Chapter 4: Not That Kind of Face

*Olivia*

I glanced back just in time to see Ethan pressing his phone to his ear, his dark eyes still trained on me. “Get me all the information you can on Olivia Masters.”

I just shook my head and turned to face the front as I ascended the steps. I was happy to see Ethan’s confused face, but my heart was also uncertain. However, I held my head high, not wanting to give Ethan any reason to underestimate me.

“I apologize if Ethan intimidated you,” she said, which surprised me. She smiled at me kindly. “I’ve gotten to know him quite a bit, even though he hasn’t been here all that long. He invested a lot in this project and worked voluntarily for a full month. He didn’t even ask to be compensated for all his extra labor.”

“I’m almost positive he did it so that he could have contact with Daemon Knight,” the woman continued with a confident nod. “Mr. Knight is extremely powerful here. People generally tend to try and be on his good side.”

It was probably wise of Ethan to kiss ass a little bit. If anyone else took the collaboration, Ethan’s efforts would be completely wasted.

I realized the assistant was probably speaking casually to me because she knew I was Byron’s little sister. She was likely trying to butter me up as well.

She probably thought Daemon would give me special treatment, but she couldn’t be more wrong.

I have met Daemon several times, but we haven't had much contact. Due to something related to their fathers, there has been a feud between his family and my elder brother's family, and they haven't had any dealings with each other for a long time.

Daemon and I were still in the same circles, however, being raised by billionaires. We ended up at many of the same parties and functions. He was always so mysterious, so I was curious about him, but I never approached him. There was something about him that felt off-limits, but that very same thing also made him tantalizing.

My only impression of Daemon Knight was that he was a problematic playboy.

We exited the elevator on the thirty-second floor, and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach flutter more aggressively.

“This way, please,” the assistant said, guiding me through a large door into a nicely decorated waiting area.

It didn’t take me long at all to spot Daemon. There was a transparent glass wall between us, but he was unmistakable. I had obviously never seen him at work, and I couldn’t help but think he looked good in his sharp, dark suit. His buzz cut was neat, and his blue eyes were intense as he spoke with his colleagues.

It was immediately clear that Daemon was commanding the room and not just because he was at the head of the large conference table. Behind his intense blue eyes, there was a definite layer of aggression. The people around him were all in subtle submissive poses before him, nodding respectively at whatever he said and not quite looking him in the eye.

I watched the assistant enter the conference room and lean in to whisper in his ear. It was apparent she mentioned my name by the way he looked up, and his eyes met mine briefly through the glass. I could barely restrain the gasp that wanted to fly from my throat at the intensity with which he stared at me. His eyes narrowed briefly, causing a shiver to run through me.

Just as quickly as he met my gaze, he looked past me as if I didn’t exist.

I didn’t want to be caught looking at him again, so I spent the rest of the time studying his office. It suited his aloof and cold demeanor well with its dark polished wood and cool, gray fixtures. It was immaculate. Everything had a precise place and angle, making me feel like this man had control issues. But then again, there was nothing personal about the office. It was cool and modern, with no sentimental touches. It gave a sense of indifference.

He was a true mystery, a walking dichotomy with his neat but cool office.

I tried not to squirm as I waited to be called in. The meeting ended about twenty minutes later, and I nearly jumped out of my chair with nerves when the assistant gestured for me to enter.

Daemon didn’t look up as I entered, his eyes trained on the documents he had in neat piles on his desk. I waited a few moments, even clearing my throat slightly when he still didn’t look up, but he continued working on his papers.

I felt just a bit of frustration. He clearly knew I was there, but I calmly reminded myself that he only agreed to see me because of my brother. So, I straightened and prepared to give the speech I had planned. It took me a moment to begin with the deafening near silence. The only sound was the scratching of Daemon’s pen against paper.

“Good afternoon, Daemon,” I said. “I wanted to see you because of some recent developments on an important piece of technology you just acquired. My father is a skilled engineer and computer programmer and deserves recognition for this device. I’m asking that you reconsider your pending collaboration with the other company that stole the work from our company.”

