CEO FROM HELL

CHAPTER 18

A long, tired sigh escaped her plumps lips. Delicate fingers gripped the side of marble sink she was leaning against. Catherine had managed to swiftly escape to the nearest bathroom when the red head threw a fit. It was funny until she decided to send the glass of wine flying in her direction. Thank God for Lucas who managed to grab her just on time. 

She did not belong here. Being a street rat almost seemed easier than this. It was tough, but at least she knew that world. She knew what it took to survive when every day was a new struggle for basic needs. Surrounded by luxury and riches was terrifying. Even her face had been painted beyond recognition. 

Layton had just left her there alone without a word. That asshole...

Catherine groaned, finally mustering enough courage to leave the bathroom. The hallway was empty. Honestly she didn't know where she had ran off to in her haste. 

Again, the looming feeling of danger had her blood freezing over. 

Stop it you coward....Your nerves are finally catching up, 'is all-

 Suddenly the lights around her flickered, some bulbs never coming back to life. The light drained. There was barely enough even for shadows. The young woman froze on the spot. The hallway was suddenly dark and silent. It was the kind of silence that falls right before you get knifed in the back.

Thump....thump...thump....

A bead of cold sweat formed on her brow as footsteps approached from behind. Quiet, light and eerie. Perhaps the red-head had come to murder her about the snail. That would be the best option from those rushing through her head. 

Slowly, she turned. 

A grimy figure stood on the other end of the hallway, pale eyes pinning her down. She knew those eyes. They had stared at her with the same thirst for blood in the gala. No words were required. She knew on the instant that her life was in grave danger, even before she saw the shine of a knife in his pale hand. 

Woman's body kicked into motion. Her mind ceased it's unproductive buzz, now providing her with adrenaline and calculations of how to get out from this mess. The heels were left behind with little care as the female begun to sprint down the dark hall. 

The hallway curled away into infinite dark. With a killer hot on her heels, she hardly cared for the lack of light anymore or for the reason he was there in the first place. She ran for her life, stopping only to tug on random door to see if there was any way to escape back to the ball party and seek help. 

"Fuck." Her lips produced a desperate curse when another door refused to budge. 

Catherine took a quick look over her shoulder, nervous gaze scanning the hallway where the man had been standing. He wasn't there anymore. Was she losing her mind? Seeing things? It had been years since she last touched drugs and yet there she was, hallucinating. 

"What the hell...." Her muscles relaxed for a brief moment, her mind trying to catch up on what had just happened. 

The young woman took a step back from the door, still confused and shaken. She had a very solid reason to be scared. 

With the first backwards step, she felt presents right behind her. 

A pale hand reached out from darkness, clasping in front of her mouth. A muffled scream and rustle of her struggle could be heard down the hall as she was forced against the man's front, her back pressing against his oddly cold body. 

Catherine's body twisted and turned, her every move a pure instinct as the man held her firmly. She could hear his wheezing breath in her ear, his other hand raising to her throat with a sharp knife held between his stiff fingers. 

Her eyes widened. She felt the cold metal press against her neck. 

Her fingers dug into his arm in a feeble attempt to pull it away. The man was strong despite his scrawny frame. The cold metal hovering inches from her neck made it near impossible to not panic. It scratched against her skin, seconds away from slicing it open. 

Her body made the decision for her. She was not about to die from the hand of a silent killer. Not after everything she has been through. 

Her head moved back with force, colliding painfully with the man's nose. Her hair fell loose from the bun, swirling in the air around her as she took the fleeting moment to get away from the assailants grip. 

The knife nicked her throat, warm drops of ruby red beginning to leak out and run down in thin trickles. 

The man behind her groaned, manufacturing the first human-like sound during their interaction. His grip loosened, allowing Catherine to evade the deathly grip. 

She stumbled away, Layton's words of her being clumsy proving themselves on the worst time possible. Her foot got caught in her long dress, successfully tripping her over. The world rushed by in a blur, hurriedly approaching impact inevitable. Gravity pulled the young woman to the ground, her head slamming against the hard flooring. 

Her lips parted in a silent scream. Strong, dull pain rushed through her skull like electricity. Her vision clouded over, all her limbs suddenly paralyzed. The back of her head throbbed, all senses distorted. 

Through the blur she saw a movement, two black shoes coming into her line of sight. She drew in a sharp breath, single through passing through her aching head. 

I am screwed....

Her eyes closed. She much rather not see what would happen. 

"To think someone of your status would send such lowly creature after her....I'm disappointed." A low, familiar voice cut through the silence. 

Her heart fluttered, heavy eyelids slowly peeling open to see a tall figure in distance. First time she was genuinely happy to see Layton. He stood at the end of dark hallway, the shorter man he had left with cowering behind him. 

The feeling of relief was short-lived, quickly replaced by utter horror. The man who had been sent to kill her suddenly disappeared, pile of ashes sitting where his shoes once were. Catherine held her breath, fighting to stay conscious as the two men approached. 

"My Lord...It's not how it looks like!" The older man exclaimed. "I wouldn't dare! Grim family is very respected-"

"Quit flapping your gums, old man, before I cut your tongue out." Layton growled, his voice growing nearer. 

Catherine shut her eyes, listening in carefully. 

"P-please, My Lord. This is a misunderstanding. I wouldn't dare to send an assassin after a soul that belongs to you." The old man stuttered, sounding terrified. 

A soul??

"Leave." Layton commanded, his words final. 

"Y-yes, my Lord." 

Catherine felt someone kneel besides her with a sigh. Familiar scent of cologne tickled her fuzzy senses. 

"You're nothing but trouble, spitfire." Layton whispered, gently placing her into his arms. "I can't leave you alone for a damn minute." Her body was easily lifted up, strong arms wrapping around her protectively. "And she lost her shoes again..." Layton grumbled under his breath. 

Catherine could no longer force her eyes to open. Her consciousness was slipping as he carried her. Nothing was certain anymore, but one thing - what she had seen was not a hallucination. It had been real. 

Layton Grim was not human.