Chapter 3 The Neighbor Next Door

SUNESIS'S POV

The morning light felt too bright, stinging my tired eyes. I stood inside the huge, modern penthouse office of Ashford Corporation. Everything was white, grey, and cold.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to disappear inside my massive, beige wool sweater. The thick sleeves hid my wrists completely, protecting my secrets and my scars.

My hands shook a little bit as I stood in front of the large mahogany desk. I held the morning papers and files tightly against my chest.

Behind the desk sat Blake. He did not look like the man from last night who was throwing money at a stage. Today, he wore a sharp grey suit, every piece of his hair perfectly in place.

But his face was dark with anger. He looked furious, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles jumped. I knew why he was in such a foul mood.

Last night, as Sable, I had rejected his exclusive contract and walked away from his money. He was a man who always got what he wanted, and my other self had left him burning with frustration.

He was completely obsessed with Sable, but he had no idea she was standing right in front of him. He was bursting with silent rage, and I was the only one in the room to take it.

"Mr. Ashford," I whispered, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on the polished floor. "Here is your morning brief and the schedule for the board meeting."

I stepped forward carefully and placed the files on his desk. My foot caught the edge of the heavy rug, and I stumbled slightly. Blake let out a loud, harsh sigh. He did not look at the files. Instead, his mean, dark eyes locked onto me.

"Can you do a single thing without being completely clumsy, Sunesis?" Blake snapped. His voice was cold and sharp, cutting right through me.

"I am sorry, sir," I mumbled, pulling my oversized sweater tighter around my body. My throat tightened, but I swallowed my pride. I had to endure this. I needed this job for my grandmother.

Blake leaned back in his leather chair, looking at me like I was trash on the bottom of his shoe.

"Look at you," he muttered, scoffing loudly. "You are drowning in that ugly, baggy sweater. Do you ever buy clothes that actually fit? You look like a ghost hiding in a sack."

A familiar pain pinched my heart. I secretly loved this man, but his words felt like physical slaps.

"I prefer to be comfortable, sir," I replied quietly, keeping my head low so he would not see my lips trembling.

"Comfortable?" Blake laughed, but it was a cruel, empty sound. "This is a multibillion-dollar company. The women in this building wear designer dresses and carry themselves with pride. You walk around here with your head down, acting like a grandma and like you are apologizing to the world just for existing. It is embarrassing to look at you."

Suddenly, Blake’s phone buzzed loudly on the desk. He glared at the screen, and his face turned completely pale with rage. He snatched the phone up and answered it instantly.

"I told you to handle it!" Blake barked into the phone, completely forgetting I was still in the room. He slammed his fist onto the wood. "How is Jaxon Vale so lucky? It was supposed to work but you fucking blew it.”

My breath caught in my throat. Jaxon Vale. It was no secret in the business world that the Ashford family and the Vale Syndicate were bitter rivals.

They had been fighting for power and wealth for decades. But hearing Blake openly talk about Jaxon like he was an insect made my stomach twist.

I wondered what exactly they could be arguing and fighting about behind closed doors to cause this much violence. Blake suddenly looked up and noticed me staring. He hung up the phone sharply.

"You are completely invisible, Sunesis, but that does not mean you can stand there and spy on me," Blake hissed, tossing my files across the desk carelessly. "You will never amount to anything more than a shadow in this office. Now get out of my sight. You are giving me a headache."

"Yes, sir," I whispered. I quickly gathered the scattered papers, my chest aching from his cruelty. I turned around and walked out of his office as fast as my legs could carry me, keeping my eyes on the floor until the heavy glass doors shut behind me.

How could he be so cruel? It was like he was an entirely different person with my other self and a crazy one with the real me. And to think I loved this man. I shook my head and continued my work.

The rest of the day went by like a blur of misery. By the time I finished my work and left the building, I felt entirely exhausted.

Blake's mean words and his angry phone call echoed in my mind during the whole bus ride back to my neighborhood. I felt suffocated by the stress of my double life, my daytime humiliation, and the constant fear of the debt collectors.

I just wanted to climb into bed and find refuge in a restless slumber. I walked into my cramped, old apartment building and took the stairs up to my floor.

My body felt heavy with fatigue. I reached into my bag to grab my keys as I walked down the dim, narrow hallway toward my door. Suddenly, a loud click broke the silence of the corridor.

I stopped dead in my tracks. The door to the apartment right next to mine, a space that had been empty for months swung fully open.

A man stepped out into the hallway. He was wearing a casual dark jacket, but his frame was massive. He was incredibly tall, with broad, powerful shoulders that completely filled the narrow hallway.

My heart gave a sudden, violent thud against my ribs. A strange, familiar chill ran down my spine as I looked at him. I could see his face clearly under the bright hallway lights and I could say he was devastatingly beautiful.

He had sharp, stone-carved features, a strong jawline, and unreadable eyes that looked like they could see right through a person. He looked like a Greek god.

I had met countless men in my life but this man, he was different. Looking at this new neighbor, a strange feeling washed over me.

There was something about his immense size, his quiet posture, and the heavy, suffocating weight of his presence that made me feel like I had encountered this danger somewhere before.

I tried to remember where but I couldn't. All I knew for sure was that he looked incredibly intimidating, and he was staring right at me.