I said all this in a rush and hoped that he caught it all as I stepped forward and presented the documents that Charlotte helped me put together, showing the recent transactions and deals that the companies made between one another.

Daemon finally paused and calmly sifted through the papers I set in front of him. I snatched my hand back before his could accidentally brush against mine.

“I know Ethan has been working hard for you, and he has mastered core technology, but I would like you to consider that mastering talent is far more important,” I continued, suddenly nervous that I had said Ethan’s name. He was the scumbag who put my father in this predicament. I could pummel him for it.

I tried to say something else, but Daemon raised a hand to stop me. “My only concern is the results the company receives,” he said coldly. “As for your internal affairs, I could care less.”

I winced. I was afraid this might happen, but I had to press on. “I believe you would find Miss Doyle’s skills quite useful to you, Mr. Knight. If you’d only consider-”

Daemon looked up at me sharply, causing me to suck in a breath. He smirked at me, his blue eyes darkening a shade. “I’m Mr. Knight now, am I?” he asked in a low, rumbling voice. “What happened to Daemon?”

Rushing heat crawled through me as his eyes held mine. I tried to look away, but it was as if a powerful, invisible force was keeping me completely still and at his mercy. I hated how that simple look of his was causing me to react this way.

I cursed inwardly at his heated look, feeling like he could see right through my clothes. I obliged and muttered his name. “Daemon..”

I knew that the heat I felt through my body was making its way to the skin beneath my cheekbones. I worked to keep my breathing even, but it was no use. His smirk told me he could tell I was reacting to him.

Before I could call him out on it, though, the corners of his mouth went down, and he was again an indifferent businessman. “Tell me,” he commanded calmly. “Why would your father’s company allow you to speak for them?”

This was an easy question to answer. “It needs to be done,” I said. “I won’t allow my father’s company to go bankrupt. This was the only way.”

Daemon raised an eyebrow before nodding. “While that may be, you are still the first to rely on internal connections rather than going through the normal process,” he said. He paused. “I suppose we can make an exception for you on the condition that the same terms we agreed upon with the other company are met.”

That just wasn’t good enough. “But the technology you acquired was stolen from us by Ethan,” I said as calmly as I could. “My father has worked hard. If you collaborate with Ethan, all of my father’s efforts will be in vain!”

My emotions were clearly overtaking me, but I didn’t care. I needed to make Daemon see reason.

I stared at him in shock when I realized he looked bored, his expression completely passive.

He tilted his head lazily. “Sweetheart, I’m afraid you are powerless here. You’d best learn to accept it.”

As I left Daemon’s office, my whole body felt tight. I could feel his cruel grin on my back, but I kept my head held high, trying to ignore him.

I relaxed only slightly when Charlotte met me in the hallway, immediately falling into step beside me. “How did it go?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowing in concern once she got a good look at my face.

I winced and waited until we were a little further from Daemon’s office before I answered. “Not great,” I said. I shook my head. “He didn’t take me seriously at all.”

A mocking scoff had me whirling around to find Ethan leaning against a nearby wall. I cursed inwardly. I hadn’t realized that he was there.

“Told you that you were wasting your breath, Princess,” he said, coming up to me, completely ignoring how Charlotte glared at him. “I’m surprised you’re adopted since you are just as foolish as the rest of them.”

I almost didn’t grab Charlotte in time before she lunged at Ethan, looking ready to throw a fist right in his face.

Ethan just laughed at us before taking his leave but not before giving us one more condescending look as he left us in the middle of the hallway.

Charlotte was completely stiff as we left the building. “I can’t believe he said that to you,” she seethed through her teeth. “I could go right back in there and claw his eyes out.”

I grabbed Charlotte with all my strength and forced her to look at me. “He’s not worth it,” I told her firmly.

I patted her arm and allowed myself to lean against her side, feeling like I would need all the support I could get during our time here.

After coming out of the company, I decided to go to the hospital to visit my adoptive father.

“How are you feeling, Daddy?” I asked.

He held his arms out to me, and I was relieved to see he looked a little better. He was still quite pale and frail-looking, but his cheeks had just a bit more color.