Page 32 of Venomous Desires
The maniac bit back a grin.
And I held myself back from punching him in the face and knocking him down though I knew I’d hurt myself in the process, but at least it would be worth it and make him ugly so that his nasty mouth would compete with his ugly face too.
To my surprise, he didn’t look unfazed in the slightest. His eyes still shut and his fingers playing with my hair. “You’re refusing money.”
Red crept up my neck despite my attempts to remain unaffected. I pulled away, letting the strand of hair in his hair pull away, and his fingers remained in the air.
I wiped my hands on my jeans, grounding myself with a shaky breath. Tears stung my eyes. “I may look desperate for this job,” My voice trembling, “but I am not a prostitute. Excuse me.”
Without looking back, I walked away, leaving him behind. His threats and demands had pushed me to the brink, but I refused to break. Each step felt heavy with the weight of his shamelessness, yet a spark of resilience burned within me.
His money would not define me.
When I jogged down the stairs, my lips started quivering. I needed to get away from this place. From him.
When I opened the door, a chilled breeze brushed against my face, and I let a tear roll down. Again, I let my emotions get the best of me. I let a man like him, who was arrogant and dangerous, thought of me as a plaything.
?
“My brother would’ve loved you, you know. He’s so into photography and all,” I muttered, ignoring the tightness in my stomach as I forced a smile. I didn’t know how I managed to text Ivan after running off from the mansion. It took everything in me to not cry and weep in Ivan’s arms when he asked why my eyes were red. I had no answer. The words echoed in my head. Disgusting and vile.
A lunatic I should’ve stayed away from. I decided right then:tomorrow, I’d end this. I’d resign and file a harassment case against him. Maybe then that maniac would learn that money couldn’t buy a person.
And to make it worse, I couldn’t stop thinking.
Ivan smiled back, running a hand through his hair. And I couldn’t help but wonder why more people couldn’t be like him—so sweet, so kind, so considerate. Unlike certain someone.
He took a sip of his drink. “I would love to meet him. What’s his name?”
A smile crept onto my lips. “Mikhail.” I missed him dearly. Though he was eight years younger than me, I loved him like my own child. Mikhail was the sweetest boy, a replica of Papa, and the kindest person I knew.
After Papa died, Mikhail took care of Mama and me in his own little ways. I remembered him staying up all night to help me study, and making tea for Mama, carefully measuring the sugar like it were the most important task in the world. Despite Mama insisting he focus on his studies, he always found a way to show his love and care. Thinking of him brought a mix of warmth and longing, reminding me how far they were from me.
“I don’t have parents, but an uncle who loves me deeply.”
Oh.
“Any siblings?” I asked instead.
“Twin sister and a brother.” Ivan’s eyes glinted with something before he masked it with a smile. “Businessman nothing much. I hate him though.”
I chuckled.
We talked for almost an hour, sharing about our families and interests.
It startled me to learn that Ivan came from a wealthy, influential family. His parents were no more, and both brothers were raised by their uncle. Despite this, he didn’t like to talk about them much. He wanted to live a normal life.
After eating our dinner, Ivan insisted on dropping me off since it was late.
He dropped me off a few blocks away from the dorms since the area was usually closed at night to any vehicle. And also I needed a breath of air to cool my head. Whatever happened today had taken a toll on me, and I didn’t know what to expect anymore.
“I had a lot of fun.” He smiled as I started to unbuckle the seatbelt. I took a deep breath and turned towards him with a smile of my own.
“Me too.” I blushed seeing the intense look in his eyes.
“Let’s do it again sometime.”
I smiled again, though I wasn’t sure if it reached my eyes. “Sure.”
