“Is that a problem?”

Mentally cursing, I turned and saw him standing before me with his arms folded at his chest, making his muscles visible as I formed my lips in a thin line.

“The last time I checked, these grounds belong to me so who is here to stop me?”

“You are distracting me, Mr. Black,” I mumbled but he heard it and knitted his brows together, acting oblivious.

“How so?”

“I am here to work, nothing else.”

“We will see about it. I would like to keep a close eye on you until I am satisfied with your work,”

I swear, this man never failed to hit my sensitive nerves, always testing my patience and limits.

“Sure,”

Scoffing, I walked away, pouring my hardest efforts into being as flawless as possible so His Majesty could be satisfied.

After the shoot, I saw Mr. Black with Gracia from afar, explaining work to her and just to irk him, I decided to walk to him, forcing a poisonous smile.

“Refuse her- Oh, Marianne?”

Folding my arms at my chest, I asked teasingly, “Are you satisfied today, Sir?”

Vanishing the discontent etched earlier on his handsome face, he smiled in the same way.

“For now, yes, absolutely,”

I opened my mouth to retort but he flicked my forehead and walked away, “But, let’s see for how long I will be,”

My mouth gaped as he left and I hit the nearby column as my team watched me rant angrily.

“Damn him. What does he think of himself? Doubting me? Marianne Morris? Tsk,”

“Uh… Marianne?”

“Not now, Jackie.”

I pointed my finger, holding my head high nonetheless to display I won’t lose easily or accept defeat. His petty attempts couldn’t weaken me.

“Damn him, he is an asshole. Does he think he is some kind of a King or what?”

The second I turned, I bumped into his strong body right before me, purloining my breaths straight from my throat.

“Oh?”

But, it wasn’t intimidating like in the vanity. There, he was shooting daggers at me as if one sight of me was… intolerable for him.

Here, his tall, brooding form hovered over me once again as he leaned forward and extended his left hand out.

The unpredictable closeness led my shoulders to be tense. A tremble emerged from my core and roamed freely.

He noticed my reaction. And smirked mischievously. That bastard.

Lifting his seductive emerald gaze he locked it with mine, hovering over my timid form, stiffening my whole being at the proximity,

“I don’t need to think, Miss Morris,”

Using his deep tone, he tilted his head to incline it with my ear, forming goosebumps all over.

My beats picked pace, getting embarrassed as he shamelessly closed the distance, almost brushing his body with mine and enunciated darkly.

“I am a King,”

Before I could comprehend or react, he simply grabbed his phone from the nearby table and walked away.

Liberating the breaths which stuck at the closeness, I got flustered and hugged myself immediately when he disappeared from my sight.

How could he do this so openly!?

I felt so abashed, unable to lift my gaze, fearing what others might say.

But, to my surprise, none of them cared. Not even one bit.

“Ah, him and his habits. Don’t mind him, he is just teasing you,”

“That’s… That’s wrong,” I breathed out, leaning against the column, regaining my scattering senses.

“Must be your inexperience. It was nothing. Let’s go,” Byron said purposely, clapping twice to drag me to reality.

“Okay,”

A few weeks passed, and things were going smoothly. And oh, the protocol they gave to the models of the Obsidians was like no other.

It was divine.

Subsequently, after a show, I returned to NYC and plopped on the bed after freshening up, only to receive a call from Byron.

“What does he want, Byron?” I groaned, pressing my head harder on the pillow.

“You know I have just returned from SF because of the show. It’s already too hard to live in New York. Ugh, I wish I could go back to California,”

He chuckled, “You can, after the shoot will be done, Marianne. Bear it for a while. Once the shoot will be done, they will move to the next step,”

“So what does he want from me now?”

“I don’t know myself. He ordered us to meet him at his cabin tomorrow at 10am sharp.”

“... I wonder what is his ordeal now,”

“Why do you hate him so much, Marianne?” He asked, intrigued.

“Why wouldn’t I? He is a playboy, who used his money and authority to get women. An asshole. Uncaring. Insensible. I hate people like him. He doesn’t know what feelings are, what it is like to love, to form a connection.”

