Chapter 29
Planning To Kill Me
[Iris’s POV]
Pushing the door open, I was welcomed with the scent of freshly cut flowers. I looked around my room and I could really understand why it was called the most expensive hotel in the state. The bed itself was impressive. Looking at it, I decided that five people could sleep in it and still have room. The interior was designed in a modern western style giving an overall rich vibe.
Slipping off my high heels, I continued to observe the elegant decor. It resembled more of a studio apartment rather than a hotel room. It even had a small living space which consisted of a leather couch, a flat screen TV and a mini bar. Having taken my time looking the place over, I lied down on the bed with a thud and let out a tired groan.
I don’t know when it happened, but I gasped in surprise as I heard my phone ringing loudly. Horrified, I looked at my watch and saw that I had been asleep for an hour. Jolting up right, I grabbed my phone. The name on the illuminated screen made me pause before quickly answering, “Wolf.”
I heard him inhale a long drag from his cigarette. I caught myself when I was about to fuss at him for smoking and I continued to wait for him to speak.
“You okay?”
At hearing his voice, my heart melted. Surprised and somewhat puzzled, I let out a shaky breath. “Ugh, y-yeah. What about you?”
He sighed and took another drag. “Fine. Be ready for tomorrow. I sent you an email with the details. Check it out later.”
I wanted to ask him more questions, but he immediately disconnected the call. Hurt, I slowly put down the phone and smiled bitterly. This was the type of man he was and he was never going to change. He hadn’t so far, anyway.
Setting my bag on the bed, I took out my comfy clothes as I was planning to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the crisp night air on my balcony. That didn’t happen as I heard a knock on my door. It was eleven so nothing work related should be happening right now. It couldn’t be the president. He usually just called me if he needed anything.
Standing there, I contemplated if I should answer the continuous knocking or not. Honestly, I’d rather not. But, damn it! Now I was curious. Besides, the security in this place rivaled that of Fort Knox. I was told that celebrities would stay here for their holidays because they wouldn’t even allow cameras within the vicinity. All of this in mind, I walked over confidently and opened the door. In an instant, I regretted it.
Mr. Brighton was leaning against the door frame with a smug smile on his wrinkled face. He took his time running his perverted gaze all over me and I crossed my arms while raising an eyebrow at his crude behavior. I was about to ask what the fuck he was doing here, but he staggered towards me and grinned.
“Your name is Miss Young, right? Wanna join me downstairs for a drink?”
Unfolding my arms, I reached behind the door and gripped the handle while returning his smile.
“No. Thank you for your kind gesture, sir. You actually just interrupted me getting ready for bed. I’m turning in early.”
His smile faltered slightly as he took a step towards me. “Come on, Miss Young. It’s not even midnight yet. Let's go have some fun together.”
Oh, how I was itching to punch that stupid saggy face. My hand tightened on the handle as I felt my patience slipping. I decided to give him one more chance to bow out before I flattened him without a second thought.
“Did you forget your room number, Mr. Brighton?”
I jolted at the commanding voice and slowly shifted my eyes to look down the hall. President Gray was striding towards us with a grim expression. I had to take a second look because he was wearing a plain black t-shirt with blue joggers and sneakers. This was a first time I’d seen him in casual clothes. Damn him, he still looked amazing.
With his hands in his pockets, he looked pointedly at the old geezer. “Well?”
Smiling awkwardly, Mr. Brighton responded, “Um, no. It's not like that, Xavier. I-I was just inviting Miss Young to join me downstairs for a drink. However, I think she must be too tired after traveling. I think I should head back now.”
The two of us stood there watching him hastily walk towards the elevators. Turning to face my employer, I found him already staring at me. Crossing his arms, he glared down at me.
“Don't you at least have some idea that women shouldn't open the door at this hour? Drunks usually make their way to their rooms at this time looking to fool around with anyone they meet!”
Well, this was pleasant. Was he my boss or my father?
Not giving me any time to answer, he continued, “Or, perhaps you just don’t care who ends up your room?”
Raising my eyebrows, I asked, “Excuse me?”
I had to work hard to keep my blood pressure under control. What the hell was this prick’s problem? Did he think I was one of those girls who went around sleeping for money? Biting my tongue, I emphatically said, “Just what do you mean by that, sir?”
He nonchalantly shrugged shoulders and said, “I saw that you were talking to him while smiling. So, I thought that perhaps you enjoyed his company.”
The urge to punch someone instantly resurfaced and I felt my face flush with anger. I saw that his expression remained indifferent as if he was telling me a common piece of information.
Inhaling a very deep breath, I stood on my tiptoes to better look him in the eyes.
“Do not judge me without even knowing me, Mr. Gray. If you think that I'm going to tolerate your insults, you are sadly mistaken. If you find my conduct so distasteful, you can fire me right now. However—” I pointed at him as my voice shook with fury. “Don't make an assumption on my character or else I’ll…”
He looked shocked at my threat and, quite frankly, I was surprised as well. But, I had had enough! I didn’t care if he could wipe me off the face of the earth with a snap of his fingers. I wasn’t going to let him say shit about me. However, I immediately backed down as he stepped towards me with a wicked grin on his face. My eyes widened and my palms began to sweat as I watched him close the space between us.
Leaning down towards my face, he quietly asked, “Or else? What, Miss Young? Planning to kill me?”
His warm breath fell on my face and a shiver went up my spine. His lips were lowering towards mine steadily and I found it hard to breathe. Stumbling backwards into my room, I slammed the door.
“Fuck off!” I muttered as I marched toward the bathroom.