Chapter 3

I mentioned resigning, as it was the only way I'd survive this.

Cordelia froze for a moment, then suddenly laughed. That laugh made my skin crawl.

"Resign?" she repeated, setting her coffee cup down with a crisp clink. "You found out my secret with Chloe, and you think quitting is all it takes?"

Then, she stood up and walked over to me, looking up a bit.

She was tall, over 5'6", but standing in front of me, who was over 5'9", she still had to look up.

"You know? The only ones who never spill secrets are the dead," she said.

I cursed in my head, 'Damn it. Figures the thing I dreaded most happened.'

"I can keep my mouth shut as well as any dead man," I said, trying to act brave. "I won't spill a single word I shouldn't."

"But living people always run the risk of spilling secrets," she said, shaking her head. "That's why dead people are the safest."

"It's not exactly easy to make someone disappear in broad daylight, is it?" I shot back, trying to sound tough.

Cordelia laughed, enjoying herself. "You don't get it, do you? With enough money, there is nothing you can't pull off.

"They say you can pick how you want someone to die. Fire. Drowning. Car crash... There's a million ways to do it."

I chickened out. My courage completely collapsed. I thought I was done for.

"Ms. Owens, I'm not quitting my job. I swear," I blurted out, waving my hands frantically. "Please tell me what to do."

"Come here," she said.

I walked over to the couch.

"Sit," she said.

I sat down, keeping as much distance as I could.

"Move closer," she requested.

I scooted over a little.

"Get over here!" Cordelia shot me a glare. "Do you think I'm gonna eat you or something?"

I had no choice but to scoot over again, leaving a whole seat between us.

"Closer," she demanded.

I had no choice but to end up practically shoulder to shoulder with her.

She seemed satisfied, turning to face me. "You want me to show you a way out?" she asked.

I nodded like crazy in response.

"I only trust two kinds of people: those who are dead and those who are my people," she said.

"How do I become one of your people?" I asked gingerly.

"If you're mine, you're one of my people," she replied.

"So, what does it take to be yours?" I asked.

She gave a sly little smile, her eyes curving into playful crescents.

"Kiss me," Cordelia said.

My brain short-circuited again.

'What? Kiss you? Wait, aren't you into women? Shouldn't you hate guys like me?' I wondered.

I was rooted to the spot, totally frozen.

"What's wrong? Are you unwilling?" Her voice turned cold.

I looked right at her.

Cordelia was seriously stunning. Her features were so flawless that it was like she was from an oil painting. Her skin practically glowed, and her lips were full and red. She was a total knockout.

'A kiss is a kiss, not like I'm losing out or anything,' I told myself inwardly.

Then, I steeled myself and leaned in.

Cordelia took the lead, way more forward than me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in for a kiss.

It wasn't a quick peck but a real, deep kiss, as if she wanted to devour me whole.

We kissed for what felt like ten whole minutes.

Her lips were insanely soft, with a faint taste of coffee.

I was totally frozen at first, but before I knew it, my arms were around her waist.

Her waist fit perfectly in my hand, so slim I could hold it with one grip.

Cordelia started yanking at my clothes.

For a split second, my mind snapped back to reality, and I quickly grabbed her wrists to stop her.

She stopped and looked at me. Her gaze chilled instantly.

"If you don't want this, you can leave right now," Cordelia said.

She stood up, walked over to the bookshelf, and pulled out a book, Complete Works of Shakespeare.

She pressed something on the bookshelf. The bookshelf slid apart, revealing the hidden room.

She shot me a look over her shoulder. "If you change your mind, lock the door behind you and come find me inside."

With that, she disappeared inside.

I stood in the middle of the office, staring at the open hidden door.

My mind was at war with itself. 'Should I walk out? But if I leave, am I gonna end up in some freak accident tomorrow? Should I stay? But if I stay, that means...

'I'm only 23. I can't let my whole future disappear for nothing,' I thought to myself.

I made my way over to the office door and locked it behind me. After locking the door, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

I headed back to the bookshelf, took a deep breath, and slipped into the hidden room.

The bedroom inside was small, maybe around 220 sq.ft.

A big bed dominated the space, soft yellow lights glowed on the walls, and a few abstract paintings hung here and there.

Cordelia was already stretched out on the bed.

The blanket was pulled up to her chest, revealing her pale shoulders and elegant collarbones. She looked so elegant that I couldn't help but recall a swan.

"There's a button on the wall behind you. Press it," Cordelia said.

I turned around. Yep, there it was, a tiny button on the wall. I hit the button, and the bookshelf door slid closed.

As soon as the door shut, I got a sinking feeling, as if I'd walked right into a trap.

'Damn. Did I get hustled?' I thought.

"Come here," Cordelia said, curling her finger at me.

I walked over.

"Do you want to undress yourself, or do you want me to help?" she asked.

Silently, I started taking off my clothes on autopilot, hands moving without me thinking.

My mind was still a mess.

Everything that happened in the afternoon kept replaying in my head, such as getting scolded, Chloe, the urgent file, knocking on the door, walking in, and then seeing the two women on the bed.

Before I could process it all, all of a sudden, Cordelia grabbed me and pulled me over.

She didn't hold back. Next thing I knew, I was sprawled right on top of her.

She'd already thrown the blanket aside. Our skin touched. It was scorching, sending a jolt through my whole body.