The Kidnapped Bride

At this stage, her eyes burned with anger and fury. All she needed was to cut this man's neck into pieces and make his body rot in some kind of deep forest.

Yet the words he says had double meanings. "It would be appreciated if Mr. Smith says what he wishes to."

Still seeing her patience, made James's smile turn wider. "You are a nice woman, did so many things for Lucas so why not me?"

"Because I have no interest in working with someone who is here just no one. I would prefer working with the real heir of the Smith family!"

The clear meaning of her words was enough to make him frown. The smile faded and the annoyed look surfaced. Taking the same opportunity, she held his hand which had started to slide near her waist.

With her hands stopping him right there, she shook her head strongly."Don't. I never permitted you to do that."

"So, is Ms. Olivia not willing to take my offer? Just because you feel that Lucas is the real heir, not me?" He asked, but not as soft as earlier. 

She could already see the patient level with which he dealt with her.

"Lucas and I worked for several years. He isn't merely my boss but also my friend. I would like to support my friend in his bad times, instead of pairing up with his enemy." 

Olivia said, with her meaningful gaze. In the back of her mind, she knew that her work was primarily for Austin too. 

How will the man react when his ears get the wind that Lucas's… illegitimate brother has appeared and will be the next threat to them?

She won't be measured if he rages up, in the end, this is the sole reason behind her. "Moreover, I don't know you at all. How do you work or your way of dealing with things? I will only work with someone whom I know..."

"You are again making a mistake..." his gaze was hard on her when she smiled. The smile of hers reached her ears when she knew the biggest mistake wasn't this. "No issues. In the end, my life."

He took a step back, without tearing his gaze away from her face. The images printed in her mind: He is more dangerous than his brother.

Her eyes narrowed when she realized that this man.. had a similar structure to the man who she had last night. The bruises in his hand, which her eyes caught, were… something giving her mixed feelings.

'How can this be true? No, he doesn't know me and won't dare to come to my house and threaten me so frankly...' she never took this man seriously enough.

Unfortunately, he has the capacity to destroy her as well as her upcoming plans.

"I would see you nearby. After all, we all will be working here so, seeing your face daily is going to be no big deal. Have a good day!" 

With this, she took a few steps before turning around and opening the door to leave. Her legs made their way towards the door, shutting it behind. The grin and the confident look lasted on her face and were nowhere to be seen anymore.

But instead of dropping it, she kept her chin high to make her way towards her own cabin before she locked it from inside. She stood with the support of her door when a tired look passed on her entire face. 

'That was a really close one…'

Her eyes traveled to see her phone lying there. 

Without delaying the moment anymore, Olivia took the phone into her hands and dialed the number. The ring went through the other side and the other party answered with an angry tone.

"You are an idiot? You are calling me from a normal number!?" Austin's shrill voice didn't make much of the difference to her. "This is.. really important.. please Austin...."

Olivia fell on the chair as she kept her hand over her forehead.  Sweat started to trickle down her forehead when she had to take deep breaths before. "Something major happened."

"This is risky…" he answered but she didn't care. "You care about risk!?! Even when I tell you that someone knows about me and my identity already!?"

There was absolute silence from the other side when she heard his deep breathing. He didn't answer,, instead kept mum, making her more anxious.

"Austin!" Yelling his name, her face curved down to realize that he wasn't even conversing with her anymore. "Are you even listening to what I said!?!"

"Who has found this out?" Came the voice from the other side, making Olivia shake her head. How was he still so calm despite what she just told him?!

"So.. There's a man who showed up at my place last night. It was some stranger, wearing a mask to cover his face. God knows who that man was…" she was stressed out and it was very  much evident from her voice as well

The disturbance caused by others was making her undergo thousands of negative thoughts already. As if, what will happen to her if she is caught by them?! Will they leave her alive!?

Austin didn't utter a single word from the other side, making her heartbeat at an erratic speed. His silence only added to her current worry where she wanted to just ask but no words seemed to come out. 

'He is also ignoring me?' She doesn't know if this is the harsh truth. After all, will he leave her hand when she is on the edge of being exposed? 

But then, she heard, "The stranger came into your house and you didn't tell me?! Olivia, it is the next morning! At least you should have informed me about this before!" 

He was cold in his voice making her gulp the saliva present in her mouth, "I..I know I should have told you before but what would have you even done by sitting there?" 

"I would have done what I could have! You..just take everything for granted! You feel that your Lucas will save you, but to be the real fact, he won't…" this was the harsh truth that was on her face.

Her lips were formed into a thin line where she couldn't help but feel as if this was the ultimate reality that was presented in front of her. 'He has saved me all these years without any relationship..' Austin and her relationship were hard to define and she won't deny that. 

But.. They both aren't in love with her either but with different people. "That is something to deal with. Today, Lucas' illegitimate brother has shown up at our office and he has taken control of the many departments which were earlier under Lucas!" 

"So, now the command is under the illegitimate child's hand, not Lucas?" Austin enquired to which Olivia answered with a positive answer. She knew that this might take time for Austin to accept that their plan has been tempered.

"How is Lucas reaching?" Austin was more interested to learn how that bastard coping up after whatever happened. Especially when everything is almost on the verge of being snatched through his hands.

Olivia's eyes traveled to the door of hers, seeing that there was none outside the room of hers, and sighed. "Not good. He is down.."

"Expected him. Did you talk with the new man? What is his name?" Austin was currently present in his room when he was tying his tie. Standing in front of the mirror, his phone was on the speaker. "James.. James Smith."

'James Smith…' hearing her name, Austin's forehead crumbled down. A sly glint passed through his eyes when he tried to recall. 'Why do I feel I have listened to this.. abroad?'

He wasn't sure yet now that he is actually said to be the Illegitimate Smith, he is much interested to find out. "Did you have a talk with that man?"

"He called me into his cabin and offered me something of real value.." Austin tied the tie of his and at last, he moved to his bed to take the coat. "Hmm.. I'm listening."

"Wel… the man was, at first, good to talk to but later on, he switched into his flirty tone. I don't know, I feel, he knows about me the way he stares into my eyes and body.."  She wasn't entirely comfortable saying that.

Not having anybody to say that James is already down about her. Yet her information strongly suggests that his man wan up to no good in her life.

"If he knew, he would have taken some actions. Although things might be somewhat coincidental as well, I will see what I can hear. What else?"

"He asked me to join him as his secretary," Olivia answered, in a bit low voice but it was enough to make Austin stop in his work.

When his hand reached the nearby table to pick the wristwatch, his eyes moved to his phone which was on the bed. "H-His secretary?"

The line on his forehead depended on when she answered, "Yes! And I will not do that at any cost!"

Austin was choked, as he knew that this was something out of his expectation.  He never thought that Lucas's enemy would be trying to hire Olivia!

Picking up his phone, he brought it near his ears and switched off the speaker. "Olivia.."

"Hmm?"

"Do as he said. Be his secretary."

...

So, this is the long chapter.. For almost 1,6k words chapter. Do let me know, which one gives you more feel? 2 chapters or one long chapter?