His Villain

49

Balancing the tray expertly on her left hand, she extended her right hand and rapped gently on the imposing door of his office. The sound of her knuckles against the wood echoed through the hallway. "Come in," his deep voice reverberated, sending a delightful shiver down her spine. With a mixture of trepidation and anticipation, she turned the brass knob on the right side, and the door creaked open slowly. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she stepped into his office, clutching the corner of the tray tightly.

As she entered, her presence seemed to fill the room, and she made her way cautiously towards his desk. He caught a whiff of her intoxicating scent, his nose instinctively flaring. Raising his head, he fixed his intense gaze upon her alluring figure, which approached him with a hint of hesitation. His eyes roamed over her frame, and she felt a nervous lump forming in her throat, swallowing it down as best she could. Placing the tray on his desk, she straightened her posture, meeting his heated gaze with apprehensive glances of her own.

He set down his pen and closed the documents he had been examining, taking a sip of his black coffee before placing it back on the desk. Standing up from his leather chair, he regarded her with a stern expression. "The worker was supposed to bring this, not you," he stated firmly.

"I insisted. Please don't fire her," she pleaded innocently, her eyes reflecting her sincerity.

He took a step towards her, and unconsciously, she took a step back, a victorious smirk playing on his lips. Closing the distance between them in just a few strides, he pulled her into his close proximity, caging her with his strong arm around her small waist. Arching an eyebrow in question, he brushed a strand of her hair back, causing her cheeks and neck to flush with a visible blush. Nervously, she bit her lower lip, her shyness palpable. "How are you?" he inquired when she remained silent.

"Hmmm. Better?" she hummed uncertainly.

"Better?" he repeated, pulling her even closer, if possible.

She smiled and confirmed with an affirming nod, "better," and he simply hummed in response.

"How..." She hesitated, her gaze shifting to his lips, "how are you?" she finally managed to ask.

He didn't answer immediately, taking a couple of minutes before releasing her from his hold and returning to his seat.

"Fine," he replied after taking two more sips of his coffee. A genuine smile graced her face in response. Suppressing the urge to reciprocate her smile, he cleared his throat before asking, "What brings you here?"

"I want to see Dalia," she stated hesitantly. His features furrowed, anger flashing across his face. "No," he concluded impassively.

"Please," she pleaded, fluttering her innocent doe eyes at him. "I won't cause any trouble," she added in a low voice.

"I said no, Ferrari. Go back to your room, now," he commanded in a low yet threatening tone.

"But you said you'd fulfill my wishes that day. And now you're not allowing me to see her. Why?" Her anger surfaced, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Standing up from his seat once again, he closed the distance between them with measured steps. She took a step back as he came within inches of her. Extending his right hand, he waited for her to come back into his embrace. Her gaze dropped to his demanding gesture, and she shook her head in a pessimistic manner. "Let me see her first. You've grounded her for almost a month. Apart from your assistant and a few others, you haven't visited her, nor have you allowed me to. She's your own sister we're talking about," she stated, infuriated by his detached and uncaring behavior towards his own flesh and blood.

"Come here," his voice oozed caution, the temperature in the room pleading for her to listen to the beast before her.

Pressing her lips together tightly, she moved her head in a negative gesture.