"Did you hear, there's gonna be a new vice president." Ryan said as we logged out of our computer.

I shook my head in response. It's been a while since Moy had gone or, well, imprisoned and they've left that position for too long. It was lunch time, Ryan and I were going to get a quick bite from the cafeteria.

It would have been great to have lunch with Xander but he and J had some super secret meeting that would last through lunch and might end sometime in the evening. I wondered what kind of meeting it was exactly and if Xander was going to come home with bruises on his knuckles.

I didn't need to see him in action to know Xander was a good fighter. He never had bruises on him from a fight, just the occasional bloody knuckles. And even Ryan had said the same thing. It made me feel so proud. It made me feel so proud to know Xander could protect himself, it made me feel safe- Xander could protect me. From anything and anyone.

"Do you know who it is?" I asked as we walked out of the office, heading right for the elevators.

"Not really. All I know is, he's going to be flying in from another city." Ryan said and I nodded.

We took the elevator down and it was the same chatter everywhere. Everyone was wondering who the new vice president would be and if he would be as problematic as Moy. Ryan links his arms with mine as we walked out of the elevator. We had just walked out of the building when a red Ferrari pulled to a stop.

I don't pay attention to it though and just continued to walk and talk with Ryan.

"Do you know J can speak ten languages?" Ryan asked and I shook my head.

"May I ask how you know? Was he telling you dirty things in these languages?" I asked, nudging my shoulder against Ryan's. I looked at him, my smile widening when I see his cheeks grow pink. I had the cutest best friend.

"Your mind is always in the gutter."

"You didn't deny it though." I said, wiggling my brows at him.

"I like it." Ryan said. "And you don't have any room to talk, remember how you came home two days ago covered with hickeys? It was like Xander wanted to brand you." Ryan said, his hand reaching up to pole at the concealer covered mark on my neck. He wasn't kidding though. After the first time Xander and I had sex, I only got maybe two hours of sleep after that because we went at it, again and again. On the bed, against the wall and a rim job that had me shaking and pressed up against the glass shower doors.

My entire skin was covered with hickeys, finger dents that had turned to little bruises on my hips and that one bite mark on my left ass. I could only cover the ones on my neck since I had to go to work and it would seem unprofessional if I showed up like that.

The food cart at the end of the street sold really good sisig, all you had to do was just wait for a bit. Thankfully the queue wasn't that much and by the time we could place an order to go, it was a fresh batch. Fuck, it smelt really good.

I pulled out my phone and took a picture of the vendor packing up our order and sent it to Xander. I wasn't expecting a quick response but for someone in a very important meeting, he sure texted back really fast.

🔫: is that all you're having for lunch?

🔫: yeah. They sell in large portions and I'm not sure how Ryan and I are going to finish it.

🔫: how is your meeting? Are you gonna take a break and have lunch?

🔫: alright, baby. It looks really good. I'm kinda jealous now

🔫: yeah, I have had lunch, I had a some spicy rice and steak. Say hi to Ryan for me

🔫: I might be sending some to your office with a present, make sure you share with Ryan or J would cry

I giggled at the text and waved Ryan over so he could see the message.

"He's always sending you something."

"It's because I'm his baby." I said and Ryan pouts.

"I wanna be his baby."

I playfully punched Ryan's arm. "No! Go and be J's baby." I said, shaking my head at him. We paid for our food and walked back towards the building. During lunch time, the entire building was always weird. It was either half empty or really quiet. The building also had a cafeteria where majority of people ate but the food just wasn't for Ryan and I, that's why we liked eating out.

The red ferarri was still parked in front of the building. It looked like it was a car that could only be owned by assholes. It honestly looked like an ass hole's car, shiny and expensive looking. It kinda felt like the car was looking down at me. Fuck you, shiny car.

Lunch with Ryan flies by as we watched an episode of peaky blinders as we ate. I tried to imagine Xander with british accent and that was too hot for me to handle. Once we were done, I tossed away the empty packs and drank half a bottle of water.

By two, Ryan had gone up to help someone on the marketing team with their computer. A couple minutes later there was a knock on the door and a co-worker peeped in.

"The new vice president is almost here. Davina from HR wants to introduce him to us."

"Okay. I'll be right out." I said. I got up and looked down at myself. I was dressed in a white round neck button up shirt, tucked into beige pants. My hair was packed up into a high bun, loose curls framing the side of my face.

I looked good. I slipped on my id card and walked out of the office. I was looking down at my id card where I heard the elevator. I raised my head up just as the doors part and he stepped out. It felt.... It felt like everything else had stopped, no sounds, no voices and it seemed like he was moving in slow motion.

My breath hitched as he stepped closer and I took a step back when he looks right at me. Suddenly, everything came back. The sounds, voices, his voice. I took another step back.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is our new vice president of MS Holdings, William Maben." Davina from HR said and it felt like I couldn't breathe. Like I couldn't speak. Everyone else was smiling, I could hear people whisper about how good looking he was. But they don't know. They didn't know. "Mr. Maben, this is the IT Department."

There was a chorus of good afternoons and welcome but he doesn't look away from me. I couldn't say a word, the shock so rooted in that I couldn't speak. I took several steps away and hurried back to my office, locking the door.

I fell onto my seat and tried to take several deep breaths to calm myself down. There was a familiar stinging feeling at the back of my eyes and yeah, I was definitely about to cry. Shit. I didn't think I'd react like this. it's been months, years.

