Chapter 3 Dominate
At that moment, the door opened again, and Kayla stepped inside, carrying two cups of coffee. She stopped near Ivy, shuffling closer and whispering excitedly, "He’s handsome, isn’t he? I was stunned too when I first saw him at the reception. He’s so freaking gorgeous—oh my God!"
Ivy snapped out of her stupor, realizing she hadn’t misunderstood. Forcing her legs to move, she walked toward the table.
Kayla quickly set the coffees down and rushed out as fast as she had come.
Ivy placed the file on the table and took a deep breath, her eyes momentarily shutting. Then, she finally turned to Christian.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Evans. I won’t be taking this project," she said with finality, picking up the file again and preparing to leave. "I’ll ask Mr. Wilson to assign this to someone else."
As she stepped away, Christian moved in front of her, blocking her path.
"You don’t have the authority to deny a project, Ivy." His voice was soft, calm—so calm it made her insides tremble.
Her fingers tightened around the file, anger rising.
Christian reached out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward the door. "Come with me. We’ll discuss this over lunch."
She frowned, tugging her hand free. "I don’t have time for that. If you have anything to discuss, we can talk right here. And as I said, I won’t be taking this project. I will inform Mr. Wilson—"
"You can deny the project. You can deny having lunch with me. That’s fine." Christian cut in smoothly. "As long as you're okay with me showing up here every single day, in front of everyone. If you aren’t having lunch with me, I will stay with you in this office."
Ivy felt her patience slipping with every passing second. Clenching her teeth, she slammed the file onto the table and turned to him fully.
"Christian, we aren’t young anymore. I’m not young, and stupid anymore. The childish games you used to play—you need to stop them now."
Christian didn’t flinch. "I’m not playing any games. It’s just a simple request. Just one lunch, Ivy. You and me, in a quiet place, with all your favorite flowers around."
She exhaled sharply, her hand trembling with anger. "Christian, listen." She pushed her hair back with her fingers, trying to steady herself. "You’re rich and powerful. You have an entire world of women at your feet. You don’t have to do this. This isn’t fun, or a game, or a chase. You don’t have to waste your time on me. You can pick any woman out there, and she will happily do whatever you want."
Christian remained composed, though a flicker of displeasure crossed his face before he buried it beneath his calm exterior.
He stepped closer, but she immediately took a step back, keeping her distance.
"I only want you.” he growled.
His words sent a shiver down her spine.
“I told you five years ago, Ivy. The only man you will ever have in your life is me. That’s the only choice you have. The only love you will ever have. You will marry me."
Ivy snapped. "I will not marry you!" Her voice rose in frustration. "I told you back then, and I’m repeating it now—I don’t like you, Christian. I never did, and I never will!"
A muscle ticked in Christian’s jaw but his expression didn’t change.
"We’ll see about that," he muttered in that infuriatingly calm voice.
Then, without another word, he reached for a lunchbox on the table and placed it in her hands.
"Don’t get agitated right now. You’ll fall sick," he said, his voice softer this time. "Here." His fingers brushed against hers as he pressed the box into her grasp. His other hand lifted to the side of her head, his thumb grazing softly against her hair.
"Finish this. Breakfast is important for you. Otherwise, your blood pressure will drop again."
Then, just like that, he turned and walked out of the meeting room.
Ivy gripped the lunchbox, her fingers tightening in pure rage. Marching out of the office, she strode down the corridor and then tossed the lunchbox straight into the trash can.
Evening arrived, and with the workload easing, Ivy walked out of Wilson Associates with Jake, one of her teammates. He was in his early twenties—charming, eager, and thrilled to work with her. They had teamed up on a few projects, and in just one day, they had become good associates.
As they stepped out of the building, Jake turned to her. "Hey, wanna grab some drinks at the bar across the street before heading home? It’s your first day here. A celebration drink is mandatory!"
Ivy smiled. "Sure."
"Great!" Jake grinned, pulling out his car keys. "Let me get my car. Wait for me here."
He turned and jogged toward the parking lot.
Ivy watched him disappear, then turned back to the main road—only to freeze.
Christian was standing a few feet away, leaning against his BMW, hands in his pockets, staring at her with a chilling expression. He was still dressed in his suit from the morning, his dark eyes unreadable.
His voice was cold. "If you go out for drinks with him, I’ll break his legs."
Ivy’s initial shock faded into irritation. Her gaze turned sharp.
"Christian, you need to stop being unreasonable. Don’t you think you’re being too domineering for someone who has nothing to do with my life?"
He pushed off the car and started walking toward her. His voice dropped to a dangerous murmur.
"You haven’t seen me dominate yet, Ivy."
Before she could step back, he reached her, bent down, and swept her into his arms.
"Christian! Put me down!" She pushed at his shoulders, but he carried her to his car without breaking stride.
Carrying her to his car, he placed her in the seat as she continued to struggle.
"Let me out! What the hell are you doing?!"
Ignoring her, he leaned in, grabbing the seatbelt and securing it around her.
"Are you even listening to me? Let me out!" Ivy insisted.
Christian finally turned to her, their faces just inches apart. She instinctively leaned back against the seat, but he followed, closing the distance. His hands braced on either side of her, caging her in.
His lips inched closer.
Just as he was about to kiss her, Ivy turned her head away, her expression cold as ice.
