CHAPTER SIX
Ashley POV
The rumor hits the office before I've even settled into my chair.
> "CrownWave was bought overnight—"
"Bought? By who?"
"Some billionaire—Axford something—"
"I heard he's brutal."
"I heard he fires whole departments."
"I heard he doesn't smile."
The atmosphere thickens with panic.
Papers aren't being shuffled—they're being clutched.
Keyboards click without purpose as people pretend to work harder than they are.
Harper leans toward me and whispers,
"If we get laid off together, I'm starting a bakery."
I try to smile, but something inside me feels… wrong.
A pressure.
A vibration.
A quiet warning humming under my ribs.
Like the dream voice that calls me little star is now whispering—
be careful.
I sit up straighter, trying to shake it off.
By 9 a.m., an official email drops.
> SUBJECT: New Ownership — Immediate Restructure
OWNER: Damien Axford
Effective Today
The room goes dead silent.
Someone gasps.
Someone else mutters a prayer.
Harper whispers, "Oh wow… we're so fired."
I swallow hard.
Damien Axford.
I don't know who that is, but the name tastes like sin in my mouth.
The air shifts—
heavier, thicker, charged—
like someone replaced oxygen with static.
My chest tightens.
Something inside me whispers—
He's coming.
And then—
The elevator dings.
Everyone turns toward the hallway.
He steps out.
The man from the bar.
The presence I sensed instantly.
The darkness that clung to him like smoke.
The aura so wrong my spirit tried to flee my body on sight.
My heart stumbles.
It can't be him.
But it is.
Damien Axford.
Tall. Sharp. Controlled.
His presence hits the room like a silent explosion.
People straighten.
Some look down.
Some stop breathing.
His eyes sweep across the office.
Then—
They lock on me.
Not casually.
Not accidentally.
Not briefly.
Directly.
The moment our gazes collide, my body reacts.
An invisible force slams into me—
cold, dark, wrong.
My stomach lurches.
My vision blurs.
My breath stutters.
And before I can think—
I bolt out of my chair.
I shove past chairs, bags, startled coworkers.
"Ashley?!" someone calls.
I don't answer.
I run.
Down the aisle.
Into the hallway.
Straight into the restroom.
I grip the sink and lean forward, panting.
My reflection stares back at me—
pale, shaking, eyes too wide.
"What is happening to me?" I whisper.
My chest burns.
My hands tremble.
My spirit feels like it's trying to claw its way out of my ribs.
It's not fear of a boss.
It's him.
It's that unnatural pressure I felt that night.
A presence human eyes shouldn't register—
but my soul recognizes instantly.
He's dangerously sweet sin.
He is something else.
And he looked at me like he knew.
I splash cold water on my face.
A knock hits the door.
"Ash? It's Harper—are you okay? What happened?"
"I—" My voice cracks. "I'm fine."
I am absolutely not fine.
"You bolted like you saw a ghost," she says, worried.
Worse than a ghost, I think.
"I'm coming out," I manage.
I push the door open.
Harper stares at me like I've grown a second head.
"You look like you saw Satan himself."
I freeze.
She has no idea how close that is.
"I just felt… lightheaded," I lie.
"Lightheaded? You sprinted like the building was collapsing."
I give a weak laugh and avoid her eyes.
I can't tell her the truth:
I ran because my soul rejected him.
---
DAMIEN POV
She ran.
The moment our eyes met—
she panicked, froze…
and fled.
Fast.
My hunger spikes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The board members keep talking, introducing departments, but their voices fade behind the burning trail she left behind.
She sensed me again.
Not just fear.
Recognition.
She recoiled like her soul slapped mine away.
Only someone not entirely human reacts like that.
And Ashley Dean…
is not entirely human.
Something in my chest tightens—
not pain.
Anticipation.
It explains everything.
Why she resisted my charm.
Why her aura glowed with purity.
Why my influence slid off her like water off stone.
She is light.
Real light.
Which means that breaking her…
or claiming her…
will be nothing short of extraordinary.
"Sir?" Claire asks carefully. "Should we continue?"
I blink once.
"Yes."
But my mind is elsewhere.
On her.
The girl whose instincts told her to run.
Good.
Instinct means awareness.
Awareness means connection.
Connection means—
She feels me.
She knows something is wrong with me.
And instead of repelling me…
it makes me want her closer.
---
ASHLEY POV
When I return to my desk, the entire office turns into a live Q&A.
"Are you okay?"
"What happened to you?"
"You looked like the devil himself was after you."
"Do you know him from somewhere?"
"Have you two slept together?"
