Sweet Hatred
Chapter 200: Invite

Chapter 200: Invite

I could still feel it.. the bite of his mouth on mine, the phantom ache where his hands had been, the places he’d grabbed, pulled, anchored like he was terrified I’d disappear again.

My lips tingled. My neck was warm.

And I was losing my goddamn mind.

Because if he hadn’t stopped...

If I hadn’t ran away...

I don’t know if I would’ve let him. Hell, I might’ve begged.

I sat down at my desk, legs weak and heart still doing that stupid flippy thing in my chest, and stared at the black screen of my monitor like it owed me peace.

"Jesus, Aria," I whispered to myself, pressing a hand to my chest. "Get a fucking grip."

But there was no grip to be had. I was spiraling. Quietly. Elegantly. Internally combusting in full high-functioning silence.

And then...

Knock knock.

My heart leapt.

Kael?

No. No, Kael didn’t knock. Kael stormed in like he owned every place. Like the door was just another thing that didn’t apply to him. Like I was another thing that didn’t get to say no.

This knock was too polite.

Too civilized.

And right on cue, the door opened like it had just been waiting for dramatic timing.

Ashlyn-fucking-Stanley.

In head-to-toe nepotism-core.

A sleek cream tweed two-piece set that screamed old money and parental disappointment, heels way too sharp for someone who pretended to work for a living, and a smug little tilt to her lips like she could already smell the drama bleeding off me.

I didn’t even try to hide the eye-roll. I was just like—

Oh. Great.

The Universe was really going for a full-throttle "kick Aria while she’s down" arc.

"Welcome," I said with a brittle smile. "How may I help you?"

Her eyes swept over my office like it personally offended her. "Hm. This is... nice."

Here we go.

"For a mere executive assistant," she added casually, sliding her eyes to mine.

Ah.

There it was.

The backhand. Seen it countless times.

My smile widened like I hadn’t just imagined throwing my entire stapler at her.

"Well," I said, voice sugar-dipped and fake, "you know how it is. This company likes to make sure its employees are... comfortable. Especially the competent ones."

She smirked.

Point for me. Sort of.

Then, without warning, she strutted to my desk like it was hers, dumped her painfully overpriced bag right on the wood, and sank into the chair across from me like this was some casual brunch.

I blinked. Slowly.

I was so tired.

Too tired to fight whatever this was going to be.

So I clasped my hands together sweetly and asked, "To what do I owe the honor of being graced with your presence, Ms. Ashlyn?"

She smiled like a cat playing with its food.

"Can’t I visit my future husband’s employees?"

The word future husband hit like a brick to the gut.

I think I stopped breathing for a second.

Future. Husband.

Kael. Roman.

My boss. My tormentor. My undoing.

I didn’t even respond right away. Just stared at her and tried to keep my expression from cracking down the middle.

And at the same time, my brain was quietly shrieking, I need to get out of this building.

I needed a new job. A new life. A new planet.

But instead, I just smiled again. Sharp and sweet. My mask almost slipping.

"Of course," I said softly. "I hope I’m making a good impression then."

Ash tilted her head, eyes dancing with fake innocence. "Oh, don’t worry. I’ve heard plenty."

Of course you have, you smug nepotism Barbie. But from who exactly?

But I just smiled again, folding my hands on the desk as my soul quietly screamed.

Ash didn’t say anything right away. Just sat there, crossing one long leg over the other like she was on the cover of some lifestyle magazine. The pride practically radiated off her in waves, like a cologne she bathed in every morning. It reminded me a little of him and I hated it.

I waited.

I smiled.

I hated every second of it.

"So," she said finally, drawing out the word like it was a sip of vintage wine. "What’s it like working for Kael?"

Ah. There it was.

"Well..." I kept my smile polite. I’d had years of practice from sucking up to those potbellied senior staffs and Botox faced executives from my past. "It’s... challenging. Rewarding. Efficient."

"You must be very dedicated," she said, watching me too closely.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes so hard they’d fall out of my skull.

