LOVE ON TERMS [18+]

Chapter 5: Offers and Opportunities

She stood in front of the cash register with Kyan looking at her as if she had horns.
"Kyan..Kyan Garnet, I'm not the type to beat around the bush so I'll get straight to the point, I have a really interesting offer that you might be interested in, here's my card." She put the card on the counter and pushed it towards him. "Meet me tomorrow 9.00. a.m. sharp." She said this and walked off, her heels clicking on the floor.

Kyan looked at her stunned for a moment before picking up the card she left behind, on the card written in beautiful gold, the name Scarlet Maurice and the address of her company, he was skeptical but put the card in his pocket and carried on with his work, uninterrupted...well at least physically. She was the only person in his head for the rest shift, he had seen enough to not trust a random stranger but he had no choice. If he wanted to get out of the hell he called home and away from his demon parents he had to earn money and he would not in his dreams let an opportunity like this slip.

Kyan stared off into the distance as he prepared to close the shop, visions from his past threatening to resurface and drag him deeper into the seemingly never-ending, dark abyss. He shook off his weariness and focused on ending his shift and going to Scarlet's office tomorrow.
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The very next day Kyan got up early in the morning to get ready, he didn't know why he was doing all that but he knew he had to.
He got dressed in the best clothes he owned, a black denim jacket, white shirt underneath and black jeans along with sneakers and left for Vermillion Headquarters.

He strolled along the path with the card Scarlet gave him clutched tightly in his palm as he navigated his way to her firm.
After 35 minutes of walking, he finally reached the building and walked inside, he went up to the man in the reception and asked him for Scarlet's floor. "Hi, um... I was looking for Scarlet Maurice." He muttered in his deep voice.

The man raised a brow and looked him up and down, "Hm..interesting, do you have an appointment?"

"An appointment...? No, I don't..but Ms.Scarlet was the one who invited me here, so if you could please contact her." He looked at the man who seemed a bit surprised.

"Well, if you insist I shall connect a call," The man picked up the phone dialed her and waited for them to pick up and when she did he immediately asked her about Kyan. "Sorry for the bother miss, have you called a man named Kyan Garnet to your office?" He inquired.

"He's here? Perfect, send him to my cabin." With that, she put down the phone and resumed her work.

"Well, take the elevator to the 15th floor then turn right, keep walking for a while and you'll see Ms.Maurice's cabin, please fill in the entry log." The receptionist instructed watching him fill in the entry log before heading towards the elevator.

As the floors passed by, he couldn't help but overthink the situation, his mind reeled with thoughts.
'Why am I here? Why did I just follow her here..? I was fine in the cafe..'
His thoughts were interrupted by the ding of the elevator. "15th floor.." He mumbled to himself and walked out and towards her office.

Inside the office, Scarlet was already waiting for him, sipping her coffee while working tirelessly.

He stood in front of the door trying to muster up the courage to walk in. He knocked on the glass door. "Can I come in?"

"Come in," She said from within the cabin. "I've been waiting for Mr. Garnet." She looked up at him from the monitor as he entered the room. "Come sit, would you like something? Tea? Coffee? Juice? or perhaps wine?" She offered.

"No, thank you..so um..you told me...you have an offer I might be interested in," He inquired. "Please don't think of me as desperate, I just want to get this over with as soon as possible."

"Well, well since you too don't beat around the bush I'll get straight to the point. I want you to be my boyfriend." She looked at him dead serious in the eyes.
"I'm sorry, what?" He looked at her as if she were an alien. "This was the offer you wanted me to have? This was the opportunity? Oh, wait! The golden opportunity?" He scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"By the time the job is done, I'll pay you 10 million dollars." She said nonchalantly.
"Oh! So you think payi- wait...10 million dollars?" He repeated.
"Why too little?" She raised a brow finishing the coffee she was drinking. "Well, I'll make it 20, but only because you have a good body and face. How does that sound to you?" She stood up and walked over to him. "Of course, in the end, the choice is all yours."

Kyan did not even waste a second when he agreed to do it. "I'll do it, but I need 5 million before the job is done."

"Deal done, Mr.Garnet." She pulled out a cheque and signed it for 5 million dollars.
"Do not try to run, Kyan because if you do I won't hesitate to ruin you entirely." Her voice dropped low as she handed him the cheque. "Give me your number, I'll text you an address and I expect you to be there tomorrow, now you may leave, oh wait before you go, leave that job, yes, I want you to stop working as a waiter." She commanded sternly. "I want you to work for me too, you have the looks and the height, a little training and you are ready for the runway. I want you to be a model in my company and yes I'll pay you for that, now you may leave." She sat back down in her chair and resumed her work leaving no room for arguments.

Kyan slowly got out of his chair and turned around to walk out and what he saw made blood rush to his cheeks. The door was one-way mirror glass. Everything he did outside was clearly visible to Scarlet, his small little mumbling, fidgeting and nervousness. He quickly walked out. "Oh god, so fucking embarrassing, I haven't felt this embarrassed since middle school." He mumbled to himself as he walked towards the elevator, the cheque kept carefully in his pocket.
He pressed the button and waited for the elevator, when it opened out of it came a man well dressed and with ice blue eyes, he stared at Kyan for a second before stepping out and walking towards Scarlet's office.

"Weird man." He said before stepping inside the elevator and soon getting out of the building to get the hell out of his parent's house and rent a cheap and safe apartment for himself while investing some of the money he had and depositing the rest. He knew how to be smart with his money because he needed to make things work ever since middle school, he had to skip lunch for bus fare or skip both to buy books, he wasn't going to become a spendthrift and spend all the money on stupid things like clubbing or betting.
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"Ms. Maurice," The ice-blue-eyed man softly said entering her office. "I'm finally back."

"Good to see you alive and well Xite," She chuckled, continuing their playful banter. "You gave me a lifeline coming back, now get to work before my heartbeat goes flat." She joked while typing away at her computer.

"Oh, we wouldn't want that to happen, would we? As you wish madam, off to work I go." With this Xite went to his own cabin right across from her's to schedule meetings and look after potential offers.

Scarlet was relieved because she could finally be free from the constant nagging of her parents, she would be able to focus solely on the company and the company's growth. Right?

LOVE ON TERMS

EMBER SPINEL