Love or Die: CEO’ s Daily Dose of Swoon (Cordelia) novel Chapter 4

Cordelia stepped into the shop that looked modest from the outside, only to find it was more like a mini-mart on the inside, spanning well over a thousand square feet. Several aisles stocked with an array of items stood erect, much like the aisles of a supermarket.

Oddly, for such a sizable store, no customers were shopping. Only two men stood near the checkout counter by the entrance.-

With a smirk and cute fangs that suggested he was probably an employee, one of them was trying to appease the other, a gesture that seemed to have irritated the man beside him.

The angry man was dressed head-to-toe in black, a pair of jeans, and a button-up shirt. His head bowed, short hair partially obscuring his sharp features. One hand casually tucked into his pocket while the other had the shirt sleeve rolled up to reveal a forearm with long, defined fingers resting leisurely on the countertop. He had an aura that screamed 'trouble.'

At that moment, both men were staring at Cordelia as she entered. The “cute-fanged” employee's plastered smile froze into a grimace as if he'd seen a ghost.

Cordelia paused as a wave of confusion washed over her.

It took ten seconds for the eerie silence to break when the apparent owner finally spoke with an unsettling tone. "What can I get you?"

His voice, surprisingly, was quite melodious.

After a brief hesitation, Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, you got any bottled water?"

"Yeah." The man motioned to his employee, whom Cordelia dubbed 'Little Fang,' "Go fetch one."

With a snap of his fingers, 'Little Fang' scampered off toward the fridge in the corner.

Soon, a bottle of water was on the counter.

Bending her head to open her wallet, Cordelia inquired, "How much is it?"

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her, the bottle of water being pushed toward her as the man's deep, magnetic voice floated down from above. "On the house, girl."

Startled, Cordelia looked up.

The man towered over her. Leaning slightly forward, his strikingly handsome face was mere inches from hers. His deep eyes seemed to hold endless depths, sending a shiver down her spine.

This man was dangerous. She needed to keep her distance.

As she stepped back, her mind clouded over, a warm current rushing through her chest as if something within her was awakening.

Then, a sharp pain exploded in her heart, as if something had brutally stabbed and stirred within her!

Cordelia doubled over in agony. Her forehead beaded with cold sweat. A whispering voice seemed to echo from afar, yet it felt so close, chanting. "Love or die... love or die..."

The pain escalated, becoming so intense that she struggled to breathe!

The crippling sensation made it clear that this was no joke. But where could she find a romance on such short notice?

Just then, a large hand grasped her arm. She looked up to meet Everard’s icy gaze. "You okay?"

As darkness threatened her vision, on the brink of passing out from the pain, Cordelia clutched his hand tightly.

"I’m rich and can hold my own in a fight. Be my boyfriend, and I'll have your back." she said.

...

The agony subsided slightly with those words.

They worked.

Cordelia exhaled in relief.