"I try," I said Instead as my smile stretched a little wider.

She leaned forward slightly, fingers tapping the desk. "And does he always keep his employees... so close?"

I nearly choked on the implication.

But I didn’t flinch. I just mirrored her posture, hands folded neatly, legs crossed tight, mouth curved into the exact kind of smile I’d give someone before metaphorically pushing them out of a moving car.

"He values loyalty," I said. "And I’m very loyal."

Her brow arched at that, but she let it go.

For now.

God, I was exhausted.

She kept going. One question after another. What did I actually do for Kael? Wasn’t I a little overqualified to be an assistant? Did I enjoy the work? Was I planning to stay long-term?

Every word felt like another pin in my skin. But I smiled. I smiled until my jaw hurt.

"I heard he doesn’t let just anyone near him," she added, like we weren’t still dancing around fire.

"Oh, I’m not just anyone," I replied before I could stop myself.

Our eyes locked.

Something in her expression flickered, just for a second.

Then she leaned back again and casually adjusted her diamond bracelet. "Perfect," she said.

I blinked. "Sorry?"

Ash’s smile turned razor-sharp.

"I said perfect. Since you’re so loyal and close and trusted... you’re the ideal candidate to handle my upcoming project here."

I froze.

"...Project?"

Her voice was so breezy I almost missed the weight of it. "A new brand partnership. We’re hosting a charity in the city. Father’s putting me in charge. We’re trying to get Kael involved. Which means you’ll be working with me. Closely."

I stared at her.

She was serious.

She couldn’t be serious.

"I—wasn’t informed of this," I said slowly.

Ash reached into her bag like a magician pulling out a curse and laid a thick cream envelope with a gold seal right on my desk. It looked expensive enough to fund a small country.

"You’ll be expected at the board meeting this evening," she said. "Your official invitation."

I looked down at it like it was ticking.

Ash stood, smoothing down her skirt, that smug grin still glued to her face like it was Botoxed on. "Don’t be late, Aria."

I didn’t speak.

I couldn’t.

"See you soon," she said sweetly.

And then she was gone.

The door clicked behind her, and I finally exhaled like I’d been underwater the whole time.

I stared at the envelope like it might bite me.

Gala? Board meeting?

Working directly with Ash?

I dropped my head onto the desk with a thud.

"Rich people amaze me," I mumbled into the wood.

Many hours later,

I tried calling Olivia again before I clocked out.

She cut the call.

Again.

I stared at my screen like it might blink back at me with answers, but it just stared, blank and indifferent.

Cool. I guess we were doing that now.

I slumped back in my chair, exhaling hard through my nose, trying not to scream into the silence of my office. Or jump out of the window. Or throw my phone at the glass wall. Whichever felt more productive.

The envelope from Ash sat where I left it. So smug. So heavy. So goddamn ominous.

I opened my texts and fired off a message to Sarah:

_Please talk me out of attending a rich people board meeting in a five-star hotel with my boss’s maybe-fiancée who may or may not be trying to ruin my life._

She replied in less than a minute:

_Go. But send me the location. And keep your knife in your purse. Love you xx_

My lips twitched. I hated that it helped.

I gathered my things and left the office before I could give myself another reason to turn back. But the closer I got to the venue, the louder the little voice in my head got. That itchy, nervous whisper that said something isn’t right.

I knew Ash’s name. I’d looked her up before days ago, when I couldn’t help but hate-scroll through another woman Kael breathed around. She’d worked on charity events, marketing campaigns, stupid luxury brunches in Italy. Her face was always in a frame next to her father’s.

She knew what she was doing. So why did this feel like a setup? The thought slid through me like cold water.

And suddenly, I remembered the last time I’d walked into a place thinking I was in control, only to get dragged out of Kael’s car by men in masks under Mia’s orders.

I froze on the sidewalk, the night air feeling too tight, too sharp. I couldn’t breathe.

God.

God, what if this was another trap? What if I was being stupid all over again?

I closed my eyes.

Breathed.

Then whispered to myself, "Fuck it."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.