It seemed like his one question blazed me as I started the series of things I resented about him without stopping, hissing constantly.

“Heck, he can’t even last that marriage of his. Ended in just a few months. He doesn’t deserve love, good thing Red left him-”

“Okay, okay, I get it. You don’t have to start a whole list,”

Byron was surprised when I rambled on and on about him. And I wouldn't have stopped if he hadn’t interrupted.

“So don’t ask again.”

“Fine. I will see you at his office tomorrow,”

“Okay,”

Disregarding all unwanted thoughts, I decided to fall into a peaceful slumber.

The next morning, I was relaxed until I remembered I had a meeting with him.

“Good Morning, Ma’am. Your juice will be ready soon,” Amie smiled.

“Thanks,”

Amie was my personal chef, I kept her with me wherever I went so she could prepare my meals according to my diet.

After my drink and some yoga, I left to see what he wanted now after ruining my holiday.

“Pleased to find you here, else I thought Your Highness won’t bother herself with a peasant like me,”

He released a suppressed, mocking, chuckle, testing me the second we entered his majestic office.

I frowned, “Was that taunt necessary, Mr. Black?”

“Of course, so that you keep your place in your mind and try not to fly high here, in my agency,”

He hummed, rising from his seat, his commanding form reaching me, enhancing my distress, failing to comprehend what lies beyond those unreadable emeralds.

With his hands in his pockets, looking handsome as always in his three-piece suit. Leaning forward to give me a challenging stare while whispering seductively.

“Trust me, I am proficient in cutting wings, Miss Morris,”

Doing the same gesture, I decided to reply in the same tone.

“Try to reach me first, Mr. Black,”

And we both were cut off by our assistants.

“Sir,”

“Marianne,”

Pulling back, I cleared my throat, “So, why have you called me here, Mr. Black? What can I do for you?”

I observed him thoroughly and brought a wicked grin, mocking him openly, “Apart from physically pleasing you, of course,”

He arched an eyebrow, equally playful as mine and led me forward by pulling the strap of my bag, taking me by surprise.

“If you want to or suggesting indirectly,” He chuckled darkly, scanning me from bottom, stopping at my eyes, “Then I wouldn’t mind,”

“No,” I faked a smile, poking his chest to pull him back.

“Yeah, they are here too. I don’t like being watched while fu-”

“Mr. Black, Please, I was joking,”

“Maybe don’t make stupid jokes like these again,”

He knew I said it to piss him off but it backfired on me. He could do anything just to defeat me. All my efforts were ending in pain.

“Okay, okay, sorry,” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, “What is it, Mr. Black?”

Straightening his back, forming his unshakable composure with a strange seriousness coming to his features, he demanded.

“Accompany me to a dinner as my partner next month, Marianne,”

“Huh!? Why me? And why should I?”

“Because you are signed exclusively and I am your Boss,”

“I work for the agency,” I reasoned, certainly against being regarded as his ‘partner’. Hell no. From which angle he saw us as partners?

His gaze darkened, almost warning me, “This is my agency, you do what I say, how I say and when I say,”

“You- You can’t-”

Apparently, he wasn’t in the mood to convince me, or provide any incentive for this so-called demand.

He required just my submission, so not wasting time, his dominant tone called my controller.

“Byron,”

“Y-Yes, Sir?”

“Make her understand.” And glared at me to which I flinched.

“This is not a request, it’s an order,”

“Y-Yes, Sir. Let’s go, Marianne,” Byron called, scared of getting reprimanded but he proved once again that my reason to detest him was right.

People like him were the worst. Using their authority to force others into submission, making those who were below them a puppet.

He was… just like all of them.

And when it struck me, my features hardened, glaring back at him with a darker intensity, growling at him.

“You…”

“Oh? You have something to say?”

He was amused to find me unshackling my fury, almost waiting for me to burst but Byron grabbed my arm to stop me.

“Mari, don’t, just come with me,”

I didn’t listen.

“Marianne,”

Byron called me warning, tightening his grip too hard to the point I winced.

Regaining my innocent posture and looking over, back to Byron who glared to obey quietly.

