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Chapter 4

Ivory huffed incredulously. "No." she shook her head incessantly. There was no way in hell…moving from one overbearing boss to another? The universe was seriously hating on her. There was no other explanation.

Raiden hadn't anticipated a response so the thought of her blatantly refusing what he considered a direct demand stunned him. He stood from his desk walking around to the front, he brought his arms to his chest and leaned back against the desk, his eyes narrowing as he regarded her. The sudden movement needed so as to allow Raiden to contemplate his response.

"I wasn't exactly making a revocable offer." He replied with a dangerously soft undertone had grated against Skylar’s skin. She chose to ignore the effect of his voice and focus on her own emotions.

"How do you propose I'm supposed to prove my worth if I am stuck as an assistant? I am in a losing battle." Ivory countered, her eyes holding his intensely forgetting the vicious fire contained in his dark orbs. For once every folic of her that acted as an inhibitor ran silent. She thought about nothing else save and except for the years of injustice she endured.

"You're suggesting the position is beneath you?" Raiden was fascinated by the outburst. Everyone started somewhere before they were able to grow. Was her need to climb the ladder too soon the reason behind her disappointing record?

"Not beneath me but restricting." Ivory wasn't backing down. She was tired of keeping her thoughts and desires bottled up, she was already at the point of nearly

losing her job so what was the point in being submissive? The way she saw it, she hadn't much to lose.

"Fine." Raiden conceded after a moment's consideration, he saw her frustration, and some part of him, a part he didn't know existed, felt a sense of duty.

Ivory hadn't expected his reaction to be so calm although she wasn't certain what he was conceding to and her heart raced in anticipation and fear. This man held her future in his hands and he clung to that glass orb unafraid of its fragility. Ivory did a double-take, exhaling the anger she had felt and trying to calm her crazed heart. It wasn't fair of her to direct her frustration at him, he knew nothing regarding the relationship between herself and Emery and in turn had no knowledge of her experience or competence. Not the truth of it anyway.

"Fine?" she echoed cautiously, finally finding the opportunity to speak.

"I am considering your concerns and thus have a counter-proposal.” He pulled at the cuffs of his sleeves, “Since you feel as though you lacked opportunity I shall designate to you added responsibilities through which I will assess your ability.” He said after much consideration, “

However, you will not be granted a higher position, you will be hereinafter my assistant, you will work inside of my office space under my supervision and the probation stands. I am giving you a fair chance here and any screw-ups will be your responsibility to bear and yours alone." he waited for a response but she had chosen this moment to turn silent and her eyes had averted from his. He had reasserted his dominance, although he had to admit he never once lost it. In every room, he entered he held the reigns comfortably and effortlessly yet in the space of five minutes he hadn't realized his position was challenged, revoked, and returned in an eye's blink.

"I don't have much of a choice do I?" she exhaled heavily, but her jaw revealed all of the tension riding her body in the moment. Her eyes blazing with dislike.

Raiden shook his head in the negative. "No."

Ivory inhaled sharply, turning on her heels and heading for the door. “Where are you going?” Raiden hated that he broke silence to question her.

“For my belongings, so I can start as your assistant.” She yelled back, “idiot.” She muttered under her breath.


Ivory couldn't hinder her eyes from intruding into the personal space of Raiden, of that there wasn't much to start with. His office was unevenly partitioned by a glass wall that did not promise privacy....for either of them. She was seated behind the smaller partition, her chair and desk granting her an undisturbed view of Raiden's profile every time she gazed up. She had never before experienced such awkward trauma. This man chose that exact moment to smirk devilishly at his computer and her heart skipped. She was almost certain it had something to do with an intimate correspondence. Yet, she cursed herself for wondering what this otherworldly specimen would be like in the sheets. To be the woman that sparked primal desire in such a man…she would truly have to be a Goddess. To have that smirk directed at her while he was…

Oh God no! She mentally threatened to drop herself off a building for entertaining disgusting thoughts of such an inconsiderate bastard. Ivory fanned herself with her hand despite the working air-conditioning freezing the air around her and groaned. Why me? She whined, pleading with the heavens to answer her. There were probably dozens of women in this building that would gladly forfeit their position to Ivory to work in such proximity to Raiden. Ivory prayed one approached her for such a trade.

It was clear that his proximity was stifling her and any form of concentration she might have had. Ivory shook her head and inwardly scolded herself, she had to prove him and everyone else wrong and for that, she inhaled and told herself that his presence was not detrimental. She turned her attention to the computer decorating her table and promised herself to put her best foot forward, missing the glance Raiden swung her way as her head turned away from him.

Raiden would be lying if he hadn't noticed how unsettled Ivory was, he knew her eyes kept flickering towards him and it was enough to make his lips ease into a smirk. He despised his workers harbouring foolish fantasies about him but he was pleased with her discomfort, it told him that attraction was certainly present. He cleared his head and his smile faded as his mind was put to more important subjects.


Ivory was concentrated, her mind focused until the sharp, soft, and haste knock at the corner of her desk alerted her to her surroundings once more. Her first reaction was to throw her hands up in protest at the distraction. Her head flew up, ready to send daggers to the intruder. Her eyes catching a glimpse of Braylen halfway to Raiden's desk, a smile instantly formed and she shook her head, her gaze returning to her task after he was seated in Raiden’s office space.

Raiden found it unfortunate that he had to observe the semi-discrete acknowledgment between Braylen and Ivory. He wasn't certain of their relationship but he was certain of her feelings towards Braylen, the ridiculous smile on her face said it all. Raiden scowled at the very sight of it. If he was prone to second hand embarrassment, this would have been a moment for him to feel it.

However, he couldn't pinpoint any serious affection from Braylen. There was something there but Raiden guessed that the extent of affection can be called into question for his business partner. He wiped the thoughts from his mind, he had to admit to himself that he found Ivory attractive but that was the entire story. He would gladly turn his gaze the other way if she were to have an office romance. What she and anyone else did was none of his business especially since she worked for him. His interest was only in her professional capabilities.

As long as Ivory was employed under him, she was off-limits to him.

Under him.... His thoughts wandered aimlessly. The phrase caused depraved, sensual images to flash temptingly in his head. Raiden inwardly kicked himself back to reality, back to Braylen sitting in his office.

"I brought the files you requested." Braylen had sunk down into the chair, dropping the files on Raiden’s desk. Raiden nodded, his brain stubbornly holding on to some images of Ivory in enticing positions.

"Ms. Remington, you may take your lunch hour now." Raiden's voice echoed into her mind and she immediately jumped up, excited to be away from his presence. She nodded and moved to leave the office.

"Actually,” Braylen glanced back at Ivory closing the files on her desk and getting ready to leave, “I have to get back." he eased back on his chair and stood, making long strides towards the door.

"Ivory, wait up," Braylen enclosed his fingers over her arm and drew her attention to him outside of Raiden's office.

"Hi." She responded on instinct, glancing around.

"I'll pick you up around seven,” he insisted, “my mother invited you to dinner," he said in hushed tones, granted her a smile, and strode off as the corridor was starting to fill up.

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