Hi people! God its been too long and I miss you guys. I have been away for a while because I had reached a crucial point in my course where I had to throw myself into studies completely. The storm is over for now and its good to be back. But I must say, being away for this long has made me rusty and lost touch with my stories so I apologize in advance if you don't dig this chapter as much as the previous ones. I would do my best with the next one, but I had to put this out there. I want to thank you all for your support, for following favouriting and review, God your reviews almost had me abandon my books to start writing without a care. You guys are amazing, every single one of you. Ok so now I am officially rambling.

Let me leave you guys here to read and don't forget to review!


Previously…

"She said she would be back for her company." Sasuke added to wipe the annoying smile off his father's face. He didn't look amused anymore.

"She would be back for company, huh?" Fugaku mulled over the words for some time, before breaking into a dark chuckle.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Fugaku continued.

"Your good friend was here a few moments ago." Sasuke's eyes widened at this. "She is going to start working for us tomorrow."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke blurted out in shock.

"She signed a contract to work for us for 6 months after which we would return half of her father's assets to her."

Sasuke dropped his hands loudly and heavily unto his father's desk, standing up to his feet as his seat couldn't contain the heat of his anger anymore.

"Half? Half of everything? The bitch deserves nothing!" Sasuke thundered, the murderous intent thick in his voice.

A wicked grin grew on Fugaku's face.

"Indeed. I have no intention of giving her not even dime of her father's fortune, because I need to make sure she doesn't finish the 6 months. I need her running out of her penniless, disgraced and in pieces such that whenever she hears the Uchiha name, she shudders and crumbles in horror." Fugaku said, his voice dark and sinister.

It was now Sasuke's turn to allow a wicked smirk on his face

He didn't want to break her bones anymore.

No.

He wanted to break everything of hers.

Her mind.

Her soul.

Her spirit.

"I want her. I want Hyuga Hinata." Sasuke demanded and he wasn't taking no for an answer.

Fugaku's grin broaden liking how things where playing out.

"She is all yours."

Sasuke stood up right, his smirk turning into a grin identical to his father's sinister one, even more so.

When he is done with her, she wouldn't have the luxury of running out of her. She would have to crawl on all fours to escape the hell he would bring upon her.

I have so many plans for you and I. Hyuga Hinata, you are mine.

Chapter 7: Ice and Fire

"You did what?!" Ko all but screamed his lungs, staring at his mistress with a look of horror at what she had just told him.

After Hinata was done cringing at the deafening loudness of Ko's outburst, she let out an exasperated sigh knowing she had a lot of explaining to do before Ko could get anywhere near calm. She was glad they were at least in the privacy of their vehicle.

"That is the only way to get my father's possessions." She begun to explain but Ko started shaking his head vigorously,

"No, you said you were working for those pack of thieves for half of your possessions, half of your own possessions Hinata sama!" Ko voice seemed to get even higher and Hinata could see she only made matters worse instead of calming him down.

She tried again.

"That is what it says on paper, but that is not what is actually going to happen." Hinata pointed out.

Ko's face twisted to that of confusion.

"What?"

Hinata smiled in amusement at his confusion.

"I would work in the guise of working for half of everything whiles in actual fact I am working for them to be able to find out what actually happened to my father for him to sign everything to them, and as a result at the end when I am able to prove there was some kind of foul play with my evidence gathered, I would get everything back." Hinata confided barely able to hide her excitement.

Eventhough he seemed calmer now, Ko didn't seem convinced enough to join in the party.

"Hinata sama, your plan is brilliant and all, but these are Uchihas you are dealing with, the same ruthless scumbags who robbed your father of everything including his life. Do you think they would go through all that trouble to get everything from their sworn enemies just to give them half of everything again? Can't you see its way too good to be true and that there is a catch to all this, like the same thing they did to your father?" Ko seemed have lost all his energy to the frustration and hopelessness of the whole situation. He looked into Hinata's eyes with sorrow and dejection in the depths of his.

"They want to completely ruin you, Hinata sama." His voice almost cracked at the end.

Hinata shut her eyes at this.

"I know." Her voice was just a tad higher than a whisper.

And then she opened her eyes to show Ko's words never reached the hope burning in them as she held his eyes.

