Chained To Me: A Billionaire Enemies To Lovers Romance

Chapter 10 -Everly

I'm sitting across from Aston, and he doesn't look happy. He's been scowling at me for half an hour as I've attempted to get him to help me craft a statement for the paparazzi.

I don't know why he's being such a jerk to me, but I'm trying to maintain an optimistic attitude despite his rudeness.

"But something must've caused you to act this way last night," I say. "You didn't just go from an ordinary man minding your own business to having an explosive night with three strippers. What was the impetus?" I ask, trying to dig out the truth from him.

"I told you, it was nothing. I felt like going on a bender." He leans back in his leather chair, analyzing me, eyes narrowed. His gaze follows me wherever I go, and I have a heated reaction in my body to his constant attention.

I feel hot, my cheeks blushing. But I try to hide it. This is not part of the job. I wasn't expecting Aston to be so devastatingly handsome in real life. He's much better looking than his photos would reveal.

His blue eyes are the color of the sky, deep and beautiful. He's tall, 6'3 or 6'4, and has a muscled body that's evident even under his suit. His cheekbones are sculpted, and his lips, well, I can't stop staring at them as they're so perfectly pronounced.

I shake my head, trying to come back down to earth and away from my fantasies of what it would be like to scrape my nails down his muscular chest.

His lips...

His body...

His hidden tattoos...

"So, you won't tell me what made you act out?" I ask, feeling frustrated.

"No."

"But Aston, I need the truth. That's the only way I can help you," I prod.

Suddenly, his blue eyes turn dark. "Fuck, Everly. I'm not going to tell you anything. I think your job is a joke. You have no reason to be here, and if you can't solve the huge problem of fixing my image without me giving you the inside scoop, then you're terrible at what you do."

My cheeks burn red now out of anger. How dare he talk to me like that? I realize Aston doesn't want me here, but does he have to be mean?

"But I..."

"To tell you the truth, I think you've come here from Seattle for nothing. The only reason you're here is because Lina wants you. If it were up to me, I'd let this thing burn out on its own."

"That's a terrible plan," I try to instruct him. "These situations are famous for getting worse before they get better."

He glares at me. "I think you're wrong. Where I'm concerned, only good things follow."

His arrogance comes off of him in waves. It suddenly occurs to me that I'm dealing with the famous control freak that I researched. Mr. Stripper is pompous and vain and expects to get his way. And I realize that I'll have to take things into my own hands if I'm going to get anything done.

"Okay, fine, I'll do the statement myself." I take my phone and start writing without him. "What you don't realize is that people crave honesty and authenticity. I can write this statement for you, but it will have none of the truth in it. Everyone wants to know why you did what you did. Without that, these are mere words. People will see through them as a fake apology or explanation, and it will be harder to rehab your image."

His gaze penetrates me. "Do what you have to do."

I take a deep breath and begin writing the best apology statement I can muster without knowing what drove Aston to act the way he did.

I knew he would be hard to work with, but this is ridiculous.

"I'd like to start by saying that I was in a bad way last night. I wasn't myself. And for that, I'm truly sorry. This type of behavior will never happen again. I assure you that Thomas Real Estate Group is stronger than ever. We all make mistakes. I made one, and now I'm here to take responsibility for it. I apologize for my actions and for those I might've hurt. It doesn't reflect on my true nature or this firm."

"Here, read this." I show him the explanation and the apology that I've written.

Aston reads it slowly, all the time leaving me on edge.

Will he hate it? Will he still want to fire me? I need this job badly to provide for Kaley's rehab. I can't afford to lose it before I've even started.

But in the end, Aston returns my phone and says, "That'll be fine."

I feel myself perking up. "Good. You'll need to memorize this. When you stand in front of the building and deliver this, it needs to appear to come from the heart." Even though I'm not so sure Aston has a heart.

"Whatever you say." He continues to stare at me like I don't belong, like he wishes I weren't here.

I look out the window at the black night that has descended over New York City, and I know it's time to make this happen.

"Are you ready?" I ask.

"Let's just do the damn thing."

Morgan comes over and spritzes Aston's hair one final time, giving it a comb-through. "You look great," she says.

Lina stands by the door, impatient. "Let's get this over with."

"This fucking apology better work." His eyes center on me as I feel my stomach clench down.

I have a lot riding on this job. I need to keep it, to keep him happy. But he's not making it easy.

I go with Aston as he leaves his office, nerves flitting inside my body. We take the private elevator that descends to the lobby. Then, Lina, he, and I go outside to face the waiting paparazzi.

He opens the door to a plethora of screams, shouts, and camera flashes.

"Aston, why'd you do it?"

"What about Sienna?"

"Can you give us a statement?"

He stands before the crowd of photographers and delivers the words I carefully wrote.

The crowd is silent, and all eyes are on him. There's the occasional flash as photographers continue to take photos of him, one of the most famous billionaires in the world, during his fall from grace.

In the end, he says the statement, and, to me, it comes across as well as it could. He appears repentant yet dignified as he stands before Thomas Real Estate Group. But I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see how the world takes his apology, or at least until I return to the hotel and turn on the nightly news.

I watch as the crowd parts for Aston as he walks to his waiting limousine and is whisked away with Lina, leaving me alone on the sidewalk.

I sigh a breath of relief, not for the statement being over with but for the fact that I'm no longer in the presence of such an intimidating man.

I can finally relax.