Warning: Assault in this chapter

Nora's P.O.V

My boss was dressed in a formal navy-blue suit, a white shirt and black tie adding to his fancy attire alongside black leather shoes completing his entire outfit. His hair was sleeked back and gelled into place.

The moment he saw me he walked around to the driver’s side of the car and sat down, ignoring me entirely. I huffed in displeasure, the night already becoming ruined with just his arrogant and rude behaviour. ‘What kind of man is he? Definitely not a gentleman, that absolute dickwad’, I cursed him to oblivion and back.

A honk sounded from his car, and I glared at him as he rolled the passenger door down and shouted loudly enough for me to hear, “Are you coming or not? I don’t have all day!”

I had half a mind to show him my middle finger, but I fought back that aggressiveness and bit my tongue instead. I didn’t dare take a step further toward him though, I wanted to purposefully slow him down to the party since he seemed to be rushing. Then again, I couldn’t comprehend that Elijah Cooper was actually there, in front of my house and about to drive me to the event. ‘How could this be true? I don’t trust him. Why would he drive me when he could get his drivers to do it for him?’ A million thoughts flittered through my mind all making the decision far harder than it needed to be.

‘At least mom hadn’t seen him, she would have asked him a million intruding questions and would’ve made this entire thing so much worse’. I heaved. As I finally motivated myself to step towards the car, I realised that Elijah was examining me. It was a ravenous look in his eye that raked me from head to toe, in ways that set my body alight and made me timid with wanting to read his mind.

The door to his car was unlocked and I entered it steadily, settling down in the seats before strapping myself in. Elijah merely turned his head away from me to stare out of the front window. No words escaped him. I tugged at the dress wondering why he was so quiet. ‘I know he’s my boss and I shouldn’t expect anything but, the least he could have done was say something about my look.’

The engine roared to life before leaving the house behind and driving towards the venue. Throughout the entire ride we didn’t say a word to one another. It was awkward and I was stressing. I kept fiddling with the material I wore, sometimes my hair, sometimes my face… Anything to distract myself from Elijah and his tension. As he drove, the city passed by us. The evening light illuminated the skyscrapers, and I could see individuals still working in their office buildings.

We rolled up towards a mansion after some time. It was huge, to the point where my mouth gaped open, and I inched closer towards the windows to peer at the building with curiosity. Its white sleek roof tiles reflected the light coming from the lanterns surrounding the mansion, some of them hanging in trees. The wood panelling coating the outside walls were modern, giving off a beach vibe impression, but it only added a specific charm especially when it was combined with the white wooden pillars holding up the many balconies that surrounded the mansion. It was gorgeous and as we stopped in front of the building I could see a front-yard pool with teal blue water. Roses and jasmines lined the steppingstone pavements and miniature lamps were placed on the edge of it to light the way to the entrance. I had never been to a mansion before, so I wasn’t sure what to compare it to.

‘I wonder what it’s like to live in a place like this, do people act the same way here as I do at home?’ I questioned before unstrapping the safety belt and opening the door myself as Elijah had once again ignored any gentlemanly manners. He stood next to the passenger side waiting for me to crawl out of his car. I rolled my eyes at his behaviour, straightening my dress when he spoke up.

“Stay close to me”, he said. I frowned at him as he led the way towards the entrance. I saw a valet walk from the door and as they passed us, Elijah handed his keys to the person who entered the vehicle and drove off.
‘Why would I have to stay close to him? I mean I get I’m his PA but that doesn’t mean I have to follow him everywhere. I don’t even want to stay close to this arrogant bastard’, I ranted to myself before shadowing his movements and stopping in front of the elegant white door, ‘I knew he was going to take his revenge tonight.’

“Is there any reason for me to stay close to you, Mr Cooper?” I politely asked and in return he glared at me. I glared back at him, but he didn’t reply, so I huffed and stepped away from him. ‘If I annoy him, he might end up hurting me, I still don’t know what he’s capable of doing’, I advised myself.

