Noah gritted his teeth as he stared at his manager. "I would never ask for help from that bastard."
The manager raised an eyebrow, taken aback. "You know Ryder?"
Noah let out a dry laugh, his expression darkening. "Oh, I know him very well. He’s a devil in disguise. You don’t want to deal with soone like him." He could still feel the weight of last night, the confusion, the anger, the humiliation.
Every ti his mind wandered back to it, a knot ford in his stomach. It was like being trapped in a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.
Noah stord out of the office, his thoughts swirling in frustration and disbelief. As he made his way ho, all he could think about was the ss his life had beco. Elijah had ripped everything away from him, and now Ryder—of all people—was being suggested as his savior.
The irony wasn’t lost on him, but it only fueled his anger further.
When Noah finally arrived ho, he found Ash in the living room, his face buried in his hands. Ash’s sobs filled the air, and Noah’s heart sank.
"Ash?" Noah’s voice softened as he walked closer. "What’s wrong? Are you alright? Did Elijah–"
Ash looked up, his tear-streaked face filled with guilt. "I’m sorry, Noah. This is all my fault. You’ve lost everything because of ...because Elijah is obsessed over that stupid revenge with . If I had just—" His voice broke off into another sob. "You e-even lost the company..."
Noah’s chest tightened at his words. He knelt in front of him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hey, stop that. This isn’t your fault. None of this is. Elijah is just a demon. You can’t bla yourself for what he’s done." Noah’s voice was steady, but inside, his own guilt was eating at him. Ash was suffering because of this tangled web they’d all been dragged into.
Ash sniffled, wiping his eyes. "But I feel so useless...I wish I could do sothing."
Noah took a deep breath, pulling Ash into a comforting hug. "You’ve done enough just by being here. We’ll figure sothing out. I promise."
But even as Noah said those words, his mind was racing. How? How were they going to fix this? Elijah had everything under his control, and their options were dwindling. The pressure was suffocating, and now, Ash was drowning in guilt.
As they sat in silence, Noah’s thoughts wandered back to his manager’s suggestion. Ryder Hawthorne. The devil who had caused him nothing but headaches. The idea of going to Ryder for help was almost unbearable.
Noah’s pride scread against it. Ryder wasn’t the kind of man who helped out of the goodness of his heart—he’d want sothing in return, sothing Noah wasn’t sure he was willing to give.
But what other choice did they have? The company was on the verge of collapse, and Noah didn’t want Ash to carry the weight of that guilt any longer. Could he really swallow his pride for the sake of saving everything? For the sake of Ash?
He pulled back from Ash, lost in thought. Maybe—just maybe—there was a sliver of decency buried beneath that smug exterior. But it was a gamble, and Noah knew Ryder well enough to understand that nothing with him ca without strings attached.
Noah exhaled deeply. "I might have an idea..."
Ash looked at him with concern. "What are you thinking?"
"I hate to even consider it," Noah muttered, running a hand through his hair. "But there’s soone who might be able to help us with Elijah. He’s...powerful. Just as much as Elijah, if not more."
"Who?" Ash asked, his voice wary.
"Ryder Hawthorne," Noah said the na like it left a bad taste in his mouth.
Ash blinked, confused. "Ryder? Isn’t he...?"
"An asshole?" Noah finished for him, his jaw clenched. Though Ash wanted to say Elijah’s friend. But that worked too.
"Yes. But he’s also the only one who might stand a chance against Elijah. As much as I hate to admit it, but if there’s anyone who can help us regain control of the company, it’s him."
Ash frowned. "But, Noah, can you really trust him?"
Noah sighed, the weight of the decision settling on his shoulders. "I don’t trust him. But right now, we don’t have many options. And if it ans saving the company and stopping Elijah, then...I’m willing to deal with Ryder. I just have to make sure I don’t end up owing him more than we can afford."
The thought of asking Ryder for help made Noah’s stomach churn, but he knew it was the only way. Elijah wasn’t going to stop until they were ruined, and if Ryder was their best shot at fighting back, then so be it.
But Noah couldn’t shake the feeling that this would only lead him into another dangerous ga—one where Ryder would have the upper hand. And Noah wasn’t sure if he was ready to face what that might cost him.
Noah sat in the company lounge, his foot tapping anxiously against the floor. He had serious doubts about whether Ryder would even help him. After all, Ryder and Elijah were friends. What were the chances Ryder would betray Elijah to help them? The thought nagged at him as he waited, but he had no choice. Swallowing his pride and approaching Ryder was the only option left, no matter how much it twisted his stomach.