That last question hits me like a punch. My stomach twists so hard I actually feel nausea rise.
I slap a hand over my mouth.
"Are you pregnant?" someone asks.
I turn and glare so sharply she physically backs away.
"Should we call HR?" another whispers.
Harper steps in.
"She's fine. Stop hovering. And no, she's not pregnant."
I sink into my chair.
My hands are still trembling.
My chest still hums unpleasantly.
I'm not afraid of Damien.
My spirit just hates him.
Rejects him.
Pushes back like magnets repelling each other.
Harper leans down as I stare at my hands.
"Did his looks shake you that much? Because, to be fair, he is handsome as sin."
You can say that again, I think, but I don't answer.
I grab my phone and start scrolling through nothing just to avoid eye contact.
They eventually get the message and drift back to their work.
For a few hours, things almost feel normal again.
Almost.
Then another email drops:
> The CEO requires a Personal Assistant.
Department heads: submit one nomination each.
The panic resurfaces instantly.
"I hope he picks someone strong."
"Or bald. So stress won't pull their hair out."
"Not me, God, not me."
Five names are submitted.
Ten minutes later—
All five are rejected.
Claire comes back looking exhausted.
"He wants every employee's name," she announces.
Gasps spread across the room.
"What's he looking for?"
"Why everyone?"
"Is he trying to fire people one by one?"
"Maybe he wants someone young and new."
"Maybe he wants a sacrifice."
I drop my gaze to my desk.
My stomach knots hard.
I already know why.
He felt me.
The same way I felt him.
And whatever that is…
it isn't human.
An hour later, Claire walks in again—this time with just one sheet of paper.
Everyone leans forward.
"Who is it?"
"Who got picked?"
"Who's doomed?"
Claire takes a breath.
"The CEO's Personal Assistant will be…
Ashley Dean."
The room erupts.
"What?!"
"The new girl?"
"She literally ran away earlier!"
"No way."
"How did he even notice her?"
"This is favoritism."
"This is punishment."
"She's dead."
"She's chosen."
Harper shoots up so fast her chair skids.
"No. Absolutely not. She almost passed out this morning!"
Claire raises both hands. "I didn't choose. He did. Immediately. No hesitation."
My throat goes dry.
"Why me?" I whisper.
"I don't know," Claire says. "He pointed to your name the moment he saw it."
My chest burns again.
Not comfort.
Warning.
"Ten minutes," Claire adds softly. "He expects you."
"No," I say, the word out before I think. "I quit."
The office freezes.
Harper stares. "You WHAT?!"
"I'm not doing this," I say, my voice rising. "I'm not working for someone my spirit recoils from. I'm not stupid, Claire. Something about him is WRONG and I'm not going to stay here long enough to find out what."
A few coworkers gasp like I just insulted the president.
Claire steps closer.
"Ashley, your contract—"
"I made my decision," I snap. "I'm done."
I start yanking things out of my drawer and shoving them into my bag.
"Ashley, stop." Claire's voice hardens. "You signed your contract this morning."
"So?"
"So quitting today triggers the breach penalty."
My hands still.
"How much?" I ask.
Harper squeezes her eyes shut.
"Oh no…"
Claire looks almost guilty.
"Three million."
The entire department explodes.
"THREE WHAT?!"
"You're kidding."
"Is she secretly loaded?"
"I can't pay my rent; how is she supposed to pay three million?"
"That's not a penalty, that's a curse."
My knees nearly give out.
"Are you insane?" I shout. "How is that legal?"
"It's standard for executive-track hires," Claire says quickly. "It discourages early resignation."
"I can't pay three million!" I nearly scream. "I can't even pay three hundred right now!"
Harper grabs my shoulders.
"Okay, breathe. In. Out. Don't collapse on me—"
"I DIDN'T collapse!" I snap. "My soul was malfunctioning."
Someone snorts. Harper glares at them.
"This is not a comedy show, Daniel."
Claire steps closer again.
"Ashley, listen. If you walk away now, you will ruin yourself. Just meet with him. Talk. After that, we'll see what options you have, okay?"
"And if I walk into his office and my entire body implodes?" I ask dryly.
"Then," Harper says, patting my back,
"we drag you out and pretend you're having a seizure."
"HARPER."
"What? I'm being supportive."
Someone behind us murmurs:
"She's dead."
"She's chosen."
"This is a cult."
"Definitely a cult."
I rub my temples.as I take my first step toward the CEO's floor.
The building feels colder.
Quieter.
Like it's watching me.
My spirit still pulls back violently.
But I walk anyway.
Because something tells me…
This meeting is going to change everything.