Chapter 4 Terrible Mistake

~VALERIE’S POV~

"Well, well. Look who managed to claw her way into the party."

Chloe.

She was from my department, tall, beautiful, with perfectly styled auburn hair and a dress that probably cost more than my rent. She'd hated me from day one, for reasons I'd never understood. 

She sauntered over, champagne glass in hand, with a venomous smile. "Cute dress, Valerie. Is it vintage? Or just... old?"

My hands clenched beside me, but I didn’t respond.

"I'm just surprised they let you in," Chloe continued, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "This party is usually for actual employees, not desperate little…"

She stepped forward as she spoke, and her heel… deliberately, I was sure… caught the edge of a passing waiter's tray.

The tray tipped, and suddenly, champagne from all the glasses spilled over me in a cold, sticky rush.

I gasped, stumbling back. The liquid soaked through my dress, dripping down my skin, pooling on the floor around my feet.

The room went dead silent.

"Oops," Chloe said, her smile widening. "How clumsy of me."

I stood there, dripping and humiliated, wanting to disappear into the floor.

Then I felt warmth around my shoulders.

I turned to Daniel n, who had returned, and he removed his tuxedo jacket, draping it over me to cover the worst of the damage.

"Mr. Knight, I'm so sorry…" Chloe started.

"Clean out your desk," Daniel n said in a voice cold enough to freeze the champagne still dripping from my hair. "You're fired."

Chloe's face went white. "What? But I didn't…"

"You have until Monday to collect your things.

Security will escort you." He looked at someone over her shoulder. "Make sure she leaves."

Two security guards appeared immediately, flanking Chloe. She looked around frantically, but no one met her eyes. No one was going to save her.

"You can't do this!" she hissed.

"I just did." Daniel n turned away from her, dismissing her completely. "Valerie, are you all right?"

I nodded, too shocked to speak.

"Good. Then…"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A voice boomed over the sound system. The party host, a nervous man in a shiny suit, bounded onto the small stage. "It's time for our annual executive gift exchange!"

"And we have a very special gift this year," the host continued, beaming. "From Mr. Knight himself! The recipient is..." He made a show of opening an envelope. "Valerie Snow!"

Every head in the room turned toward me.

"Valerie, come on up!" The host gestured enthusiastically.

I looked at Daniel n, panicked, but his face gave nothing away… not even a tiny bit.

With trembling legs, I walked to the stage, Daniel n's jacket still wrapped around me. The host thrust an enormous box with a glossy back and a silver ribbon into my arms.

"Open it! Open it!" someone in the crowd chanted.

Others joined in. "Open it! Open it!"

I felt my hands shake slightly as I pulled the ribbon to open the box. The lid came off easily, revealing a lingerie nestled on a bed of black silk. 

This wasn’t just any lingerie; it was high-end and designer. The beautiful black lace and silk were so barely there that they looked like something out of a magazine. 

The room erupted.

Gasps… whispers, and a few nervous laughs.

My face burned. This wasn't a gift; it was a statement. He was Liaming me to show everyone here that I belonged to him now.

"Well!" The host's voice was strained. "That's certainly... generous! Let's give a round of applause for Mr. Knight's... generosity!"

The applause was scattered and awkward. I stood there, holding the box, wishing I could just die.

Then I felt his hand on my arm again. "My office," Daniel n murmured, low enough that only I could hear. "Now."

He didn't give me a choice. He pulled me off the stage, through the staring crowd, toward the private elevator. His fingers dug into my arm hard enough to bruise.

"Ten!" someone shouted from the party. "Nine! Eight!"

The countdown to midnight. New Year's Eve.

"Seven! Six! Five!"

The elevator doors closed. We rose in silence.

"Four! Three! Two!"

The doors opened onto his dark office.

"ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

He shoved me inside and locked the door behind us.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, fireworks burst into the night sky. Gold, silver, and red lights filled the air, brightening the darkness. They illuminated his office and made their way to his face, reflecting his excitement.

He stalked toward me, and I backed up instinctively until my back hit the cold glass window.

"You think you're clever?" His voice was low and calm, but still sounded dangerous. "You think you're the first woman to try this kind of stunt?"

"What? I don't…"

"Sending me that photo. Playing the damsel in distress. The dying sister, the evil boyfriend." He braced his hands on either side of my head, caging me in. "It's a good act. I'll give you that. Very convincing."

My heart was pounding. "It's not an act! I didn't send it on purpose!"

"Of course you didn't." His smile was cruel. "Just a happy accident that landed you in my office. That got you fifty thousand dollars. That made you my personal assistant. That put you on my arm in front of everyone who matters."

"You think I wanted this?" Rage surged through me, burning away the fear. "You think I wanted to humiliate myself in front of the entire company? You think I enjoyed being branded like cattle with that... that gift?"

"I think you'll do whatever it takes to get what you want," he said. "And now you have it. Money. Status. Access. Was it worth it, Valerie? Was selling yourself to me worth saving your sister?"

The words hit me like a slap.

He hadn't saved Josette out of kindness. He'd done it to own me, humiliate me, and trap me in a debt I could never repay.

My hand moved before I could think.

SLAP!

The sound echoed through the office,

His hand snapped to the side from the force, and a red Liam bloomed on his perfect cheek..

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then he turned back to me, his eyes blazing, and I realised I'd just made a terrible, terrible mistake.