Mr. Black noticed.

He saw the wrath flashing and the instant change of it, causing him to narrow his eyes on me.

But, they weren’t out of pity or anything. It was filled with… disgust?

Forming my lips in a thin line, losing the count of my defeat, I gave up on trying to defeat him and I lowered my head in shame and went with Byron.

‘Maybe… I could never win against him, or against anyone in life, that is. Maybe I am and will always remain weak and pathetic,’

The second we were out, I hit the tire of my car in frustration. My hands began to sweat from the stress as I took a few deep breaths in order to serene myself.

Such a thought was undoubtedly unwanted but that was all I could think about myself.

“Tsk, motherfucker,”

Absolutely enraged with me, Byron grabbed my arms roughly, forcing me to look at him.

“What are you trying to do, Marianne? Do you want to lose this opportunity with your own hands?”

“What did I do wrong?”

My eyes narrowed with tears brimming, “He is the one who loves degrading the people around him, I am so done with him, Byron,”

“But what can you do? Resign so that he doesn’t let you work anywhere else?”

When he growled, out of fright, I emitted a soft sob that made him push me back.

Pressing myself against the car, I hid my face in my hands, to hide the weakness but it got liberated through my wail, it further angered Byron.

“Stop the tears, Marianne, you don’t have to cry just because I told you the truth,”

“... Sorry,” I cried, wiping my eyes, uncaring if it ruined the makeup.

“Seriously, learn how to be strong on your own. You don’t want to end up like Rebecca, right?” He reminded me.

My sister Rebecca, she could have been a prodigy, a top businesswoman, an unbreakable woman but she just decided to rot all her skills.

I won’t end up like her. I won’t get an end like her where I had to depend on someone to get some Unsavory Redemption.

“Hmm..”

“Then stop stupidly infuriating Mr. Black, if you value your future, that is,” He hissed, sitting in the car.

“Okay… I understand,”

“Good. Now stop crying and get in,”

Unable to exchange further words, I nodded and sat as we went back.

After receiving a scar that imprinted the fact he would force me into submission and it was so, so infuriating.

Overusing his powers constantly, he was deliberately causing me this suffering and I had no escape from this but like hell I would give up.

His attempts couldn’t break me, defeat was not an option. I was prepared for any upcoming problem when I chose this path.

…And besides, I had experienced worse situations. This was nothing.

Nonetheless, delighted that the shoot was finally about to end and I could go back to California, I was with my team.

We were having lunch but I had to grab my phone from the vanity so I left and saw Mr. Black smoking outside, ruining my mood instantly.

“Heard you agree. I guess Byron knows how to keep you in control,” He teased me.

But, ignoring the call, I rolled my eyes and went inside with him behind me, probably trying to piss me off but I wasn’t in the mood today.

I had heard enough from Byron. I was in no mood for further scolding.

“Next time I will need something from you, I will ask him, that would be easier, no?”

Exhaling, I put my hands up defensively, pressing myself against the table to glare at him properly.

“You can’t control me like this, Mr. Black. This is wrong… this is unethical,”

To my display of frustration, he simply smirked wickedly and before I could escape that abysmal pull, something darker flickered in his gaze.

Not providing me with a moment to fathom, the instant I turned to leave, he moved his hand across and secured it on the table, locking my body in his vicinity- too much to my control.

“I never said that I am an ethical man in the first place, Marianne,”

Holding the hem of my dress, I leaned back, unsettled when he closed the gap, blending his minty breaths with mine.

“Boundaries just complicate things, it merely tests your patience, your control. Not worth the effort if you ask me,”

His hand gradually eradicated distances, forcefully intertwining his fingers with mine that hastened my heartbeats, inducing an unnerving sensation.

“What are you- Leave my hand, Mr. Black,” I whimpered, finding myself utterly weakened by his action.

Staring dead into my eyes and to ensure I won’t tear the connection, he held my jaw with his other hand, capturing me in his alluring shadow with barely recognizable distance between our lips.

“See. Look, how easy it is to intertwine our fingers without any repercussions instead of hesitating with ‘what if’,”