Minutes ticked by until finally, his na was called. Noah stood and straightened his jacket, forcing down the knot of nerves in his throat.
When he walked into Ryder’s office, he expected the usual cocky, laid-back Ryder. But instead, he found Ryder seated behind an enormous desk, dressed in a sleek new suit, looking sharp and professional. The stark difference from his usual self threw Noah off balance. Ryder was calm, serious, his hands clasped together as if he were any other businessman handling negotiations.
"Well, doll face," Ryder drawled, looking up with that infuriating smirk spreading across his lips as soon as his eyes landed on Noah. "What a surprise. Co in."
Noah bit back the urge to roll his eyes. He hated that smirk. Every ti he saw it, all he wanted to do was wipe it off Ryder’s face. Reluctantly, he walked inside and took a seat. Ryder leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming with amusent.
"So," Ryder said, his tone light but teasing. "What can I get you? Coffee? Tea? A stiff drink, maybe?"
Noah scrunched his nose in disgust. "Are you a waiter now?" he shot back, the sarcasm dripping from his voice.
Ryder chuckled, shaking his head. "For soone who’s here to ask for help, you sure are bold as fuck," he mused, clearly enjoying himself. He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his desk. "How can I help, Noah?"
Noah hesitated, feeling the weight of the mont. The air between them grew heavier as he struggled to speak. "You already know about our situation with Elijah," he finally said, his voice low. "Can you help us?"
For a brief mont, Ryder just stared at him, silent and unreadable. Then he let out a slow breath, the smirk on his face widening. "Wasn’t it you, doll face, who accused of the worst things this morning? You slapped , if I rember correctly." His tone was mockingly playful, but there was a sharpness in his eyes. "Can you really ask for my help without feeling guilty?"
Noah’s face flushed with anger, feeling a surge of heat rise to his face, embarrassnt intertwining. "That’s different! I—I had every reason to think what I did! How was I supposed to know—"
Ryder waved him off, chuckling to himself. "Oh, Noah. You’re so quick to jump to conclusions." He stood up, his smirk widening into a grin that made Noah’s skin crawl. Ryder began to circle Noah like a predator, eyes fixed on him with a dangerous gleam.
Noah shifted in his seat, feeling like prey under Ryder’s intense gaze. He swallowed hard, his voice tight with frustration. "Will you help us or not?"
Ryder, hands in his pockets, leaned down until his face was re inches from Noah’s. His breath ghosted over Noah’s skin as his dark eyes bore into him.
"If it were anyone else, I might’ve helped you without a second thought," Ryder said, his tone softening slightly. For the first ti, there was a flicker of sothing other than amusent in his eyes—sothing more human. "But this is Elijah we’re talking about. My loyalty to him runs deep."
Noah’s heart sank at his words, and for the first ti, his confident exterior cracked. His eyes softened, and a sense of helplessness washed over him. He could feel himself being backed into a corner.
Ryder paused, his expression faltering for a brief second as he saw the vulnerability in Noah’s eyes. For a mont, his own gaze softened, and he seed to hesitate to tease Noah further. Noah looked genuinely upset.
But whatever that mont was, Ryder pushed it away almost instantly. He wasn’t about to let feelings cloud his judgent. Nothing good ever ca from feelings and emotions.
They make you weak and useless.
So, Ryder did what he always did—he doubled down on being an asshole.
He straightened up, circling back around to face Noah, his lips curling into a devilish grin. His thumb brushed over Noah’s lip in a slow, deliberate motion, his touch both possessive and teasing. "But..." Ryder’s voice dropped lower, more seductive. "If you’re ready to trade sothing more valuable than your pride...maybe I’d consider it."
Noah’s eyes widened, anger and disbelief flooding his chest. He slapped Ryder’s hand away, glaring up at him. "You’ve got to be kidding ."
Ryder laughed, taking a step back, clearly enjoying every second of Noah’s discomfort. "Oh, I’m not kidding, darling. I’m very serious. You want help? You’ve got to give sothing in return. And we both know what you have that’s worth my ti."
Noah clenched his fists, his entire body trembling with frustration. He hated Ryder—hated that smug grin, hated that he was enjoying this, hated that he was right.
But could he really stoop that low? Could he really give in to Ryder’s twisted ga, knowing full well the cost?
Ryder leaned closer once more, his voice a whisper now, dark and tempting. "What’s it going to be, doll face? Your pride...or Elijah destroying everything you care about?"
Noah stared at Ryder, his mind racing. He had no idea what to do, but the look in Ryder’s eyes told him this was far from over.
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