Day 9
Tomorrow was the final day of the grueling training program, the decisive day when Ronan would officially select his personal executive secretary. But deep down, Liora had already given up all hope. Even though she knew her business acumen was flawless and that she had worked harder than anyone else in the room, she couldn't shake the crushing weight of the past week. She was entirely convinced that Ronan simply didn't care for her anymore.
Liora was quietly working on a complex data sheet assigned by Miss Daisy when a shadow fell across her desk. She looked up to see Mia standing over her, a smug, venomous smirk plastered across her face.
"Oh, Liora." Mia purred sarcastically, crossing her arms as she looked down at her. "I genuinely thought there would be a fierce competition between the two of us for the secretary position. But it looks like you completely lost your spark the exact moment Mr. Brown reamed you out on day one."
Liora lowered her gaze to the floor, her chest tightening with a profound, quiet sadness. She had already resolved herself to the fact that Mia would be the one standing by Ronan's side.
"Good luck, Mia." Liora murmured, forcing a fragile, hollow smile onto her lips. "I already know you'll be the one chosen as his secretary tomorrow."
"Oh, it's already a done deal." Mia boasted proudly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "In fact, it was locked in long before Mr. Brown even realized he needed a new secretary."
Liora's brow furrowed in utter confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Leaning down closely, Mia pressed her lips right against her ear, her voice dropping into a chilling, malicious whisper. "Do you remember when I told you that I possessed something you could never have?"
Liora remained frozen, refusing to give her the satisfaction of an answer as she stared at her in complete bewilderment.
"It's power, Liora. Absolute corporate power." Mia hissed softly. "You see, my father's empire is the second most powerful conglomerate in this country, right behind Vante. Once I kill Mr. Brown, our two massive businesses will permanently merge into one unstoppable kingdom. My father's ultimate goal is to get me as close to him as humanly possible, and the very first step of our master plan is for me to become his personal secretary."
Liora stared at her, her mind spinning as she struggled to comprehend the sheer, unadulterated evil behind her words.
"His former secretary mysteriously vanished the exact moment I needed a lucky break." Mia added with a dark, wicked laugh. "I'm sure a smart girl like you can deduce the rest."
"Does... does Mr. Brown have any idea about this?!" Liora demanded, a sudden, burning fury piercing through her fear.
"Of course not." Mia laughed mockingly. "This entire operation was seamlessly executed by my father's loyal moles inside Vante's management team. They were the ones who secretly planted the whole ten-day training initiative directly into Mr. Brown's head, and they are the ones who will ensure I am selected tomorrow. They set it up flawlessly so that Ronan wouldn't suspect a single thing."
"Why on earth are you telling me all of this right now?" Liora snapped, her hands clenching into tight fists against her lap. "You know I can walk straight into his office and expose every single word of this to him. He will have you thrown out of this building by security in a heartbeat."
Mia burst into a cruel, mocking laugh that echoed sharply against the walls. "Huh! Do you honestly think a man who can't even stand the sight of you is going to believe a single word that tumbles out of your mouth?"
Liora fiercely bit down on her lower lip, her head snapping back down toward her desk. The realization hit her like a physical blow, she was entirely right. Ronan had spent the last week treating her like absolute garbage in front of the entire company. Why would the CEO take her word over his own senior managers?
Mia's lips curved back into a twisted, triumphant smile. "Anyway, I actually came down here to deliver a message. Mr. Brown has personally summoned you up to his private executive cabin right now."
Liora's head snapped back up, her eyes widening in sheer astonishment. "R-Really? He actually asked for me?"
"Go upstairs and find out for yourself if you don't believe me." Mia smirked, turning on her heel and glinting from the corner of her mouth as she sauntered out of the room.
Why is she smiling like that? Liora thought, a sudden wave of unease washing over her. But the sheer, desperate joy of finally being called by Ronan completely overwhelmed her doubts. Swallowed by a chaotic mixture of intense excitement, deep fear, and lingering disbelief, she stood up from her desk and hurried toward the private elevators. It was the first time in nine long days that Ronan had personally reached out to her.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Walking down the isolated penthouse corridor toward the executive suite, Liora took a deep, stabilizing breath. She silently promised herself that no matter how coldly Ronan treated her today, no matter how harshly he yelled, she would keep her composure and brace her heart. Reaching the massive mahogany doors, she took one final breath and knocked softly.
"Come in."
Liora swallowed hard against the sudden lump in her throat at the sound of that deep, terrifyingly cold baritone. Stepping into the sunlit room, she quietly closed the heavy door behind her and kept her eyes glued to the floor, noticing Ronan was deeply buried in his laptop screen.