I picked up my phone and it was then I noticed how shaky my hand was.

I had three text messages from Xander.

🔫: how are you, baby?

🔫: are you working or sneakily watching pet youtube again?

🔫: have you gotten your present yet?

I stared at the messages, I didn't know what to type. Actually, scratch that. I knew what exactly I wanted to send. I was just about to type it when there was a knock on the door and it was pushed open before I could say anything.

Davina walked in, smilign brightly with William behind her.

"Mr. Maden, this is Bram Michaels, he's one of our best employees." Davina said. "Bram, this is William Maden, the new vice president." she said, smiling brightly. I honestly didn't understand why she was this happen. It felt like someone had just doused me with ice cold cold.

"Oh, that's high praise, Mr Michaels." William said, smirking at me. Davina's phone went off and she looks at me.

"It's because it's the truth." she said. "Bram, why don't you walk Mr. Maden to his office."

Not trusting my voice, I nodded. I grabbed my phone and we all walked out of the office one at a time. I and William headed towards the elevator. We got in and I made sure to put enough distance between us in the elevator. The elevator ride and the walk to his office went by really slowly to me. All I wanted to do was find somewhere to hide.

"You're quiet."

I had nothing to say to him.

William pushed open the door to his office. "Come in, Bram." he said and there was a tilt to his voice but I don't move. His office and a meeting room was all that was on this floor and it was just the two of us here.

"No."

That was the first thing I've said to him. I didn't want to be in a room with him, I didn't want to be near him at all. Suddenly there was a tight grip on my hand and I was being pushed into the office, the door closing behind me.

"You look different." William said as he walked over and stood in front of me, one hand in his pocket. William Maden. Thirty one years old and my ex dom. His hair was still blonde and gelled back, he was tall but not as tall as Xander, he had on a grey three piece suit and black shoes. He still had that air of intimidation around him. Smirk ever present. I was scared and angry but at the same time I wanted to punch him in the balls.

I walked back towards the door but I was stopped again. His hand wrapped tight around my wrist.

"You don't have anything to say to me?" William asked and I tried to pull my hand away. He was holding on so tight though. If he leaves a mark, Xander was really gonna kill him. Speaking of, I didn't have anything to be scared of.

I was my own person, I had a job, I had friends and I had a boyfriend who takes good care of me. This man, this man shouldn't scare me anymore. If I keep being scared he was going to take advantage of that and really, I am tired of that. First was Moy and now this.

"Fuck you." I said and William's eyes widened for a brief second. I tugged my hand away and glared at him. "You can't just come in and talk to me like we mean anything to each other. You are just a piece of shit I once dated. It ends there."

William looked at me for a second before laughing. "You still have that potty mouth. I thought I spanked it out of you. Judging by how tense you are, I'd say you're still single, you have no dom. No good dom would want his little talking this way."

I raised a brow at him. Oh, he doesn't know.

"Good dom? What do you know about good doms?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. "You suck. You are seriously a very bad dom, the worst ever and I honestly don't know what the fuck I saw in you."

William stopped smiling and walked towards me, he walked right into my personal space and glared down at me.

"I could pull you over my knees right now. I know you'd like that but I won't be nice to you. I was going to but your last words are making me angry." William said and I narrowed my eyes at him. The fear was back and I curled my hands into fists. He doesn't need to see that, he doesn't need to know how scared I was.

"You can do that and I'll take it up with HR"

William moved closer and I took a couple steps backwards. He was angry. I could see it.

"I have work to d-"

William slammed his hand against the door, right by my ear and my words were gone, breath stuck. My heart was beating really fast. Shit. He could have hit me. He looks like he's going to hit me. I held on to my self, I couldn't cry now. I couldn't breakdown now.

"I won't take this disrespect from you. You either learn your place or I'll happily teach you again." William said and there was promise in his words. He stepped back and that was all I needed. I pulled open the door and rushed out.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't.

I didn't even care anymore. I walked right out of the building and took a cab, calling out the first address, the one place that was the safest. I didn't cry though, I was holding myself together, trying my best to just get to Xander. I just wanted to get to Xander.

Like he knew something was wrong, my phone starts ringing. And it's him. it's Xander.

I wasn't going to cry yet. I wasn'tgoing to cry yet.

"Bram, baby, you didn't text me back. Are you busy? Do you want me to call you back?" Xander asked and that was all it took. Hearing his voice was all it took. The walls came down and I just cried, gasping and just sobbbing.

"Bram? Kitten? What's wrong? Where are you? Do you want me to come right over?" Xander asked and I just couldn't find the words. I just kept crying. Xander stayed on the phone, he was talking but I couldn't hear him anymore. I cried so hard my head began to ache.

The cab pulls to a stop outside the gates of Xander's house just as his range was pulling out. I got down from the car and hurried out. It felt like I could feel William, it felt like I could still feel his hands on my wrists. I didn't want that. I didn't want to feel that. I just wanted Xander.

Xander got down from his range rover and ran towards me. I wanted to get to him, I really did but I didn't have the strength to. He reaches me in time and we fall to the ground together. I was cold again, I could feel the restraints on my wrist and I didn't want to anymore.

Xander was calling my name, I could hear him screaming but I just didn't want to feel anything anymore and it honestly felt like I couldn't breath and maybe if I close my eyes, it would all go away.

So I did.

I closed my eyes and the last thing I heard before I let go was Xander screaming my name.