When I reach his office, I throw the door open and charge inside.
There he is.
Lounged behind his desk, radiating the aura of a twisted tyrant. A cruel king commanding a sinful crown.
The interior of his office is as grand as the rest of his home.
It’s not what I expect from him. He seems like the type of man who would have a contemporary home. One with gray walls, metal appliances, and slate floors.
A bachelor’s pad.
This place is the opposite. It’s filled with mahogany furniture, rich tapestries, and an unlit fireplace.
The tension in the air is electric, charged with the energy of my fury.
A tightness spreads within my chest. It wells up from somewhere deep inside me and takes over my entire body.
I clench my fists and grit my teeth, trying to control it, but it’s too strong. The anger is a hurricane; it swirls and whips around inside me until I can’t think or breathe or do anything but lash out.
“I want answers.”
He leans forward in his chair. Calm and collected. There is no visible reaction to me barging in.
“Sasha, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” Gideon’s stormy blue eyes sparkle mischievously, like a summer sky twinkling with tiny stars.
It feels like I’ve just walked into a trap, but even if I am, I won’t back down, no matter what he throws my way.
“As I said when I first walked into the room, I want some answers. I’ve been here for a week, and you haven’t told me anything.”
“There is still nothing to tell.” My breath comes in short bursts at his response.
“Is there something bothering you?” he says in a silky voice.
I take a step closer to him, my anger building by the second. “Can’t you stop for a minute and be real?”
“Calm down.”
“Calm down? Seriously. I’m here, and you’re avoiding me. I want to talk.” He pushes up from his chair, his steps eating up the distance between us.
Beside him, I feel so small. “Is that what the problem is?” Another step closer.
My butt hits the edge of his desk as he cages me in.
“Do you miss me? Do you want my company?”
“What? No.” My head shakes. “That’s not it at all.”
“Then what?” He reaches forward, his hand brushing a fallen strand of hair behind my ears.
There is no stopping the way my body trembles. “Don’t touch me,” I hiss.
Gideon raises his hands in mock surrender, but he’s not fooling anyone. He’s loving this game he’s playing.
“This is all your fault.” I push past him and start to pace the room.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” I throw my hands up in the air. “My brother would still be alive if it weren’t for you. I wouldn’t have to live here if it weren’t for you.”