James blinked in confusion.
"You mean Rainee Garcia, the designer's assistant? She's very capable. If you'd like, I can promote her--"
A sharp glare from Alex cut him off mid-sentence.
"Just call her. And leave us alone."
James's smile faltered as he bowed and hurried out of the room, not wanting to offend Alex further. Alex glanced at his watch, counting the seconds until Rainee arrived.
Precisely three minutes and forty-eight seconds later, a knock sounded at the door. Alex straightened as the door opened, revealing the woman who had haunted his thoughts.
Rainee stepped inside, her head bowed in professional respect. Despite her calm demeanor, Alex noticed the tension in her posture. He smirked, standing to greet her.
"Rainee Garcia. We meet again."
She lifted her head, her eyes blazing with controlled fury. Gritting her teeth, she spoke evenly.
"If this meeting is not about the project, I'll excuse myself."
Alex scoffed, finding her calmness both infuriating and intriguing.
"Didn't you challenge me yesterday to show my face again? Here I am. Aren't you going to greet me properly?"
Rainee crossed her arms, her lips curling into a mocking smile.
"What can I expect from someone like you? You hide behind your wealth and power, knowing you can force people to bow to you. Is that why you're here? To prove you can summon me with a single order? Well, congratulations, Mr. Fraser. I'm here because I choose to separate my professional duties from personal grudges, not because of your authority."
Alex raised an eyebrow, his amusement growing.
"So, you see me as your enemy?"
Rainee's smirk deepened, her confidence unwavering.
"I don't consider you human. How could you be my enemy? You're nothing to me, Mr. Fraser, not even worth the title of an adversary."
Her words struck a nerve, wiping the smirk from Alex's face. He took a step closer, his voice dropping dangerously low.
"Your tongue is too sharp, Ms. Garcia. Do you have any idea who you're provoking? You're playing with fire."
Rainee didn't flinch, holding her ground as she met his intense gaze.
"If you're threatening to ruin my life, go ahead. I've faced worse. But don't expect me to cower. You can't break what's already been forged in the flames."
For a moment, Alex was silent, his frustration mingling with reluctant admiration. This woman wasn't just a challenge, she was a force of nature. And he was determined to conquer her.
"You have no idea what you are dealing with"
"I'm not afraid to stand up for myself or my family," Rainee said firmly, her eyes blazing with defiance. "It's just you who doesn't seem to understand the basic etiquette of personal and professional boundaries. And are you seriously trying to teach me how to talk? You? The man who propositions women after a first meeting? The man who doesn't even know how to apologize?"
Alex's jaw tightened as her words hit their mark. He couldn't believe the audacity of this woman. For the first time in his life, he had chosen someone for himself, a girl who wasn't begging for his attention or groveling for his approval. Yet, instead of gratitude, he was met with outright rebellion.
"I sent all those watches to your brother, didn't I? Wasn't that enough of an apology?" he shot back, his tone sharp.
Rainee scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Who asked you to send that garbage to my house? Wasn't your real message clear? You wanted to fuck me yesterday. You thought you could buy me with those watches, didn't you?"
Alex's lips curled into a smirk as he took a step closer, his face mere inches from hers. His voice dropped to a whisper, dripping with provocation.
" And I still want to fuck You right here. But you could've asked for anything else if you didn't like my gift. Those watches were just to show I'm interested in you. Or..." His eyes glinted mischievously. "Were you angry because you thought the gift was too cheap? Disappointed I didn't deliver it personally? Is that why you challenged me to face you again?"
Rainee's hands balled into fists, and for a moment, she seriously considered punching him. But the professional setting held her back. She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to stay calm, though her voice was cold and cutting.
"Are you really stupid or just pretending to be? I don't know what made you interested in me, but let me be perfectly clear, I'm not interested in tolerating you for even a second longer. I have a boyfriend, Mr. Fraser. And I'm not the type of woman who sleeps with men for money or success. If I were, I'd already be sitting in your chair right now."
The word boyfriend echoed in Alex's mind like a taunt, igniting a surge of jealousy and fury. His smirk faltered, replaced by a clenched jaw and a stormy glare. He took another step closer, his voice low but laced with menace.
"Then get ready to experience living hell, Ms. Rainee Garcia. I promise you this, you'll be interested in me soon enough. That's an Alex Fraser guarantee."