Elijah headed inside, forcefully pushing at the door and letting me step after him before he let it slam precariously into place. I eyed him rudely as other attendees already inside watched with shocked expressions. Moving from the foyer to the large hall-like living room I realised that the place was littered with people, all of them dressed in sophisticated brands and wealthy suits and dresses. They were all silently judging one another based off the way they watched each other’s backs, sneering when the individuals weren’t looking before upturning their noses and ignoring them. I watched their outfits and diamond jewellery glitter in the light. They all looked beautiful, not that I could relate to it, I didn’t have diamond jewellery.

Elijah kept a small distance between us as he guided us in the direction of a mid-forty-year-old man with a black and white tuxedo. The crowd surrounding us parted like the red sea as Elijah dominated the entire room. ‘Elijah was the boss, the only boss’, I deemed dutifully. The man greeted me respectfully as Elijah introduced me to the older man as his personal assistant. They then went about discussing some business ventures.

I twirled around in boredom trying to find anyone who I could recognise and have a conversation with. Noticing Mark, I moved in his direction before the crowd allowed me to catch a glimpse of a red-haired woman by his side, neatly wrapped in his arm in a protective manner. They were both talking to one another, drinking on a flute of champagne as Mark leaned in, said something, and the woman playfully laughed, hitting him on the arm. ‘Best not to disturb them’, I thought.

Shuffling back to face Elijah and the man I felt a soft hand lay on my shoulder. I turned around to see Elian standing there in a black professional tuxedo but compared to the other men who wore white shirts, Elian had chosen a black shirt and matched it to a red tie with a red handkerchief in his chest pocket. His hair messily framed his face as strands fell over his eyes giving him a bad boy type of look.

“Good to see you at the party”, he commented as he removed his hand and stepped beside me not bothering to introduce himself to Elijah or the man, “Want something to drink?”

I smiled at him appreciatively, glad to have someone beside me that I felt comfortable with before I nodded, and he waited for a server to walk past. We made small talk in between, asking about how the party was going so far and complimenting each other’s outfits. A server carried a silver plate with glasses of white and red wine and as they crossed by us Elian picked up a red glass and handed it to me before he tried speaking yet again. He was interrupted by a blonde-haired woman. She was gorgeous, wearing an off-shoulder red gown that billowed down her body like a ball gown paired with a diamond necklace and ring that dazzled in my eyes excruciatingly.

The woman whispered to him in hushed tones before she eyed me curiously and took a step away. The one man I wanted to have beside me glanced sympathetically in my direction before apologising and walking away with the woman to converse in more privacy. ‘Maybe it’s his girlfriend? That girl is lucky to have Elian, he’s a great guy’, I complimented before returning my attention to the business discussion I immediately regretted staying in.

I didn’t have anything to do so I walked to a row of tables that were decorated in food menus and appetisers before picking one of the menu’s up and reading its contents. ‘I probably look antisocial and so weird’, I commented before placing the menu back down and standing there awkwardly watching couples dance in the hall. Other people stood on the outer ring of the dance space conversing with one another as laughter filled the room. I noticed Anna standing at the far corner of the room, watching everyone with hawk-like attention before she caught me staring at her and she sneered in hatred.

Anna wore a turquoise silk dress that cascaded down her body in straight smooth lines. It was a simple dress, plain and silky with spaghetti straps holding the skimpy material up. She made her move to me, slow calculating steps as she never stopped staring at me, and I shuffled in my place hoping she’d just walk past and ignore me altogether.

“Nora? How are you?” Anna asked me with fake pleasantry as she smiled conceitedly. People passed by us with obliviousness to what was about to go down and that feeling of cat and mouse returned. I didn’t want to make a scene and I definitely wanted to avoid Anna as much as possible, so I tipped my head politely in return with a stoic expression.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking. Excuse me for a while, Elijah asked me to return to him”, I lied, starting to step back in large strides as Anna raked me with a scowl and then mockingly curled her lip.

“Oh? That’s interesting”, she mused cruelly before adding, “Elijah told me to inform you that you’re acting slutty, you better improve your behaviour.”

