Page 5 of Ensnared
He took a gulp of his drink, his eyes never leaving mine. "I think you're underestimating yourself. You might not have all the wealth and breeding the assholes from this town have, but you're special. Don't you know that?"
I nodded, feeling tears burn the back of my eyes. Logan had always been my champion, even as his own popularity soared. There was always a girlfriend, always invitations to ski trips and lake houses that I could only dream of.
"No. I'm not special. I'm average," I whispered.
"Vaughn doesn't think you're average."
I snorted, bitterness creeping into my voice. "He wants to fuck me. I would be another notch in his belt."
Logan clenched his jaw, slapping his hand over his mouth as he laughed. I frowned, confused by his sudden mirth.
"What?" I demanded.
"Do you realize if you marry Colson, you'll be Vaughn's stepmother?"
The absurdity of it hit me, and I found myself joining in his laughter. Not only would I be stepmother to Vaughn, who had lusted after me for years, but also to Simone, who despised me. The idea of having power over her was darkly satisfying.
"Could you imagine?" I choked out between giggles.
As our laughter subsided, Logan's expression grew serious. He grabbed my hand, his grip tight. "I want you to be careful. I don't understand why he has to make marriage like a job interview. With his wealth, you'd think he could find a woman willing to marry him."
I shrugged, uncertainty gnawing at me. "I don't know the reason, but I'll make sure to keep a low profile. I wonder how many women he sent invitations to."
"Does it matter? You have just as much chance to be chosen as any of the others and I don't like those odds."
Logan drained his glass, setting it on the floor before pulling me into a fierce hug. He had always been my protector, but we both knew he couldn't shield me from this. As I clung to him, I tried tomemorize the feeling of safety in his arms, knowing that in two days' time, I might be stepping into a world where such comfort would be a distant memory.
He left me and though anxiety gnawed at my chest, I was able to grab a few hours of sleep. I was in my cubicle at my usual 7:45 a.m. despite my exhaustion. Since I started at AFC, I had never called in sick even when I was sick, masking my illness with plenty of medication and crawling into bed the minute I got home.
A chill set over me and when I turned, Colson Ashworth was standing at the entrance to my cubicle. He was impeccably dressed in a navy suit and light blue tie, his shoes so shiny they gleamed in the fluorescent lights.
“Miss Shaw.”
I turned in my chair and straightened my back. “Yes, sir?”
“I’d like to see you in my office.”
He turned on his heel and walked away. It was odd since he could’ve sent his assistant down to get me or called my line to summon me to his office. Colson never did anything without purpose. I rose, smoothing the skirt of my royal blue dress.
I looked around the office to see several people craning their necks to watch me as I walked toward the elevator. I didn’t expect Colson to be holding the car for me.
“Get in, Miss Shaw, I don’t have all day.”
I hurried inside as he pressed the button for the executive floor. I hugged the opposite corner, feeling the chill I always felt around Colson.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.
I knitted my eyebrows together. “Not at all.”
“Then why do you look like you want to crawl into a hole?”
I stumbled over my words. “I’m…I’m sorry.”
“Follow me,” he said as he stepped out of the elevator.
It felt like I was heading to my execution. I passed by Vaughn’s closed door and Simone’s open one. She couldn’t resist giving me the finger as I walked by. I quickly stepped into Colson’s office, and he closed the door. I’d never been in here before, but it was what I expected for the President and CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation.
My breath caught in my throat as I looked around. The sheer size of the space was overwhelming, a testament to his power and wealth. My eyes were immediately drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows that dominated two walls, offering a stunning view of Midtown Manhattan. The city sprawled beneath us, a glittering tapestry of lights and movement that made me feel small and insignificant.
