Desperation clings to me like a second skin. At twenty-five, I'm doing everything I can to keep my life from falling apart. My mother's medical bills are piling up, and each day feels like I'm sinking deeper into a pit I can't crawl out of. The job market hasn't been kind. I've gone from one dead-end interview to another until the Pression group interview. Everything started falling apart when he came into my life. He was a drug, I was willing to risk it all for. "You're mine now, Amelia," he growled, his breath hot against her skin. "And I don't let go of what's mine." Her heart pounded as his fingers grazed her lips, his dark eyes burning into her. "You can try to run," he whispered, "but I'll always catch you." "Say it," he demanded, his hand tightening around her wrist. "Say you belong to me." His lips brushed against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "I'll break you, Amelia. Piece by piece, until you beg for me to put you back together." He came as a surprise to my world, a package with lots of dark secrets will they make his or is it all going to drive me away from him?
Chapter 1 I take care of what's mine
Amelia's POV
Desperation clings to me like a heavy weight as I think about my mom. I'm 25, doing everything I can to keep my life from falling apart. My mom's medical bills keep adding up, and every day feels like I'm sinking deeper into a hole I can't escape. Finding a job has been tough. I've gone from one bad interview to another, and it seems like all the interviewers care about is how I look, not what I can do. Sometimes, being pretty feels like a curse.
But this job offer is different. Or at least, I hope it is. I stare at my phone: "Personal Secretary to Christopher Russell. Salary: $100,000 per month." One hundred thousand dollars. That amount feels unreal. It's enough to pay off my mom's medical debt, enough to fix my life. But something about it feels... off.
It seems too good to be true, and my gut tells me there's more to it. But I don't have a choice. I need this job. Standing in front of the mirror, I smooth out my dress, trying to calm my nerves. I look at my reflection. A girl who's been through a lot. My pale skin looks ghostly under the lights, and my long brown hair falls around my shoulders. I try to convince myself that I'm ready. But the truth is, I don't know what's coming. I take a deep breath. Just focus. Get the job. Save your mom, I tried encouraging myself.
Christopher's POV
The air in my office is heavy with silence and well, power. I bit into the black pen in my hand trying to contain my disappointment. Another applicant sits in front of me, looking nervous and desperate. I've seen it all before. None of them matter. But then, she walks in. Amelia James, it says on her resume. The moment her name appears on the computer, I knew she would be different and perfect. And when I saw her, I understood why.
She's exactly what I've been looking for. Her vulnerability shows in every move she makes, and it pulls me in like a predator after a prey. The way she tries to stay calm, her eyes darting around the room, sparks something dark inside me.
She's perfect. I lean back in my chair, watching her. She's got long hair, anxious eyes, and she's biting her plump lip. She holds onto her Cv like it's a lifeline, but I don't care about what's on those paper. I care about what I can shape and control as I look at her.
My brothers would laugh if they knew how I run things here. Especially Alfonso, with his Mafia business. But power is power. Whether I control a company or a woman, it's all about dominance. And Amelia? She'll be mine.
Amelia's POV
The moment I step into his polish office, the air in the room becomes cold and suffocating. I feel it and it's scary plus exciting to me. I observe him from the corner of my eyes. He's tall and serious, with dark amber eyes that pull you in. His suit is sharp, and every move he makes seems planned as he twirled the pen in his hand. There's something unsettling about the way he watches me, like he already knows things about me I don't even know.
My heart races, and I can't stop my hands from shaking as he sits down formally. He doesn't speak right away, just looks at me like I'm something to study. I feel heat rise in my face. I hate that I'm blushing under his stare.
"You're Amelia, right?" His voice is low, it has a seductive drawl to it but there's something sharp in it.
It's not a question. It's like he already knew everything about me before I even walked into his office.
"Yes," I whisper, barely able to speak.
He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "You're here for the secretary job. What makes you think you're qualified?"
I blink, caught off guard. I wasn't expecting that. I start talking about my experience, but it feels empty, like none of it matters to him. Because maybe it doesn't.
He leans back in his chair, never taking his eyes off me. "A hundred thousand dollars a month is a lot of money, Miss James. Are you sure you can handle it?"
The way he says it sends a chill down my spine. There's something more behind his words, something he's not saying.
"I-I'm willing to do whatever it takes," I say, my heart pounding in my chest.
He smiles wider, like that's exactly what he wanted to hear. "I believe you," he says, standing up slowly. He walks around the desk, each step making my stomach tighten more.
"And I'll make sure your mom's medical bills are taken care of," he adds.
I freeze. How does he know about my mom? I never mentioned that. His hand reaches out, and I think for a second he's going to touch me. But he doesn't. His fingers hover near my face, close enough to feel the warmth of his skin.
"I take care of what's mine, Amelia," he says softly, but it feels more like a warning than a promise. My whole body shakes under the weight of his words. My mind screams for me to leave, but I can't move. I'm stuck, staring at him.
"Let's start tomorrow," he says, his voice quieter now, but no less dangerous. "I'll send a car for you." Before I can say anything else, he walks out, leaving me alone in the office.
Christopher's POV
As I walk away, I can't help but smile. She doesn't know it yet, but she's already mine. This was never about a job. It's about power. Control. She'll fight me, resist the cage I'll put her in the future, but that's what makes it exciting.
I'll break her down piece by piece until she has no choice but to give in. She'll come to love it. No one escapes the Russell family unchanged. And Amelia? She's going to learn that soon enough.
Amelia's POV
Outside, the air feels colder and heavier. My heart is still racing, and my hands won't stop shaking. I clutch my bag, trying to calm myself down.
I can't stop hearing his words in my head, "I take care of what's mine." But I'm not his. I'm not.
I walk faster, hoping I can outrun the fear building inside me. This job could save my mom's life, but I know there's a price. And deep down, I know Christopher Russell isn't the kind of man you can walk away from once you've entered his world.