"S-Sir... you sent for me..." Liora whispered, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
Hearing the fragile, broken tone of the girl's voice, Ronan's eyes instantly snapped up from his computer screen. A look of pure, unadulterated shock washed over his features as he bolted upright out of his leather swivel chair.
"L-Liora? W-What on earth are you doing up here?"
Liora blinked in utter bewilderment, completely thrown off by the CEO's frantic reaction. "U-Uh? Mister Brown, I was explicitly given a corporate message stating that you commanded me to come inside-"
Before she could even finish her sentence, the heavy automated locks inside the mahogany door violently clicked into place with a loud, echoey thud.
Liora spun around in absolute shock. In a flash of pure desperation, Ronan sprinted across the room, throwing his weight against the wood and pounding his fists against the reinforced paneling.
"Hey!! Who the hell just locked this door?!" Ronan roared, his powerful voice shaking the entire room. "Are you completely out of your mind?! Open this door right now!!"
Liora violently jumped at the sudden explosion of noise, her entire frame beginning to tremble. Whenever Ronan raised his voice like that, a deep, instinctual fear completely paralyzed her.
"Is there anyone out there?!" Ronan screamed, slamming his hands against the frame. "Open this door before I violently tear it off its hinges!!"
Frantic, Ronan pulled out his master key ring, jamming the extra key into the lock cylinder and twisting it with all his might, but the mechanism refused to budge.
"How is this humanly possible? Why won't this damn door open?!"
Ronan slammed his shoulder against the wood, his extraordinary, supernatural strength causing the entire frame to groan under the pressure. But just as he raised his fist to strike the door again, a soft, heartbroken whimper cut through the air behind him.
Ronan froze.
Turning around slowly, his anger completely evaporated into pure agony. Liora was standing in the center of the office, her hands pressed tightly over her ears as silent, heavy tears streamed unchecked down her flushed cheeks.
Seeing the sheer terror in the girl's eyes, Ronan felt a violent, shattering pain rip straight through his own heart. He realized with absolute, devastating clarity that Liora was profoundly terrified of him.
"L-Liora..." Ronan murmured, his voice instantly dropping into a soft, velvety, heartbreakingly tender register. He took a slow, agonizing step forward, his hands extended open. "Baby, please... I would never, ever hurt you. Please, calm down, my love."
Hearing that familiar, beautiful devotion bleed back into Ronan's voice, the dam inside Liora's chest completely shattered, and she let out a loud, hysterical sob.
Ronan couldn't bear it for another second. He closed the distance between them in a blurred heartbeat, throwing his powerful arms around Liora's fragile frame and pulling her tightly against his chest.
"Shh... Don't cry, my love." Ronan whispered desperately, burying his face in the girl's soft hair as his hands gently patted the back of her head.
"W-Why?" Liora sobbed against his chest, her hands gripping the fabric of Ronan's suit jacket. "Why did you do that to me? Did I do something terrible to hurt you? Why did you treat me like a stranger?"
Ronan's own sharp eyes instantly filled with hot, heavy tears at the raw pain in his girlfriend's voice.
"N-No... never, my precious angel. You did absolutely nothing wrong." Ronan choked out, tightening his grip on the girl's waist. "I am so incredibly sorry. Please... please find it in your heart to forgive me. I am so sorry for yelling at you and humiliating you over the last few days. I... I was completely forced to do it. I had no choice."
Hearing the confession, Liora gently pushed herself back just enough to look up into Ronan's tear-stained face. "W-What do you mean? Why?"
"I promise I will explain every single detail of the danger to you very soon, okay?" Ronan reasoned through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing with a sudden, protective fury. "But right now, we need to focus on finding a way out of this office. And we need to hunt down exactly who orchestrated this trap."
Liora stared up at him, her lower lip trembling as she shifted her weight. "W-Is it okay if I call you Rony again?"
"Huh?"
"I... I absolutely despised being forced to call you 'Sir' in front of everyone." Liora admitted shyly, looking down at her heels. "It felt like my heart was being ripped out."
A profound wave of love and adoration swept over Ronan. He leaned down and pressed a long, incredibly tender kiss against Liora's trembling lips.
"I am so sorry, love." Ronan murmured against her skin, her breath warm. "These lips belong entirely to you. I will never allow anyone else in this world to call me by that name again."
A radiant, beautiful smile finally broke through Liora's tears, illuminating her entire face.
"I missed you so much, Ron..."
"I missed you more, my beautiful Lio... I am so incredibly sorry. Please forgive me."
Liora playfully pouted, tilting her head to the side. "No. I'm not going to forgive you that easily. If you want my absolute forgiveness, you have to give me something in return."
Ronan blinked in genuine surprise, a fond smile gracing his lips. "Anything you want, love. I will give you the entire world if you ask for it. Just tell me what you want."