"I am well aware of this risk. But getting back everything, my inheritance and my father's legacy is worth every risk in the world." Hinata proclaimed fearlessly at Ko who had a lot to say about how crazy her decision was, but all were silenced by this fire of hope burning in her eyes, making her look like a new person to him.

He shut his eyes sighing loudly in defeat.

"Your father is going to turn in his grave at this."

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"I know."

And then he opened his eyes to look at her with pride.

"But he is going to be proud of this courageous woman you have become." Ko said as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, smiling at her.

"I hope so….. because I want to go and tell him myself from here." Hinata said, to tell Ko she wanted to visit her father's grave.

"And also see which direction he turned?" Ko blurted out not able to help himself.

"Ko." Hinata warned teasingly.

"I never said he would stop turning." Ko teased back, and Hinata squeezed his hand hard in retaliation, and giggled at his feigned yelp of pain.


Fugaku sat back in his office chair as he stared at the contract Hinata had just signed in his office agreeing to work for them for half of her father's possessions. And then her face flashed again in his head for more than once since she left.

He didn't like it.

He didn't like her face.

Nor the uncomfortable feeling it gave him in his chest.

It had started from the funeral. He had seen her a few times when she was younger and before the funeral but he wouldn't have been able to put a face to her if he were to remember her. But when he came face to face with her now as a grown woman at the funeral, he knew he was never going to forget that face of hers.

And he knew he wasn't going to like it.

But he thought it was just a passing thing, till she came to his office and he was before her face again.

And he felt something curl uncomfortably curl in his chest, that made he of all people have to look away.

And also because this time he felt his eyes sting when he looked at it for long.

Her face was an eyesore.

And it made his urge to break her to her very soul to pieces stronger, even beyond the fact that she was a Hyuga.

And when he thought of her feelings for his son, being so blatantly displayed on that face of hers even when she tried to pretend Itachi wasn't there, was just pathetic and sickening.

Fugaku let his eyes glance over the contract again.

6 months…..she was going to be working for them for 6 months, he was going to be seeing that unpleasant face of hers for 6 months.

But she wasn't going to last that long…..he was going to make sure she didn't last that long.

And he was going to enjoying watching that face of hers without looking away this time when he finally and completely crushes her soul with his bare hands.

And then he remember he didn't have to dirty his hands to accomplish that.

Sasuke was going to that for him.

Sasuke was the perfect person to crush her spirits with that gargantuan hatred he saw he didn't only have for just because she was a Hyuga, but because he despised her as a person.

It was going to be ironically cruel watching someone who looked so much like the man you love, turn your whole world into a living hell.

It made a sinister smile appear on Fugaku's face.

He was going to used Sasuke's profound hatred for her to destroy her, and he had her to thank for sparking that much hatred in Sasuke.

And he knew how his son could get carried away when provoked.

Fugaku's smile turned into a wicked grin.

Hiashi, I hope you are watching and enjoying your view from hell. We would soon be sending your dautgther's crushed and battered will to live, to join soon.


Yoshino stretched out the stiffness in her arms after she had finished typing the batch she was working on. As she did, her eyes rested upon her beautiful bouquet of tulips kind courtesy of Itachi. A fond smile stretched her red lips.

Something she hadn't done much of during Itachi's disappearance, till he appeared this morning and made her smile again.

And she saw him smile again.

She took another look at the flowers.

She was still surprised by them. If anything she thought he would have just apologized and with a smile from him, there was no way she wasn't going to forgive him.

She never expected flowers. And most of all she never expected him to remember her favourite ones: purple tulips.

She remembered only mentioning it once as a passing statement when she saw them in the room at one of their business meetings. He didn't seem to be listening at all as he was engrossed with his phone at the time. Now that she thought back, she could have sworn she saw him pause and let something pass his eyes for a brief second when she had made her statement.

And it all made her insides feel giddy like a teenager.

She had already decided that she liked how things were with her and her boss: a professional relationship of mutual trust and respect. She wasn't expecting anything more and was content with him coming to work and greeting her with one of his small smiles.

But that didn't mean a girl couldn't dream, especially one who had fee-

Just then the door opened to reveal the person responsible for her insides turning to goo.

But the sight of him made her smile fall.

