marry me. Unless you want the entire launch blasted all over the news, you will marry me. In one week.”
One week?
Sawyer did this. He’s working for Niles. He knew this entire time?
This can’t be happening.
I have to get out of here.
Without even looking at Sawyer, I walk out with my head low, attempting to hide the pain that’s visible in my eyes.
Chapter Eighteen
Sawyer
“I see you finally came to your senses? So, what is it? An alcoholic beverage? A carbonated water?” He opens up the folder before his eyes shoot back to me. “What the hell is this?” Niles holds up the folder.
“That’s your contract. You can take it and shove it up your ass.”
Niles erupts in a menacing bout of laughter. “You realize you just threw away a quarter mil for that wench?”
All it takes is that one word for rage to consume me. With heavy steps, I eat up the space between us. Gripping Niles by the collar of his pretty boy shirt, I tug up. He doesn’t even react, just looks at me with a shit-eating grin and I realize he's not worth my time. “Go to hell.” I shove him backward and he flies into the desk, knocking over his nameplate and some papers.
I give him my back and he hollers behind me, “She’ll just drag you down, man. Might as well let me keep her. I can tame her. I’m the only one who can.”
Fuck it.
I swing around, lunge at him until his back is lying flat on the desk. I cock my arm back and discharge, my knuckles meeting the blood stains on his nose. Fresh blood streams down his face, but I don’t stick around to see if it’s broken because chances are, if I stay, every bone in his face will shatter.
I’m packing up my hotel room when there’s a knock at the door. Tiptoeing over, I sneak a peek in the peephole, staying as quiet as I can until I’m sure it’s not Mira. I pull the door open and greet my sister with a scowl. “I told you not to come.”
“Is that anyway to greet your big sister?” She pulls me in for a hug. I wrap my arms around her, leaving some space and pat her back. “Jerk,” she teases, shoving me.
“I’m sorry, but I told you I’m out of here first thing tomorrow morning.”