Azura took the cigarette out, threw it on the ground and stubbed it with his foot. He looked at Jason and titled his head, "Stay away from Dawn after I give you the pen drive and don't even think that I am going to call you for my wedding. I will take Dawn somewhere else, somewhere far."

"Boss, you have my words. You are the leader of the neotides. Do you think I will ever cross your path?" He chuckled nervously.

​​

Azura didn't answer. He lit another cigarette and walked towards his office. However, suddenly he turned his face towards where Dawn was hiding. Dawn quickly turned and pressed hard against the wall, stopping her breath too. Azura shook his head and walked inside the building.

From her location, she heard a car's engine whirring. Her mind became so disoriented with what she just saw that her mind numbed. How did Azura know Jason? How did Jason know that Azura was the leader of the neotides? What was the deal they were talking about? And where would Azura take her? What was the game he was playing? Why did he think that she would marry him? He made a deal about her with the man she hated the most in this world. Her body trembled with shock. A nausea rose in her throat and her heart palpitated. She had to flee from that place now. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked back at the lonely alley. It looked like her life. She shook her head as tears rolled out. She had stolen information from Daryn for Azura. Daryn had killed neotides and she didn't know if he would kill her. Why didn't her wolf agree with her? Instinctively, her feet turned in the opposite direction. She had to get out of this place. Her mind went to Cole. She looked at the watch and it was 3PM. Cole's school would finish in an hour's time. What if Azura reached there before her? What if he took Cole hostage for the information? Her pace increased and now she wanted to run, run like a werewolf she was. So she ran.

---

Daryn's mind became too disturbed and his anxiety was at its peak. He went to the security room and asked them to show him all the videos of the past one-hour. The security men were stunned as to why the CEO was asking about the tapes. But without asking questions, they showed every video to him. Daryn tracked Dawn's movements. Once he saw the tapes till the end, he said, "Erase the past one-hour's video after giving me a copy."

"Yes Sir," said the Head.

The CEO walked out of the room with cold expressions and a tight jaw.

He reached his office floor and looked at Dawn's empty cubicle. Before his breath could become ragged, he hurried into his office. He went to his desk and pounded the corner, which broke and fell off. In anger, he picked the glass paperweight and threw it on the wall. It shattered into hundreds of pieces and flung everywhere. In the next five minutes every piece that was kept on his table was either broken or shattered to smithereens. Even his Apple computer was down on the floor. He walked to the glass window and looked out. The anger, the helplessness and the misery he felt made his wolf agitated. A growl vibrated in his chest. He opened the window and let out his roar. The wind blasted around his face making his hair ruffle violently around his face. How could she do that to him? She was working for Azura – a thought that was unsettling.

Daryn sat down on his knees and bent forward. "Why did you do this to me Dawn?" The void was now hollow and large. It ached. "Dawn, what the hell did you do?" When he looked up, he turned his head over his shoulder to look at the Van Gogh paintings. They brought a mirthless smile on his lips. They stared at him. She was gone. He thought she would not leave. He closed his eyes to shut the painful memories. Like a fool he believed in his trust in her.

The elevator chimed on the outside. He didn't know how much time had passed. He had sat in that position for two hours.

"Can I meet Mr. Daryn Silver?"

His heart leaped into his mouth. Was she back? He sat there paralyzed in his place. He waited. He stared at the doors

"Yes, he is still there," said Reyna.

The doors opened slightly—and Dawn stepped in.

Outside a male's voice he didn't recognize also came "Ouch!" and girls chirping, "How cute? So handsome!"

Dawn closed the door behind her and looked at the scattered office. She bit her lip and turned to bolt the door from inside. She stared at the man she was desperate to meet. He stared back at her. Daryn looked so disheveled that she felt guilty. She could feel his anger and knew why everything in the office was strewn across. As if drawn by a magnet, she walked up to him. Upon reaching him she sat right in front of him on her knees. He kept watching every movement of hers not believing what was happening. Was she there in his office? He gulped saliva down his dry throat. His wolf wanted to jump at her and hold her tight. His fury overpowered. He brought his hands to her face and said in a throaty voice, "You have done something very wrong Ms. Dawn." He brought his hand to her neck and circled it around it. He squeezed it lightly. "You have stolen from me and deserve punishment."

Dawn closed her eyes as she tilted her head upwards. His grip increased tighter. She held his wrist with both her hands and opened her eyes only to find his face less than an inch away from hers. His breathing was ragged and all she could see were his arch-shaped lips. "Leave me," she rasped.

Daryn slowly removed his hand from her neck but didn't move away from her. She lowered her head, supported her hands on his thighs and coughed. He was still towering above her, waiting for her to speak. When she settled, she removed her hands and looked up. "I am sorry," she croaked. Her face was red.

Daryn cupped her petite face in his large ones and with his thumb rubbed the cheeks beneath her eyes. It was not possible for his wolf to not touch her even though he was raging with fury. She looked into his eyes and said, "I have come to return your pen drives."

When he looked down, he found her open palm that had three USBs.

"And what do I own this generosity?" he asked with sarcasm in his voice as his gaze lingered on her lips. "How do I know you haven't shared this info? What about your punishment?"

"I haven't," she said firmly. "I need protection for a few days and then I will leave," she voiced her deal. "And you can punish me as you like."

Daryn got up to his feet and gave his hand to her. She held him and he pulled her up. He spun her around so that her back was facing him. He held her waist from behind with one hand and with the other held her hand. He goaded her to walk to the desk and made her bend over it so that she was supporting herself by holding it. He pulled up her skirt to her waist. "You deserve punishment, Ms. Dawn," he whispered in her ear. His palm connected with a loud slap with her panties before he even knew what he was doing.