She was mocking me, but her words cut deep as a pained frown formed on my face and I looked away from Anna. ‘Did Elijah actually say that? How could he even do such a thing? That’s so inhuman’, I broke in pain as tears pushed their way to the forefront of my eyes and I clenched my fists in misery.

Suddenly, Anna spoke up with a mischievous snicker, “I think it’s time for me to leave you alone, see you around.”

Anna secretly moved toward me, and I felt a hand tugging at the zipper of my dress before it sharply arched down. A breeze flittered on my now exposed skin. I gasped in shock as the hand left and Anna laughed tormentingly, flickering her fingers in a contemptuous wave as she backed away from me and I watched her in horror.

I placed a hand on the dress to keep it from sliding down my chest before backing away from the table and leaning my back to a wall, my breath coming out sporadic. I tried to move my hand to the back of the dress where the zipper was but no matter how much I strained, I couldn’t seem to pull the zipper up. My hand fell limply to my side, and I watched the room for a way out to escape.

‘That fucking bitch! What if someone sees me like this? I need someone’s help’, I cursed before sweeping a glare across the room trying to identify a face I recognised. Only David, the man who had thrown a temper tantrum back at Elijah’s office before breaking glass and storming out of the building was close enough to me as he spoke to a man. I’d found out that David worked as CEO of a separate organisation named ‘C.C.B Majesty’ which focused on crypto currency and stock exchanges, the more cyber related style business. C.C.B Majesty worked in partnership and alliance with Coopers Incorporation.

As much as I relented capturing his attention, I didn’t have anyone else I could turn to. I noticed people were staring at me, it made me feel uncomfortable with all the attention I was drawing, and I could make out Anna on the other side of the room watching the scene play out.

David turned his body in my direction, and I watched as he spoke with another man with pure white hair. I’d have thought the white-haired man would be old, but I was surprised to see a young face. Both of the men turned to stare at me in more detail and I shuddered at their intense gazes. I felt like they were vultures, waiting to pick meat off their next meal. I didn’t want to see Elijah anywhere close to me, especially under the current situation. I hated him after learning about what he’d said, Elijah was a jerk.

The white-haired man stepped towards me before inching his way closer to me, a seductive smile leering on his face. ‘He’s too close, way too close’, I fretted as my heartrate increased. I couldn’t move away from him as the wall was behind me, so I tried to shift along the wall to his right side, peering behind him for a potential saviour.

“Hi there, my name’s Ben. What’s your name, beautiful?” He leeched with a masculine dreamy voice that would have normally made me melt but instead repulsed me. I wanted to run away from him. Any time I shifted along the wall; he would follow my direction. He was leaning closer to my face, his alcoholic breath infiltrating my senses.

“Want to dance with me?” Ben asked as he lifted his hand to my waist to try and guide me to the dance floor, but I pushed at his chest and stepped back against the wall. A frown etched his face before he shrugged and returned closely to my body. He trailed a finger up my arm, watching his own movements before he glanced up at me and winked. I wanted to vomit, goosebumps were appearing, and I could only think of a hundred different ways this scenario could end.

“Please, leave me alone”, I whispered.

“Oh, come on, relax. It’s just a simple dance”, Ben commented as he tugged one more time on my arm and pulled harder. I fought back a second time.

“I think you should move back, if you know what’s good for you”, threatened a deadly voice. I glanced behind Ben, relieved and embarrassed that Elijah was standing there. He was captivating my attention with broad tall shoulders, fists clenched at his sides, and his chin raised confidently to stare down at Ben.

Ben had now paled at the sight of Elijah. He immediately let go of my arm and stepped away from me as if I was sizzling hot lava. Elijah’s eyes never left Ben’s as he watched the man gaze between Elijah and I before staring a moment longer and quickly walking away.

As much as I was glad that someone had saved me from Ben, I was mildly infuriated that it had been Elijah. ‘He probably didn’t want his PA acting slutty’, I drily mocked before glaring at Elijah.

“You didn’t have to help me, I had a handle over the situation”, I expertly fabricated as the adrenaline from my nerves mixed with the adrenaline from my anger. I was furious that Elijah had been there, that he was even talking to me after acting this entire night like a prick.