"Then kiss me."
Ronan's eyes widened slightly in pure joy. After all, who on earth could ever say no to a request like that from the person they cherished above life itself?
Letting out a soft, breathless laugh, Ronan leaned down, capturing Liora's lips in a deep, profoundly loving embrace. The moment their lips met, all the agony and isolation of the past nine days completely melted away. Liora's arms automatically wound themselves tightly around Ronan's neck, pulling him closer, while Ronan's large hands securely wrapped around Liora's slender waist, anchoring her against his body.
They lost themselves in each other's warmth, completely refusing to break the connection as they traded deep, passionate kisses, reclaiming the love that had been stolen from them. Finally, thoroughly out of breath, they reluctantly pulled apart, their foreheads resting together.
"I love you, Lio..."
"I love you too, Ron..." Liora whispered back.
"So..." Ronan teased softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from the girl's eyes. "Am I officially forgiven now?"
Liora tilted her head, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. "I forgive you a little bit. I'll give you my full forgiveness only after you tell me the real reason behind your strange behavior."
Ronan couldn't help but laugh out loud at the adorable, bratty display, gently pinching Liora's nose. "All right, all right. I promise I will tell you everything."
. . . . . . . . . .
Their intimate, beautiful moment was violently shattered when Ronan's personal cell phone began ringing loudly from the executive desk. Reluctantly breaking away from Liora's embrace, Ronan walked over and snapped the phone open, pressing it to his ear.
As the voice on the other end began to speak, Liora watched in sheer horror as Ronan's face instantly drained of all color. A look of profound, unadulterated terror paralyzed the CEO's features.
"O-Okay! I'm leaving right now! I'll be there as fast as I can!" Ronan stammered frantically into the receiver before slamming the phone shut.
"Ron? What's wrong? What happened?" Liora demanded, rushing to his side as a cold dread settled in her stomach.
"M-Miss Scott... Aunty was just rushed to the hospital." Ronan gasped, his voice cracking with pure panic as he bolted back toward the locked mahogany door. "She's severely ill, Liora. I... I need to get to the emergency room immediately!"
Ronan began violently throwing his fists against the locked door again, desperate to shatter the reinforced wood.
"Ron, please, stop it! Calm down!" Liora shouted, grabbing his arm to halt his frantic movements. "Did you completely forget? We possess the teleportation power! We don't need the door!"
Ronan stopped dead in his tracks, his chest heaving as he stared down at his hands in absolute panic. "B-But Liora... I still have absolutely no concept of how to control it or trigger it at will."
Liora stepped directly in front of him, reaching down to firmly grasp both of Ronan's trembling hands within her own steady grip.
"You can do this, Ron. Listen to me. In all the ancient fantasy legends, they say that to teleport somewhere, you have to focus every single ounce of your mind on the exact destination. Let's try it together."
Ronan looked into Liora's determined eyes and nodded rapidly, drawing strength from her gaze. They both closed their eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Wait, hold on a second!" Liora suddenly interrupted, her eyes snapping open as a vital thought hit her. "We can't teleport directly inside a crowded hospital corridor. There are security cameras and doctors everywhere; we will get caught instantly. Let's focus on your mansion instead. We can materialize in your private living room and drive to the hospital from there."
Ronan nodded in agreement, closing his eyes once again. He cleared his mind of the corporate walls, focusing every single fiber of his consciousness on the vivid imagery of his estate's grand living room, holding Liora's hands with an iron grip.
A split second later, a brilliant, blinding light erupted in the center of the dark office. The mystical diamond sigil violently flared to life upon Ronan's forehead, glowing with an ethereal, celestial radiance. Before they could even gasp, a massive wave of vibrant crimson light exploded around their bodies, completely consuming them.
In a deafening crack of cosmic energy, they vanished from the executive suite into thin air.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
When they finally opened their eyes, the corporate office was completely gone. They were standing directly on the plush, familiar velvet rug in the center of the Brown mansion's living room.
"Oh my god... you actually did it!" Liora cheered happily, letting out a breathless laugh as she jumped slightly.
Ronan let out a shaky, amazed laugh of his own, but the sheer reality of the emergency instantly crashed back over his mind. "I... I need to get to the garage right now. Miss Scott needs me."
He violently turned toward the front foyer, preparing to sprint out to his fleet of sports cars, but Liora quickly lunged forward, grabbing his forearm to hold him back.
"Wait for me! I'm coming to the hospital with you!" Liora insisted fiercely.
"No, absolutely not. You are staying right here where it's safe." Ronan commanded firmly, his corporate authority snapping back into place as he looked down at the girl.