To his surprise, she didn't flinch, nor did she show a trace of fear. Her calm demeanor always made him question his power whenever she was around. Instead, she smirked, taking a deliberate step forward, closing the space between them. Her stance was bold, as if silently declaring that she wasn't afraid of him at all.
He frowned, caught off guard by the sudden thump in his chest when she came so close. Why did his heart skip a beat?
"Then you'll have to work hard, Mr. Fraser," she replied, her voice steady and defiant. "Because if something doesn't kill me, it only makes me stronger."
Alex scoffed, masking his intrigue with a smirk. Tilting his head slightly, he studied her, a question forming in his mind: Who made her this fearless? Standing in front of him, a man known for ruthlessly crushing rival industries, let alone individuals, a simple middle-class girl had the audacity to challenge him. Her courage was as baffling as it was captivating.
"Alright, you've asked for it. Mark my words, Ms. Garcia, you'll beg me to..."
Alex stopped mid-sentence, his smirk widening as a mischievous glint flickered in his eyes. Leaning in, he brought his lips dangerously close to her left ear and whispered, his voice low and deliberately provocative, sending an icy shiver down her spine.
"Fuck you."
The proximity, the teasing whisper, it was intoxicating and infuriating all at once. His words ignited a fire within her, spreading through her body like wildfire. Her skin burned with heat, and the rush of blood painted her cheeks a deep, betraying red. For a moment, she froze, caught off guard by the intensity of the moment.
Stepping back, Alex's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he caught her wide-eyed, vulnerable expression. For the first time, he had managed to crack through her defenses. Chuckling softly, he couldn't help but think, She's adorable when she's flustered.
But Rainee wasn't one to stay off balance for long. As reality snapped back into place, so did her fury. Her jaw tightened, and her hand shot up, ready to slap him across the face.
Alex caught her wrist effortlessly, his grip firm but not harsh. A sly smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he pulled her closer, their faces mere inches apart. She struggled against his hold, her brows furrowed in frustration and defiance.
"If you think you can hit me whenever you like, Ms. Garcia, you're sadly mistaken," he said, his voice low and mocking. "Yesterday, I let you slap me. But now..." He paused, letting his smirk deepen. "Now, I decide whether to spank or fu---"
"Ugh!"
Before he could finish, a sharp, agonizing pain surged through him. She had delivered a swift, brutal kick to his most sensitive area. His smirk vanished instantly as he doubled over, growling in pain. He released her wrist and crouched, clutching himself in agony.
Rainee stood over him, her chest heaving with anger. Her voice was laced with venom as she hissed through gritted teeth.
"You are... you are really disgusting. I could file a complaint against you for harassment," Rainee snapped, her voice trembling with anger.
Alex took a deep breath, forcing himself to maintain composure in front of her. Straightening to his full height as though nothing had happened, he scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk as he watched her flustered, furious state.
"You're acting like a teenager who's hearing vulgar words for the first time," he said mockingly. He paused, narrowing his eyes with feigned curiosity. "Wait, don't tell me your boyfriend hasn't even touc---"
"Stop it!" she cut him off sharply, her tone laced with disgust. "You're not even qualified to mention him."
Without giving him a chance to respond, she added firmly, "I'm leaving. My presence here is neither related to work nor beneficial to the new project."
Rainee turned on her heel and walked out of the office, not bothering to wait for his permission. Alex stood frozen for a moment, his blood boiling as he watched her retreating figure. His red-rimmed eyes burned with frustration, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.
This woman... She wasn't just a nuisance anymore, she was driving him insane. His jaw tightened as he thought about her defiance. No one had ever dared to challenge him like this, and he had already made up his mind. He was going to ruin her life and make her beg at his feet.
Alex's eyes darkened, his anger radiating from him as he stormed out of the office. Outside, he crossed paths with Mr. James, who was standing near his own office with a warm, welcoming smile. The moment James saw Alex's expression, the smile faltered. He immediately sensed that something unpleasant had transpired.
"Mr. Fraser," James began carefully, "I didn't get a chance to welcome you properly earlier. If there's anything you're dissatisfied with, please let me know, and I'll----"
Alex brushed past him without a word, his steps unyielding. As he approached the elevator, he glanced at Mr. Smith, who was standing nearby, and delivered his command in a cold, authoritative tone.
"Fire her."