2. Million Dollar Face

Time freezes.

Earth stops spinning.

And my heart sinks down to hell as those mysterious green eyes look back at me and I recognise him.

Dakota.. A brooding beast in the form of a man.

Slide show of my disturbing past plays in the theater of my head and suddenly my muscles contract in panic as he narrows his eyes in vex as if he recognised me.

Recognised the girl who sent him to jail for something he didn’t do. It was three years ago when I met him in an inimical situation.

He had a perfect life.

A stardom that would shake your knees and fans, that would break bones just to see him once on the stage. He was the baddest fighter in the underground. An unbeatable wildebeest, with a power of ten wolves. They called him Alpha.

On top of that, he had a reputation to be the next Khalifa to rule the undergrounds. And then one chaotic moment, and I sent him to the hell. Which took away everything from him.

His pride, fame and his will.

And now he is slowly standing while watching me with those toxic green eyes that burn on my flesh. Hair pricks under my clothes and I feel my height sinking low as if my six senses, sensed danger.

Ahem

I look back at the secretary who is waiting for me to step in while she still holds the door. A part of me wants to flee away from his cabin, his building, his life coz the way his gaze hardens at me, I know he is not pleased to see me here or alive.

“Please. Come in.” His deep voice echoes in the cabin and I shudder feeling the nostalgia. My body still remembers the spine-chilling shivers it used to get with just his voice.

I pull my lips up in a forceful smile and shove my scared ass inside. My heart shrieks as I take every step into his cabin which feels like entering a deadly animal’s den. A ferocious one.

His cabin alone is bigger than my classroom. It is wide and spacious with a wall completely missing. Instead, a transpicuous glass covers the missing space from floor to the ceiling, giving the bewitched view of East-Seattle from here.

And to its corner, a mahogany table is decorated with black glassy top and behind is an executive chair of black leather that shrieks of dominance, saying who ever sits here holds the maximum power in the room.

His long legs stride towards me attentively and he actions at the couch in front of him. “Please, have a seat.” My skirt stretches up a little and I try pulling it down as I sit on his L-shaped grey sofa that feels expensive than my kidneys.

He sits back in his chair that is higher than his head and watches me keenly. I recall the etiquettes and cross my right leg on the top of left- wait, was it left leg on the right or-no.

“Are you not comfortable sitting there?” I look up to his prudent eyes as I hear his deep intimidating voice again. “Do you want to sit in a chair?” He opens his suit’s button as he stands up from his executive chair. That is the only chair in the room.

“No. No. I was just settling.” I smile shyly as if he was offering his lap than the chair. I just have two legs and I got confused between the right and left.

Imagine if I was an octopus.

Focus on the interview! I warn my brain to stay on the track while I open the notepad and look for the questions I came here to interview him. I never knew his last name was Black.

Just like him.. Dark and Mysterious.

I push a loose lock away from my eyes and press the play button on the small remote in my hand. Green light glows on the device and I keep it on the small heighted glass table in front of me. Still scared to look up in those eyes that sway of dominance.

It’s been three years, yet the way his green eyes glint with a feral instinct didn’t change at all. In fact, currently it reaches its zenith. Like the Sun in the noon, right above your head. And there is nothing in the world compared to its light and heat.

But I look up, courageously. Stare into his predatory gaze and acknowledge his imperial presence in the room. “Mr. Black.” I nod as a cue to tell him I am ready.

Dakota presses on the telepad screen on his desk and says, “Bring a coffee for Miss Stone.” All while keeping his eyes on me. My heart does a sudden thump and goes absolute silence.

I didn’t even tell him my name and it surprises me that he still remembers it. Of course! I sent him to jail.

He will remember me even if he gets amnesia.

I gulp my fake confidence and read the first question from the notepad, “How come an undergrad major, IT aspirant could build a company that is overpowering the old timers in industrial science? What is your secret?”

And suddenly I want to know as well. If the magazine wanted to interview him so badly, it is obvious he didn’t make his living sitting sexily behind a desk.

“There is no secret. It’s intelligence having fun with creativity.” He starts with Einstein’s famous quote and continues, “Keeping up with the technology and discovering new innovations is the key element to stand out in any market. Having faith in the future execution of the company is terms of valuation is another important aspect.” He spells every word confidently, and I nod looking for another question.

“It says you left your internship with Tesla and started your own company, which now provides machine learning and AI to Tesla. Why so much hypocrisy?” I speak and slowly look up at him.

The way his eyes darken at me, I slowly want to crawl under the table for protection. Guilt of acid bubbles up in me knowing I was the main reason he lost his dream job at Tesla.

And he knows that very well.

Suddenly, the door opens and I pull my eyes from his punishing gaze as the blondie with a high bun walks in with a cup of coffee. “Thank you.” I thank her for other reason and take a breath of relief.

I am so dead. Dead like T-rex.

“I believe in excellence and individualistic work, Miss Stone.” Dakota stands up, closing the button on his suit. No amount of Armani tailoring could soften those broad shoulders and built muscles hiding under the cloth as he walks towards me with his calculative steps.

I gulp the frozen saliva in my throat as he sits to the adjacent side of the couch, keeping his elbow casually on the armrest saying, “My goal is not to just print dollars, but to make the modern AI reachable to every stream. Hence, HighBar services are not limited to Tesla, Tata, or government’s EV automobile program, but to architecture, security and safety, home appliances, and keeping more room for quotidian areas.”

It was hard to breathe being with him in the same room and now that he is sitting so close to me, my heart forgets to beat. When I crowd up the courage to look at him, he is already staring at me.

Last time I looked into his eyes this close, they were sad and I left him broken. But today, they appear fierce, and look boldly back at me with a glint of supremacy that can be only confused with arrogance.

“When did you make your first million?” I read another question.

His lips control the smile as he takes a deep breath as if reliving that awesome moment of his life. “5th May 2021, I made my first million. Actually, correct it to ‘we’. We made our first million then. I am truly blessed with an exceptional team and prodigious co-workers who are dedicated in working on a common vision to change this world with innovation..”

While he talks about his work proudly, I couldn’t help but notice how compelling his personality is. He is a perfect epitome of a passionate man who wants to change the world with his intelligence.

But other than his great mind, Dakota possesses a captivating figure. His black hair, as thick and lustrous as fox fur is cut short in layers with his dusky beard trimmed along to his strong jawline that gives him a manly look.

My eyes slide to his green orbs that burn brightly as he looks at me, deadpan and I realize he stopped speaking a minute ago. “Oh, yes. Um..” I turn away immediately, feeling embarrassed of being caught staring at his million dollar face.

But the awareness continues to spread over my skin, heating it so intensely that I know he is still looking at me. My fingers fidget through the pages and I read out any random question.

“Your honesty about not being involved in any of illegal police cases- Are your claims about your track record holds true?”

Only to realize it too late.