A voice in my head

Danielle, Danielle, Danielle, I was jolted awake by a voice calling my name, leaving me startled as I wondered, "What was that sound?" Anxiously, I thought I heard someone summon me. I stared at the ceiling, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

After three hours had passed

"Danielle, bring me that file immediately. I've already mentioned that I can't tolerate your tardiness. Mr. Tyrone and his team will be here shortly; we need to prepare or we could face serious consequences."

Since Mr. Tyrone, the owner of Phoenix Cars, indicated his interest in investing in our dealership, Miss Garcia has been on edge. I promptly handed her the file, knowing that our impending guest is a perfectionist, having previously withdrawn his investment from a company due to an incident where an employee spilled coffee on him.

"Whew," I exhaled, "I hope everything goes well, ma'am." "I feel the same way, Danielle. Our shop urgently needs someone like him to elevate us to the top; we cannot afford any mistakes," Miss Garcia replied. "Miss Garcia," Holland interrupted, "he's just arrived." Everyone went silent.

"Please have a seat," Miss Garcia said, her anxiety palpable. It was the first time I had seen her so frightened. I glanced at Dexter Tyrone, who was even more striking in person than in his photographs, with his dark, glossy hair, green eyes, full lips, and towering height of over 6'4", exuding charisma.

Dexter

"Please refrain from staring too intently, Miss. We wouldn't want your eyes to pop out," I remarked, observing the young woman across from me. To my surprise, her presence made me feel uneasy—not in a negative sense, but in a manner that was unfamiliar to me.

"Shall we begin?"

The short meeting lasted a mere twenty minutes, as I struggled to dismiss the disconcerting sensation brought on by her striking sky blue eyes. Normally indifferent to such distractions, I found myself captivated by her gaze. This was particularly confusing given my emotional detachment since the loss of my mate six years ago. Why, then, was I feeling more unsettled now than I had with Iris?

Mr. Tyrone wrapped up the meeting by signing the contract, which left Miss Garcia overjoyed. She enthusiastically announced that she would treat the entire team to dinner, exclaiming, "I knew we could achieve this! Excellent work, everyone! Let’s gather at Culture's restaurant at six. Dress to impress, as it promises to be an unforgettable evening," she said with a radiant smile.

At exactly 6 o'clock, we gathered at the restaurant to celebrate a new chapter for our company. I wore a lovely pink dress adorned with floral details, a thoughtful gift from my mother.

Holland remarked, "I must say, Danielle, you look absolutely stunning today." I responded with a smile. "Oh, come on, don’t try to flatter me," I teased. Simon chuckled, "But it’s the truth." I rolled my eyes and said, "Alright, alright. I appreciate the compliments from both of you." Holland then fixed his gaze on me, making me feel a bit uncomfortable as he said, "No problem."

The dinner stretched on for quite a while, and with Suzy having had a bit too much to drink, they decided it was time to call it a night. As I stepped out to catch a taxi, I noticed someone across the street watching me, reminiscent of the man I had seen earlier at the office. He observed me for a brief moment before driving off in his vehicle. "Could that have been Mr. Tyrone?" I pondered. "What was he doing here, and why was he looking at me like that?" While I was lost in thought, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "I thought you were going to grab a cab, Dan," Holland said. I shrugged off his hand, replying, "Yeah, I just saw one. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow. Goodnight." "Goodnight," he echoed as I climbed into the cab and headed home.

Dexter

(heavy breathing) What on earth prompted me to act like that? The enticing fragrance led me straight to her; I felt an overwhelming urge to possess and dominate her in that moment. What is happening to me? I can’t concentrate; what has she done to me?

Danielle

I had been extremely busy with work lately, as customers were flooding in. "Could one man be the cause of this?" I mused. I heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Suzy looking exhausted. "Dan, Miss Garcia wants to see you in her office. Something urgent has come up," Suzy said. "Okay, I’ll go there right away," I replied.

"Please come in, Danielle," Miss Garcia said upon hearing a knock at the door. I stepped inside and asked, "Did you need to see me, ma'am?" Miss Garcia responded, "Mr. Tyrone wishes to meet with you today. Prepare yourself; someone will be here to pick you up." Feeling anxious, I inquired, "Could you tell me why he wants to see me?" Miss Garcia replied, "I’m not sure, but exercise caution. Don’t be alarmed; he seldom meets with women. Just remain calm; a car is waiting for you." I nodded, "Alright, I will head out now."

As I left Miss Garcia's office, I contemplated the reason behind Mr. Tyrone's request for a meeting. My mind drifted back to the night he had been watching me intently. How did he even know we were celebrating? Could it be that he called me over due to the way I had been looking at him that day?

There are whispers that he is ruthless, and I dread becoming his target. "So, what happened? Why did she call you to her office?" Sally asked. "She said Mr. Tyrone wants to meet with me and that a car will be picking me up." Sally appeared confused as she probed, "Why would he send a car for you? Wait, did you do something wrong? A friend of mine who works at his company mentioned he can be harsh and sometimes lacks empathy; be careful." This only heightened my anxiety. "I haven't done anything wrong; perhaps he just wants to have a conversation," I reassured her and myself.

Shortly after, a car arrived, and a man in a black suit, seemingly in his forties, approached me. There was something about him that I found difficult to place. "You must be Miss Danielle; please allow me to escort you outside; the car is ready for you." I nodded and followed him, hoping that everything would turn out fine.