CHAPTER ELEVEN
Olivia's POV
I left Hayes' office, the sound of my footsteps loud and disorienting in the quiet hallway. My heart was pounding, a dull throb echoing in my chest. It was like I couldn't quite catch my breath, like there was this weight pressing down on me, heavy and suffocating. What just happened?
I replayed the scene in my mind, over and over. Hayes' kiss. It hadn't been soft or gentle. It had been sharp, demanding, like a statement-his lips pressed against mine with an intensity that left me reeling. And then Tessa. The way she stormed in, her fury so raw, so unfiltered. The sting of her fingers yanking at my hair still burned on my scalp, and for a moment, I thought she might pull me apart. But Hayes had stepped in, grabbing her wrist with enough force to stop her, his voice low, almost a growl.
"Don't you dare touch her."
The words hadn't been just a command. They had been a promise, a boundary he wasn't willing to let anyone cross-not even Tessa.
And then he kissed me again. Right there, in front of her. It wasn't the same kiss. This one wasn't a statement of defiance. It was something else-something raw, something urgent, like he was marking his territory. But why? Why had he kissed me? Was it really for me, or was it just to push Tessa away? Had it even meant anything, or had I just been a pawn in whatever game he was playing?
When Tessa finally stormed out, her tantrum echoing in the hall, I thought I might be able to breathe again. But Hayes... he pulled away from me so quickly, so coldly, like he regretted it-like I was a mistake. The warmth in his eyes had vanished, replaced by an empty, distant gaze.
He removed his suit jacket, slinging it over the back of a chair, and his movements felt deliberate, practiced-like everything had returned to normal for him.
"Use the door behind you," he said flatly, his voice devoid of warmth.
I blinked, stunned, unsure of what had just happened. His gaze didn't even flicker toward me as I stood there, frozen, my pulse still hammering in my ears. He had kissed me, and now... I was nothing. Just a mistake he had to erase.
I turned toward the back door, my heart sinking with each step. The weight of the silence in the office was crushing. Hayes had dismissed me. And worse-he had made me feel like I was nothing.
I reached the door, my hand trembling as I grabbed the handle. Hayes didn't even look at me as I left. Not a glance. No apology. No explanation. Just cold indifference.
The door clicked shut behind me, and I stood in the hallway for a moment, staring at the polished floors, trying to make sense of it all. What the hell had just happened? Why had he kissed me like that? Was it real? Or was it just something to make Tessa jealous? Maybe I was nothing more than a tool, a means to an end.
But as I walked toward the elevator, my mind kept replaying the kiss, the way he had touched me-urgently, possessively. It wasn't just a kiss. It was a message. But what was the message?
I pressed the elevator button, my fingers brushing against the cool metal, trying to ground myself. My reflection stared back at me from the mirrored walls, and for a moment, I didn't recognize the girl looking back. She was wide-eyed, breathless, her pulse racing-not from the physical exertion of the moment, but from something deeper, something more dangerous.
I couldn't deny it. That kiss had meant something.
But I couldn't let myself believe it. Hayes wasn't a man who would kiss me because he cared. He was cold, manipulative. He didn't do affection-he did control. That kiss, as much as it had made me feel alive, had probably been nothing more than a power play. A way to remind Tessa that she couldn't have him, and I was just an obstacle to move.
"Don't be stupid, Olivia," I whispered under my breath, willing myself to focus. I had to shut it down. I couldn't let myself care about him. I couldn't let myself get caught up in whatever twisted game he was playing. Because if I did, I'd end up just another one of his distractions. Just another one of his broken pieces.
The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped inside, pressing the button for the lobby. But the silence inside the small metal box felt suffocating. My hands were shaking, my chest tight. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't.
What had I done to deserve this? Why had I allowed myself to get caught up in this whirlwind of emotions? Hayes wasn't a man you could trust. I knew that. I'd known it all along. But there was something about him-something magnetic, something dangerous-that had drawn me in, and I couldn't fight it.
I stepped out of the elevator, the buzz of the lobby's busy atmosphere not doing anything to calm the storm inside me. I kept my head down, trying to push the thoughts away, but they wouldn't leave. Hayes' touch, the kiss, his eyes-the coldness that followed. I couldn't shake it.
And then, the worst thought crossed my mind-the one I had been trying to push away.
I already cared.
I didn't want to. But I did.
The realization hit me like a slap to the face. I was already in too deep. And no matter how hard I tried to deny it, the truth was clear. I had let myself fall for him, and that was the biggest mistake I could make.
Hayes was dangerous. He was cruel. And I had to remember that. I had to remind myself that I was nothing more than a distraction to him, a way to fill the void. He didn't care about me. He never would.
I couldn't let myself fall any deeper.