Sweet Hatred
Chapter 35: A stain.

Chapter 35: A stain.

The air thickened between the small distance Mia and I shared. Her eyes burned with hatred, anger and something else I couldn’t place my finger on.

There was no guessing why she was like this, it was obvious—too obvious. That bastard had said something to her probably and she was taking it out on me.

Her pathetic attempt to intimidate me was almost laughable and I only stopped myself from laughing to keep her dignity while she still had it.

Did she really think I wanted to steal Kael away from her? That bastard was like a wild dog with no master and the thought of him was starting to piss me off again.

He was the reason I was getting threatened on a goddamn Saturday morning when I should have been in bed catching up on my series.

Only certain staffs or people with overdue work or pending projects had to come to HQ on weekends, and I? I didn’t even know what schedule I was working with anymore. I was just getting dragged around like a little helper.

Mia’s scoff snapped me back from my spiraling thoughts again. She had already withdrawn her hands to her sides but didn’t stopped glaring at me.

"Your’re really pathetic Aria." She sneered, arms crossed. "Pretending you don’t give a fuck when you’re clearing dying to be with him."

...what?

Whaaaaaaaat?!

Dying to be with who? Kael? This fucking bitch.

Over my dead, rotting body.

My brows furrowed instantly as the words settled on me.

The patience I had stored for the weekend and Kael ran out instantly. I moved before my mind could even catch up, stepping forward.

"What did you just say?"

Mia instantly flinched, stumbling back on her heels. Her so-called bravado cracked, just like that.

I didn’t need to look on the mirror to see the way my lips curled in disgust. Every inch of my skin was tingling with the irritation that sizzled underneath.

"You know I’m telling the truth." Mia continued.

At this point I wanted to punch the fucking wall if I could. What did this woman think of me? That I was drooling over Kael? The words sent a fresh wave of anger and disgust rushing in my veins.

"Look here you little shit." I spoke in a hushed and calm tone though I was itching to yell. "I don’t want Kael, I never did and I never will." I stepped even closer. Mia’s expression melted into something that resembled fear but it wasn’t enough.

I needed to put her in her place. To make her understand, I wasn’t just any person she could talk shit to.

"My reason for working with him is my goddamn business and you are free to think whatever you want but remember Mia, I can be anything but I. Am. Not. You." Each word was crisp.

"And I don’t know what Kael put in his dick that has you acting like you’re on crack but I am not you Mia and get that through your thick skull." I warned.

Mia’s face contorted into something much worse than anger. Hate. She wanted to hurt me. And God help her she tried to. Her hands raised up in a swift motion to land on my cheeks but I was faster. I had always been.

My fingers caught her wrist, squeezing hard.

"Let me go, you fucking cunt!" She yelped, struggling.

I didn’t budge. Instead, my free hand fisted the back of her crisp hair, yanking her head back. She let out a noise—sharp, desperate. I didn’t bother naming it.

"You’re hurting me!" She staggered, but I held her firm.

"I don’t know what devil just whispered to you to try that," I murmured, my voice eerily calm. "But maybe stop listening to it—because next time?"

I yanked her head back just a little more.

"You won’t get away with it."

I let Mia feel the weight of those words. Let them sink deep into her bones before I finally released her. She stumbled back, nearly losing her balance.

And then—

A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the hallway.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

My stomach dropped. I didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was.

A familiar voice, deep and taunting, sliced through the air. "Now, that’s the Aria I like to see."

I clenched my jaw tight. Fuck.

Kael.

He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a devilish smirk playing on his lips. His green eyes—dark, amused—flicked between me and Mia like we were his own personal entertainment.

"You really know how to put on a show, sweetheart."

My skin prickled at the word, left eyelid twitching.

Kael pushed off the wall, closing the distance with slow, measured steps.

"Good-Good morning sir. When did you—?" Mia straightened instantly, trying to mask her clear humiliation. But Kael barely looked at her. His attention was all on me.

"Tell me," he murmured, stopping just close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him. "What do I have in my dick that makes women act like they’re on crack?"

...

My entire soul left my body. I wanted to scream.

Mia stiffened beside me, her face twisting in shock and something else—shame, maybe? But Kael? That bastard was grinning.

He loved this.

I was going to kill him. But I remained silent and he continued.

"Tsk, tsk... I can’t believe you two."

That voice. His voice. A slow, amused drawl that slithered down my spine like a cold blade

Mia lips parted to say something but her words refused to come out. The sight of her was almost pitiful. It was in the way her shoulders tensed, the way she wouldn’t look at him directly.

She had tried to play the big bad bitch, but now that Kael was here? She was suddenly a rabbit caught in a wolf’s den. Something about it frustrated me even more. And something else beneath it. Pity.

"Mr. Kael, I—" she started, but he didn’t even acknowledge her effort. The arrogant shit.

"Leave."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it didn’t have to be. It was a command, one wrapped in steel and finality. Mia flinched. She huffed in frustration, shot me one last glare, and then stormed off, her heels clicking against the floor like little gunshots.

I exhaled, already turning on my heels as well. If Mia was gone, then so was my reason for standing here. I had no intention of wasting another second in Kael’s presence.

But just as I took a step, his voice curled around me like smoke, thick and suffocating.

"Not you Aria."

I froze.

A sharp breath left my lips. I should have kept walking, should have ignored him completely. Instead, I clenched my fists and willed myself to stay calm.

"I don’t have time for your bullshit, Kael," I muttered.

A low chuckle. Slow and taunting.

"Oh, but you had time to talk about my dick just now?"

My entire body locked up.

Right. He had heard that. And wouldn’t let it go.

Heat prickled my skin, and I despised myself for it. I hated that I could feel him behind me, that my body recognized his presence even when I wanted nothing more than to scrub the memory of him from my existence.

Kael stepped closer. I could sense him now, standing just at my back, too close, too confident.

"What was it you said, Firefly?" His voice was deceptively casual, but there was something dark and smug underneath it. He leaned in, just enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath at my ear.

"That you don’t know what I have in my dick that makes women act crazy?"

I remained mute.

"To be very honest with you Aria." His voice dipped dangerously even lower. "I feel very flattered."

My fingers twitched at my sides. I inhaled sharply and forced myself to keep my voice steady. "Get. Lost... Sir." .

Kael hummed, like I was amusing him. "That’s not very convincing, sweetheart." His heated breath caressed my ears. "Don’t you want to find out for yourself?"

My stomach twisted. The way his voice dipped lower, all honeyed venom and quiet challenge, made my throat tighten. Ugh!. I turned, finally facing him, my glare sharp enough to cut.

"Please. Fuck. Off."

His smirk widened like I had just told him something delightful. He dragged a lazy hand through his slick hair, exuding that same untouchable arrogance that made me want to wipe that look off his face.

"You know," he mused, voice as smooth as silk, "it’s cute that you think you can just get rid of me like that."

"Oh I know." I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "You are like a stain that won’t come out—no matter how many times I scrub, you just linger."

His eyes darkened—not with anger, but with something else. Something dangerous.

"And yet," he murmured, stepping in until the space between us disappeared, "you came harder for me than any man before me, didn’t you?"

The air between us crackled.

Someone shoot me. The memories flooded like a tsunami.

My breath caught in my throat. Fury surged in my veins, but beneath it—deep, deep beneath it—something traitorous stirred.

I clenched my jaw, refusing to give him the reaction he wanted. I would not play this game with him.

I would not.