Desired by All and He Threw Away 14

Chapter 14 

Taylor POV 

The words fall from his lips like they’re carved in stone, smooth a deliberate. 

“What?” I can’t believe what I heard. 

“I need a commoner girlfriend,” Aiden says, as if he is reading a line from a business plan. “Someone grounded, someone the media won’t tear apart.” 

“Someone who will stand by me while I clean up my reputation.” His eyes flicker cool and unreadable. 

Sunlight streams through the tall windows, spilling across his des and catching on the polished wood. 

He sits there with effortless command, one arm resting casually on the chair’s armrest and the other draped across the desk as if it belongs to him. And maybe it does. 

The way the light skims over his jaw, over the faint stubble shadowing his skin, makes him look maddeningly composed, kinda attractive. 

My gaze lingers a bit longer than it should. Heat stirs low in my stomach before I shake my head sharply. 

“In exchange, Taylor,” he says, voice smooth and deliberate, “I can give you anything you want–money, fame, stability. Whatever you dream of.” 

I stand there motionless, staring at him. The office weighs down on me like heavy lead while my heart beats rapidly in my ears. He delivers the statement with complete nonchalance, as if trading my soul is the most natural thing in the world. 

Heat spikes in my chest as the words fly out before I can prevent them from escaping. “So in your eyes I’m just a naive ‘lower- class‘ woman willing to do anything for status and money?” My voice cracks with anger, sharp enough to sting. “You can’t fire me one–minute and call me your girlfriend the next. I’m not going to agree to this.” 

His jaw tenses, but I don’t let him cut in. The floodgate’s already broken. “I already have someone I’m seeing.” 

The lie rolls off my tongue smoother than I expect, but my chest aches with the weight of it. 

I force myself to hold his stare. “He might not be as rich as you, but he’s a much better person. You’ve had so many failed 

relationships, Aiden–don’t you ever wonder why? Even with all your money, all your power, you still lose to men who have less. 

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The silence that follows could crack glass. Aiden’s gaze sharpens, the kind of look that pins me like a bug under glass. He inhales once, steady, then snaps my name like a whip. 

“Taylor.” The warning in his tone slices right through my bravado 

My throat tightens, a chill crawling over my skin. 

He’s angry. Very angry. And I should stop–any normal person would stop–but something in me refuses to shrink back. 

I don’t move. I don’t blink. 

His lips press into a line. Then, he rises to his full height slowly. 

Damn, I knew he was tall, but I didn’t realize he was this tall. He’s robably pushing six five. Each step he takes toward me shrinks the room. 

The soft thud of his shoes on the carpet sounds like a countdown. hate myself for noticing, but the black suit he wears clings to his chest, stretching over muscle shifting with his every step. 

The faint scent of cedar and his expensive cologne reaches me, migling with the sterile tang of the office air. 

My breath stutters. 

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Chapter 14 

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I swallow hard, my throat dry and my pulse hammering. My body trays me, retreating instinctively until my back brushes the cold edge of the wall. 

My arms fold across my chest like a shield, hoping to protect myse from this man. 

“Don’t do anything reckless,” I snap, though my voice trembles. “our reputation can’t take much more damage. 

His face doesn’t flicker. No anger. No amusement. Just flat, cutting cold. “Don’t flatter yourself,” he says, tone clipped. “I’m not interested in you. You should know what I like.” 

Yes, tall skinny blonde. 

But the words sting more than I expect. Something bitter rises in my chest, burning hotter than the shame. 

“You came to me for cooperation,” I hiss, glaring at him. “So clearly I must have something you want. Maybe the fact that I know some of Dylan’s dirty secrets? If you really want my help, don’t try to bribe me.. Maybe I’ll help you if you beg.” 

For the first time, Aiden’s expression shifts. A flicker of surprise or curiosity maybe. 

“I never beg,” he says. “But if you don’t know what to ask for, I can offer you my price.” 

“You’ll be my girlfriend for six months. We’ll attend events together and help me with my public image. And in return, you’ll give me everything you know about Dylan. Every detail, every scrap of dirt.” 

“That’s the deal.” His lips curve, faint and sharp. “And when it’s done, I’ll buy you a penthouse in New York. 

“Five million dollars. A home, a life, anything you want–except love.” 

A penthouse. Five million. My breath catches and for a second, I can’t even form a thought. 

The offer is downright absurd. My heart lurches, torn between temptation and disgust. 

All that money. 

All that security. Everything I’ve been scrambling for is right there dangling in front of me like a poisoned apple. But the way he says it and the way he looks at me like I’m just another pawn in his endless game. 

I lift my chin, clinging to what little pride I have left. “I don’t need your money.” 

His eyes narrow, studying me, peeling me apart layer by layer. My pulse flutters nervously. 

“Maybe I should leave.” Leave before I change my mind. 

And then, like salvation and disaster in the same breath. My phone rings and Kiera’s name shows on my screen. 

Of all the times- 

I swipe to answer, voice rushed. “Hey-” 

Her voice explodes through the speaker, bouncing off the walls. “ylor! Where are you? I’ve been calling all day! The landlord called here again, saying you should come for the rest of your stuff and girl- another thing seriously, you’ve been moping like it’s an Olympic sport about not having a job. You need something to pull you out of this slump. And for heaven’s sake, figure out a plan before the universe explodes!” 

Blood rushes to my cheeks, heat searing my skin. My eyes dart to den. His gaze locked on me, unreadable but the faintest curve tugs at the corner of his mouth. 

He heard everything. Every humiliating detail. 

“Kiera, not now- –“I mumble, but it’s too late. 

My grip tightens around the phone as my face burns hotter, the humiliation settling in like a weight on my chest. 

And Aiden. He just watches, ever so calm and patient like the entire room now belongs to him. 

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Chapter 16