Liora's brow furrowed into a deep, frustrated frown. "What?! Why on earth can't I come with you?"
"Listen to me very carefully, Lio. I don't have a single second to explain the corporate danger to you right now." Ronan pleaded, leaning down to press a swift, desperate, incredibly passionate kiss against Liora's lips. "Just stay inside the mansion. I will explain everything the exact moment I get back, okay? I love you."
Without waiting for a response, Ronan violently ripped her arm away, sprinting out the front doors of the estate. Within seconds, the roaring, aggressive engine of his luxury car echoed through the courtyard as he sped down the mountain avenue into the dark night.
Left entirely alone in the massive, silent living room, Liora let out a massive, deeply frustrated sigh, running a hand through her blonde hair. But before she could even take a step toward the sofa, a soft, familiar voice drifted out from the kitchen corridor behind her, causing her to freeze completely in her tracks.
"Liora, daughter? Is that you?"
Liora's eyes widened to the absolute size of saucers. Her heart leaped into her throat as she violently spun around on her heel.
Standing right there in the archway, holding a warm dish towel, was Miss Scott. She looked entirely healthy, her face full of a gentle, grandfatherly warmth as she looked at her.
"H-Hello?!" Liora stammered out, her voice cracking in pure, unadulterated shock as she stared at her as if she were looking at a literal ghost.
Miss Scott's brow furrowed in deep, maternal confusion as she stepped closer into the living room. "Liora, my girl, what on earth is wrong? Why are you back here so late in the evening? And where is Rony? Is he not coming home tonight?"
Liora stood entirely paralyzed, her mind violently spinning into absolute chaos as she stared at her perfectly healthy frame.
"Liora? Sweetheart, talk to me-"
"A-Aunty..." Liora choked out, her lower lip trembling as a cold horror gripped her soul. "W-Why are you standing here? A-Aren't you violently sick? Y-You are supposed to be in the intensive care unit at the hospital right now!"
Miss Scott let out a soft, thoroughly confused chuckle, shaking her head. "What on earth are you talking about, daughter? I am perfectly fine. I haven't stepped foot inside a hospital in years. What gave you such a terrible scare?"
Liora fiercely bit down on her lower lip, a suffocating, paralyzing wave of dread washing over her entire body.
The phone call... the emergency... everything was a complete, calculated lie. Liora realized, her chest heaving as pure panic set in. It was a trap. A deliberate setup to lure Ron away from the building and separate us. But why? I have to warn him right now!
"I have to go!" Liora screamed frantically, not wasting another single second to explain the situation to the bewildered elderly woman. She turned on her heel and bolted completely out of the mansion, sprinting down the dark driveway into the chilly night air, leaving Miss Scott staring after her in absolute shock.
Liora's POV
Desperation was violently clawing at my throat as I sprints down the dark avenue. Ronan hadn't specified which hospital the fake caller had mentioned, but I knew the layout of the city well enough to guess he would be speeding toward the absolute closest elite medical facility near the Brown estate. Spotting a lonely yellow taxi cruising down the block, I frantically waved my arms, throwing myself into the backseat the exact moment it screeched to a halt.
"Please, drive to the central hospital! As fast as humanly possible!" I gasped out to the driver, clutching my chest as my heart hammered violently against my ribs.
As the taxi accelerated down the highway, I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to focus my mind on Ronan's energy. Please, Ron... please look at your phone. Realize it's a trap. Don't go inside.
Suddenly, an absolute, blinding explosion of pain ripped straight through the center of my skull.
I gasped for air, completely paralyzed as a violent, unbidden psychic vision forcefully hijacked my consciousness. The interior of the taxi vanished. In my mind's eye, I was suddenly standing inside a pitch-black, concrete underground parking garage.
Through the shadows, I saw Ronan walking briskly toward the hospital elevators, his face pale with worry.
Without a single shred of warning, a dark silhouette materialized from the deep fog behind him. The figure lifted a massive, heavy wooden club high into the air and violently brought it down against the back of Ronan's head with a sickening, heavy crack.
Ronan let out a muffled groan, his knees instantly buckling beneath him as his supernatural defenses were completely blindsided. He crashed heavily onto the cold concrete floor, entirely unconscious as his eyes rolled back.
In the next terrifying second of the vision, the camera in my mind slowly panned upward, tracing up the dark leather jacket of the assailant until the bright fluorescent lights of the garage illuminated the attacker's face.
My breath completely left my lungs. A sharp, agonizing gasp tore from my throat as my eyes flew wide open in the back of the taxi, tears of absolute horror spilling over my lashes.
I covered my mouth with both hands, my entire soul shaking to its very core as the face of my trusted protector burned into my mind.
"E-Ethan?!"