Devil's Den
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The moment I step into Moretti Enterprises, my heels make sounds against the polished marble floors, each sound signaling a silent declaration of war.
Everything about this place screams wealth, control, and power. I keep my expression carefully composed, my face a mask of quiet confidence. But deep inside of me a storm was set to be unleashed.
"I am here to bring down Xavier Moretti."
The man who sits at the top of this empire, ruling it like a king. The man who had a hand in my family's destruction.
I have spent so many years preparing for this moment, perfecting every move. Now, I stand on the battlefield ready to fight the war I was born for.
A blonde haired receptionist barely looked up from her desk. Her smile is polite but distant, as if she had already decided that deep down I won't last long here.
"Miss Carter, Mr. Moretti will see you now." She speaks as she points her hand directing me to his office.
I give her a slight nod and walk toward the heavy glass doors. This was finally show time.Pushing the doors open, I step inside, and the world immediately freezes.
The office is massive—made up of dark wood from the door to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and sleek black leather furniture.
It's the perfect blend of power and sophistication. Sunlight filters through the glass, casting long golden streaks over the room, but the energy here is anything but warm.
There he was.
Xavier Moretti sitting behind a curved desk, flipping through a file as if I'm not even worth a glance. He's dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, effortlessly commanding.
Everything about him gives off power, but it's the way he carries himself—relaxed, confident, as if he was in control—you could tell he was a man that was used to getting exactly anything he wanted.
The silence stretches. He's making me wait. Testing me. Fine. Let's play.
I take slow, measured steps forward, my heels clicking against the thick carpet. When I stop before his desk, I keep my chin level, my shoulders squared, exuding confidence.
Finally, Xavier lifts his head, dark eyes locking onto mine. They are deep, unreadable, like the ocean at midnight. A slow, almost lazy smirk curves his lips, and suddenly, the air in the room feels heavier.
"Miss Carter," he murmurs, his voice deep and smooth, laced with amusement. "I assume you know who I am."
His arrogance is almost laughable. I keep my expression cool. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
His smirk deepens. He leans back in his chair, watching me like I'm an interesting puzzle he's in no rush to solve. "Good. I appreciate a woman who does her research."
I raise an eyebrow. "And do you make everyone you just hired newly wait or is it just to test their patience, or am I a special case?"
His chuckle is low, knowing. It slides down my spine in a way I hate. "You're special, Miss Carter. That much, I can already tell."
I have a response ready, something sharp, but he stands before I can say it. He moves around the desk with the kind of effortless grace that makes my breath hitch—tall, broad-shouldered, exuding quiet dominance.
He stops in front of me, close enough that I can catch the faint every single scent that oozes out from him, something darker…. something sinister..
"You want this job?" he asks, his voice quieter now, sounding more intimate. I keep my pulse steady, refusing to let his gaze shake me. "Yes."
He lowers his eyes down to my lips for a second. "Then prove it."
His words hang in the air between us, charged with unspoken tension. Every part of me is screaming to step back, telling me to put a distance between us.
But I don't. Because this is what I signed up for. This is the game I needed to play and win.
I move my head slightly, my lips curving in a slow, deliberate smile. "What exactly do you need me to prove, Mr. Moretti?"
He doesn't answer right away. Instead, he takes another step closer, eliminating every single bit of space between us. My heartbeat remains steady, but my skin feels too warm under his eyes inspecting every inch of my body.
"Prove that you can handle me."
His voice sounded like a challenge, low and laced with something I couldn't quite solve.He's testing me, trying to know how easily I'll break.
I meet his stare, still locked onto mine and not going anywhere. "I think the real question is—can you handle me?"
A flicker of surprise crosses his face. It's gone in an instant, but immediately replaced by something far more dangerous.
His smirk returns, but this time, there's something darker about it. Something that sent shivers down my spine.
"Interesting," he murmurs. "Very interesting."
He lifts a hand slightly, not quite touching me but close enough to assess how I would react to it. My breath catches—not out of fear, but because at this moment, I realize that I had just walked into a danger that was bigger than me.
This was not the kind of danger that came with power or violence. It was the kind that came from a man like Xavier Moretti.
It was the most terrifying thing I had faced, something inside of me was telling me that this was the type of danger I would never overcome.
But I was prepared for it, Xavier Moretti ruined my life the day he destroyed my family, and I would definitely make him pay for everything.
I didn't not come this far just to be terrified by the danger that was Xavier Moretti, whoever he was I didn't care.
"I am going to be his worst nightmare."