"Sign it, or forget about the gallery and your father's hospital bills."
That baritone voice shattered the morning silence in Room 1001 like a death sentence. Bara Vane was now fully dressed in a custom-made Savile Row suit... a piece that cost enough to buy a luxury apartment in the city center. He sat with his legs crossed in a mahogany office chair, while on the glass desk before him lay a piece of paper that looked to Arunika like a contract to sell her soul to the devil.
Nika, still wrapped in the silk duvet on the sofa... the place where she had been "discarded" last night... glared at the paper with murderous intent.
"Personal Assistant?" Nika scoffed, her voice raspy from the heat of the previous night and her own protests. "Do you want me as an assistant, or as a punching bag you can insult every day because of my 'plastic' dress?"
Bara glanced at his Patek Philippe watch. The movement was elegant, wealthy, and utterly infuriating. "Thirty seconds. If you don't sign, I will cancel your father's hospital deposit that my secretary just sent. And for your information, ICU costs in Jakarta are not cheap, Arunika."
THUMP.
Nika's heart felt like it had been struck by a sledgehammer. "You... you already paid for my father's hospital bills?"
"It's a down payment for your obedience. Don't get ahead of yourself," Bara said coldly. His eyes pierced through her as if dissecting her very thoughts. "I need an assistant who can handle my temperament. And since you already know what it's like to... 'work' under me, I figured you're a strong enough candidate."
Nika threw off the duvet and stood on trembling legs, yet she kept her head held high. she approached his desk, her wrinkled red dress swaying with her emotional strides. She felt small, but she had to fight.
"What's the salary?" Nika asked, getting straight to the point.
"Five million," Bara answered without blinking.
Nika gasped, nearly choking on her own breath. "Are you joking? Five million?! Do you even know the minimum wage in Jakarta? Five million won't even cover the installments on my father's gallery that Dimas seized! Are you the richest man in this country or some small-time loan shark?!"
Bara arched an eyebrow. "That is the base salary. You have no experience as an executive assistant."
"Last night's experience was more than enough for a mental resilience certification, Sir!" Nika slammed her hand onto the glass desk, making Bara's espresso cup rattle. "Twenty-five million! That's my final price. I have to pay off the gallery's debts, my father's medicine, and the compensation for having to see your arrogant face every single day!"
Bara let out a low laugh... a sound like an expensive violin, both sexy and mocking. He leaned back in his chair, scanning Nika from head to toe.
"Twenty-five million for a girl who can't even tell the difference between real silk and plastic?" Bara shook his head slowly. "Ten million. That's double the minimum wage. Take it, or leave and let your father be moved to a stuffy, sweltering economy ward."
Nika clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. This bastard knew exactly where her weakness lay. Bara was buying her, inch by inch. She felt as though she were being auctioned off to a man who wouldn't even deign to touch the fabric of her dress unless forced.
"Fifteen million! Plus first-class health insurance for my father! And you must provide legal assistance to help me reclaim the gallery from Dimas!" Nika countered fiercely, her eyes blazing with fury.
Bara went silent for a moment. A faint spark of interest flickered in his eyes at her persistence. "Twelve million. That is my final offer, Arunika. You are my assistant, not the Finance Minister. Accept it, or I will call the hospital right now to cut off your father's oxygen supply."
Nika squeezed her eyes shut. Her chest felt tight. She hated this man. She hated the power he wielded. But the image of her father lying weak and helpless left her with no choice. With a trembling hand, she grabbed Bara's gold pen and roughly scribbled her signature onto the paper.
"Satisfied, Honorable Mr. Bara?" Nika hissed.
"Perfectly," Bara replied with a sharp, arrogant smirk. "Now, get my jacket over there. We have an important meeting in an hour."
Nika walked toward the coat rack, her heart overflowing with resentment. As she lifted the black jacket made of super-fine wool, her fingers brushed against something hard in a hidden inner pocket. Driven by her high curiosity, she reached in slightly.
A silver key. Small, with an ancient carving that was incredibly intricate and detailed. The key felt freezing cold, as cold as the aura of its owner.
"What is this?" Nika murmured, lifting the key slightly.
SWISH!
In a split second, Bara was standing in front of her. His speed was terrifying. He snatched the key from her hand with such force that Nika's wrist turned red. His previously calm face was now icy, darker than the deepest night in the Arctic.
"Don't. Ever. Touch. What's. Mine," Bara hissed in a low voice that made the hair on the back of Nika's neck stand up.
Nika froze. She could feel his hot breath on her face, but his eyes... those eyes suggested something more than just anger. There was a hidden fear beneath the coldness.
"I... I didn't mean to..." Nika defended herself, her voice shrinking.
Bara didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he moved closer, pinning her between his body and the coat rack. "There are things in my world that are not to be touched by a lowly assistant like you, Arunika. If you want to stay alive and see your gallery returned, learn to keep your eyes and ears closed to my private matters."
Bara tucked the silver key back into his pocket and released her hand with a harsh shove. He turned away, adjusting his jacket as if the storm hadn't just occurred.
"Let's go," Bara said without looking back. "And one more thing, Arunika... throw that garbage dress away. There are new clothes in the car. I don't want my clients thinking I hired a vagrant who just escaped from a flea market."
Nika growled, following Bara's long strides from behind. Just you wait, Bara Vane. One day, I'll be the one holding the key to your secrets and making you beg me!