Christian’s face was close to her cheek now, his soft breath on her skin. A faint smile appeared on his otherwise cold face. Instead of retreating, he leaned in, his fingers tilting her face slightly. He pressed a slow, lingering kiss to the side of her head, his lips brushing against the top of her ear with a featherlight touch before pulling away.
Shivers ran down Ivy’s entire body, but she tightened her fists, digging her nails into her palms. She refused to let him see the way he unraveled her with the simplest touch.
Without another word, he pulled away, closing the car door behind him before moving to the other side to take his seat.
"Drive," he instructed the driver.
The driver obeyed immediately, starting the car and weaving through the city streets.
Christian turned to Ivy, his sharp gaze scanning her face. “Why did you try to run away today?” His voice was calm but edged with something unreadable. “You knew that since you didn’t have lunch with me, I’d come to get you for dinner, right?”
“No,” she replied, her voice indifferent. A lie.
She knew him too well. She had worked at Evans Holdings for just three months, but Christian had embedded himself in her world like her own shadow. He had a way of surrounding her existence completely, as if she were the only thing that existed to him, as if nothing else in his life mattered beyond Ivy. As if he had nothing else to do—nothing else to look for—except her.
Once again, her chest tightened, and a sharp pain wrapped around every inch of her being, suffocating and relentless. It wasn’t just a fleeting ache—it was the kind that settled deep into her bones, clawing at her heart like an old wound that refused to heal.
She took a slow breath, forcing herself to stay composed. "I still have a meeting to attend," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I need to finish it before I can leave for the day."
Christian’s expression remained unreadable. “Got it,” he muttered. “Tell the driver your work location. I’ll take you there.”
The drive to her workplace was mercifully short, lasting no more than twenty minutes. Silence filled the car the entire ride. As soon as the car stopped in front of Grand Aurelia Real Estate, Ivy reached for the door, but Christian was faster. He stepped out first and walked around, opening her door fully and extending a hand to help her out of the car. But she ignored it, stepping down on her own.
He didn’t seem fazed. Instead, he calmly handed her the phone she had left on the car seat, along with her file.
Without a word, Ivy turned and walked up to the building, but she could still feel his gaze on her, burning into her back.
Two hours later, Ivy stepped out of the building. The sky had darkened, the city lights flickering to life. Beside her, Jenna—her colleague from the law department—kept rambling on about work.
Just as Ivy stepped into the open air, her eyes lifted, and she spotted Christian pacing by the car, arms folded across his chest, looking as though he had been waiting the entire time. The second he heard their voices, his head lifted. His gaze locked onto hers, and a flicker of brightness lit up his usually cold eyes.
Jenna sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh my God. Who is that hottie?” she whispered excitedly. “He is so damn handsome!”
Ivy’s gaze slid to Jenna, whose expression had turned starstruck, completely under Christian’s spell.
“I think I wanna kidnap him and hide him in my basement,” Jenna giggled, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “That’s it—I’m making him my next boyfriend.”
“Jenna,” Ivy grabbed her arm as Jenna started to move toward Christian. Keeping her voice low, Ivy warned, “You shouldn’t do that. He’s not a good man.”
Jenna shrugged, unbothered. “Even better. I love bad boys and toxic relationships. That’s what keeps my blood pumping.” She winked at Ivy. “Just watch—I’ll have him wrapped around my finger in no time. And when he’s mine, I’ll flaunt him like a trophy.”
Before Ivy could stop her, Jenna yanked her arm free, flipped her hair, and strutted toward Christian with confidence. She reached him and flashed her sweetest smile.
“Hey,” she greeted, tilting her head slightly, her tone flirtatious. “Are you here for work too? My friend and I just got done with some business with them. I’m a lawyer, by the way.” She extended her hand for a handshake.
Christian barely looked at her. His expression remained blank as his eyes dropped to her outstretched hand.
“Sure,” he muttered in a dry voice, making no move to shake it.
Jenna’s smile faltered slightly as she awkwardly lowered her hand. Recovering quickly, she pulled out her phone. “Let’s exchange numbers,” she suggested, typing something on her screen. “It’s always good to make business connections, right?”
Christian didn’t even spare her a second glance. Instead, he took a single step back, subtly but completely dismissing her.
“I don’t need that.” he said flatly before turning away, dismissing her so coldly that Jenna’s face flushed with embarrassment. Without another word, she turned sharply on her heel and stormed away, her head held high as if nothing had happened. But Ivy could see how tightly she was gripping her phone.
Ivy walked toward the car, file in hand. As she approached, Christian opened the door for her, reaching to take her hand, but she ignored him again and slipped inside on her own.
The car started, merging into traffic once more.
Christian didn’t complain about her staying late or keeping him waiting. He simply sat beside her, his hand resting dangerously close to hers on the center console. The silence between them felt suffocating.
Then, without a word, he pulled out his laptop and started working. Ivy let out a quiet breath of relief.
The car eventually came to a stop in front of a grand, luxurious mansion. The estate loomed tall with its modern decor—floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a sprawling garden, and even a charming European-style room visible from outside. Warm yellow lighting bathed the interior, highlighting the cozy couches and large fireplace.
Ivy’s heart clenched.
Five years ago, she had briefly mentioned to Christian the kind of home she wanted to live in. She had described it vaguely—just a passing thought at the time.
And this… this was exactly it.