I Hate You, Mr. Black

“Huh!? Why me? And why should I?”

“Because you are signed exclusively and I am your Boss,”

“I work for the agency,” I reasoned, certainly against being regarded as his ‘partner’. Hell no. From which angle he saw us as partners?

His gaze darkened, almost warning me, “This is my agency, you do what I say, how I say and when I say,”

“You- You can’t-”

Apparently, he wasn’t in the mood to convince me, or provide any incentive for this so-called demand.

He required just my submission, so not wasting time, his dominant tone called my controller.

“Byron,”

“Y-Yes, Sir?”

“Make her understand.” And glared at me to which I flinched.

“This is not a request, it’s an order,”

“Y-Yes, Sir. Let’s go, Marianne,” Byron called, scared of getting reprimanded but he proved once again that my reason to detest him was right.

People like him were the worst. Using their authority to force others into submission, making those who were below them a puppet.

He was… just like all of them.

And when it struck me, my features hardened, glaring back at him with a darker intensity, growling at him.

“You…”

“Oh? You have something to say?”

He was amused to find me unshackling my fury, almost waiting for me to burst but Byron grabbed my arm to stop me.

“Mari, don’t, just come with me,”

I didn’t listen.

“Marianne,”

Byron called me warning, tightening his grip too hard to the point I winced.

Regaining my innocent posture and looking over, back to Byron who glared to obey quietly.

Mr. Black noticed.

He saw the wrath flashing and the instant change of it, causing him to narrow his eyes on me.

But, they weren’t out of pity or anything. It was filled with… disgust?

Forming my lips in a thin line, losing the count of my defeat, I gave up on trying to defeat him and I lowered my head in shame and went with Byron.

‘Maybe… I could never win against him, or against anyone in life, that is. Maybe I am and will always remain weak and pathetic,’

The second we were out, I hit the tire of my car in frustration. My hands began to sweat from the stress as I took a few deep breaths in order to serene myself.

Such a thought was undoubtedly unwanted but that was all I could think about myself.

“Tsk, motherfucker,”

Absolutely enraged with me, Byron grabbed my arms roughly, forcing me to look at him.

“What are you trying to do, Marianne? Do you want to lose this opportunity with your own hands?”

“What did I do wrong?”

My eyes narrowed with tears brimming, “He is the one who loves degrading the people around him, I am so done with him, Byron,”

“But what can you do? Resign so that he doesn’t let you work anywhere else?”

When he growled, out of fright, I emitted a soft sob that made him push me back.

Pressing myself against the car, I hid my face in my hands, to hide the weakness but it got liberated through my wail, it further angered Byron.

“Stop the tears, Marianne, you don’t have to cry just because I told you the truth,”

“... Sorry,” I cried, wiping my eyes, uncaring if it ruined the makeup.

“Seriously, learn how to be strong on your own. You don’t want to end up like Rebecca, right?” He reminded me.

My sister Rebecca, she could have been a prodigy, a top businesswoman, an unbreakable woman but she just decided to rot all her skills.

I won’t end up like her. I won’t get an end like her where I had to depend on someone to get some Unsavory Redemption.

“Hmm..”

“Then stop stupidly infuriating Mr. Black, if you value your future, that is,” He hissed, sitting in the car.

“Okay… I understand,”

“Good. Now stop crying and get in,”

Unable to exchange further words, I nodded and sat as we went back.

After receiving a scar that imprinted the fact he would force me into submission and it was so, so infuriating.

Overusing his powers constantly, he was deliberately causing me this suffering and I had no escape from this but like hell I would give up.

His attempts couldn’t break me, defeat was not an option. I was prepared for any upcoming problem when I chose this path.

…And besides, I had experienced worse situations. This was nothing.

Nonetheless, delighted that the shoot was finally about to end and I could go back to California, I was with my team.

We were having lunch but I had to grab my phone from the vanity so I left and saw Mr. Black smoking outside, ruining my mood instantly.

“Heard you agree. I guess Byron knows how to keep you in control,” He teased me.

But, ignoring the call, I rolled my eyes and went inside with him behind me, probably trying to piss me off but I wasn’t in the mood today.

I had heard enough from Byron. I was in no mood for further scolding.

“Next time I will need something from you, I will ask him, that would be easier, no?”

Exhaling, I put my hands up defensively, pressing myself against the table to glare at him properly.

“You can’t control me like this, Mr. Black. This is wrong… this is unethical,”

To my display of frustration, he simply smirked wickedly and before I could escape that abysmal pull, something darker flickered in his gaze.

Not providing me with a moment to fathom, the instant I turned to leave, he moved his hand across and secured it on the table, locking my body in his vicinity- too much to my control.

“I never said that I am an ethical man in the first place, Marianne,”

Holding the hem of my dress, I leaned back, unsettled when he closed the gap, blending his minty breaths with mine.

“Boundaries just complicate things, it merely tests your patience, your control. Not worth the effort if you ask me,”

His hand gradually eradicated distances, forcefully intertwining his fingers with mine that hastened my heartbeats, inducing an unnerving sensation.

“What are you- Leave my hand, Mr. Black,” I whimpered, finding myself utterly weakened by his action.

Staring dead into my eyes and to ensure I won’t tear the connection, he held my jaw with his other hand, capturing me in his alluring shadow with barely recognizable distance between our lips.

“See. Look, how easy it is to intertwine our fingers without any repercussions instead of hesitating with ‘what if’,”