“I wasn’t helping you”, he replied as he returned his gaze to me before eyeing me up and down, “You should have found a place for that sort of behaviour.” He was scolding me and with the stone-cold face adorning his features I felt the urge to slap him across his cheek and then bash him over the head instead of just standing there and letting him inspect me.

“You are so fucking rude; how can you even say that… Or even think like that?” I finally blurted, all my emotions spilling out. I couldn’t handle this party anymore. I needed to run, I needed fresh air. My eyes jumped across the room, locating a quick exist before I made a step to the particular door.

As I tried to hide my back from Elijah and all the guests at the party, I felt Elijah grasp my arm and pull my back flush against his chest, his strong cologne colliding with my sense of smell. ‘What’s he doing?’ I panicked. I turned my face to look up behind me as he stared back with storm raged eyes.

I could feel a hand on my back starting from the base of my neck, trailing antagonizingly slow down my spine. I shivered under Elijah’s gentle touch, and he witnessed my reaction, subtly smirking as he pushed himself further against my back. Everything around us faded and the only thing I could focus on was his rough hand that ignited my skin with fire. He was still looking into my eyes with an intensity I couldn’t pinpoint. His hand came closer to my lower back, and I subconsciously arched my back further into him. ‘I shouldn’t be reacting like this’ I fretted as he wrapped his other arm around my waist and placed his face near the crook of my neck. ‘I should push him away, why aren’t I pushing him away?’ I questioned.

The sudden familiar tug of my zipper alerted me to Elijah pulling it up, the material gliding back into position over my back. I sighed in relief. I couldn’t explain how I felt, it was a sense of safety that I’d never experienced with Elijah before and a sense of ease that made me want to sink my head against his chest and let him hold me for a little longer. ‘What is happening?’

I had never seen this side of Elijah before, for the first time since I’d known him, he looked like he actually cared. ‘Maybe’s he’s drunk?’ I tried testing as I thought back to his sober actions, ‘He never would have done this if he was sober.’

“You’re looking beautiful, Miss Nora”, Elijah whispered carefully as he brought his mouth next to my ear. He tugged on my earlobe playfully eliciting a small moan from my lips. I shivered when he placed his hand against my back yet again, his other hand squeezing my waist. I still couldn’t tell if he was really drunk or just acting.

Elijah turned me around, now fully encasing me in his arms. I was pressed firmly against his chest, to the point where I could feel his rock-hard pecs and abs. He lifted his hand slowly to my hair, stroking it before he sighed and stared at me again. His eyes flickered to my lips, then back to my eyes almost like he was asking permission, but this was Elijah Cooper. He never asked for permission therefore he leaned in, and his lips tenderly brushed mine before planting themselves more firmly.

I froze, ‘Is he kissing me? Seriously, is this real?’ I wasn’t sure what to do, so I just stood there, cradled in Elijah’s arms as he swept his tongue against my bottom lip trying to pry it apart. He was an expert in kissing, that I could tell and as much as it confused me that my boss was kissing me, I could only close my eyes and let him take control. I gave him permission to explore my mouth, every crook and cranny being registered as he groaned above me and pushed further into my mouth, almost like he was desperate for more.

An ice-cold bucket washed over me as my mind registered what I had just thought and what I was just doing. I was kissing my boss; my boss was kissing me. ‘Holy mother of all that’s sinful and glorious, he’s going to fire me now.’ I became hysterical as I pushed at his chest and removed him from my embrace. He was probably just playing me since he thought I would accept his offer like he suggested to Anna. All that lust turned to anger as memories resurfaced of his cocky behaviour and rude comments.

Elijah was dazed for a second, blinking rapidly to try and come to terms about what had just happened, but I didn’t give him any time to think things through. Instead, I picked up my purse that I’d left on the table and stormed out of the hall, Elijah’s voice echoing in the background as I ignored him.

At this point, I didn’t care what people thought or spoke about me. I was sick and tired of their crap and I wasn’t going to tolerate it any longer.

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3600 words