She just watched him quietly as he semi stormed wordlessly into his office.

Something was more than off with him. His face was blank but his jaw was set too firmly, his shoulders seemed stiffer and his strides were quicker and heavier, and this all gave an overall heaviness and dangerous aura to him.

Something else didn't sit well with her about his arrival.

She was used to him going in and out of office without a word to her after the ritual morning greetings when he first comes in but he would at least spare her a glance, but this time he didn't. It was like he didn't even realise she was there, like she didn't even exist.

And it made all the giddiness and fuzzy feeling on the inside shrivel in the coldness of disappointment.

And it made her come back to her senses.

To no read meaning and expect anything more from the polite gesture of her boss giving her flowers to ask for forgiveness.

And she should remain content with things as there, because in his eyes she was just his trusted PA and that should be enough for her.

She swallowed the painful lump in her throat called the truth, as she looked at her flowers one last time before she moved back to work on the next batch of work she had to type.


Itachi finally stopped when he closed the door behind him.

He cringed his eyes shut as his mind went to when he mistakenly brought out the pen Hinata gifted to him on his birthday, before all eyes to see.

If the migraine cracking his head open at the moment wasn't so crippling, he would have punch a hole through a wall.

And that smile, that hope that shone in her eyes when she saw him pull the pen out of his pocket, when she saw he still had the pen, mocked him and made his migraine crush his skull the more.

He felt like punching a hole through his face now instead.

He couldn't believe he made such a huge slip up.

His migraine was worsening by the second and had begun distorting his vision. He needed his painkillers. He trudged to his desk, and sat heavily behind it as he sluggishly reached out to the drawers to pull out his pills and pop them into his mouth. He then placed his head in his hands as he tried massaging out some of the pain from his temples.

But her smile, her big hopeful eyes still haunted him, mocking him to his face that he couldn't steal her hope from her, her hope that their love wasn't dead.

Itachi lifted his head.

He could absolutely not permit that. He couldn't let the hope of hers live. He was going to make sure he completely crushes it this time.

He picked out the pen from his pocket and he glared at it and then stretched his hand to the bin to hover the pen over it.

He had decided, he was going to get married as soon as possible.


Suigestu stood there with scalding hot coffee in his hand, crept out beyond measure as he stared at the weird expression on his boss' face trying to give a name to it.

He had watched Sasuke's face morph from anger to that of what looked like triumph but with a twisted edge to it, for the past five minutes and now they seemed to merge into this terrifying, weird and creepy thing on his face.

Suigestu decided he had seen enough of the freak show and walked forward to give Sasuke his 9th coffee since he arrived, which made him finally realise he had company with his coffee at hand. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Suigestu weird expression.

"How long had you been standing there?" it sounded more of a threat than a question.

Suigestu gave him a teasing grin.

"Long enough to see to my surprise that your face isn't only capable of just the emotion of anger as I thought."

Sasuke shot daggers at his personal assistant with his glare as he took a sip of his hot coffee.

They were quite familiar to that level where he could tease his boss without getting fired because they knew each other from high school.

Suigestu lifted an eyebrow at him.

"You realise the amounts of coffee you chug is a job on its own for whoever is serving it." Suigestu pointed out.

It was now time for Sasuke to lift an eyebrow at his PA.

"Is that a complaint I hear?" Sasuke asked with threat laced in his voice.

Suigestu lifted his shoulders.

"From where am standing I see it as just exercising my freedom of speech, if you take that away from me, then you officially become a slave driver."

Sasuke sat back in his chair to give Suigetsu a menacing smirk.

"If I become a slave driver then you become a slave and as such I wouldn't need to pay you for your work, isn't it?"

Suigetsu sweat dropped.

This guy really knows how to corner a person.

"Sasuke, I know you are a reasonable guy." He lied. And he knew Sasuke knew he was by how his raised eyebrow was almost hitting his hairline. "And you can agree with me serving one to five cups of coffee is doable as a PA…..but above ten cups, Sasuke is a full time job."

Sasuke stared blankly at his PA for a long minute. He decided to amuse himself and see where this was going.

"So what do you suggest, Suigetsu?"

Suigetsu cleared his throat importantly.

"Well I think, you should get a secretary."

Sasuke cocked his head to the side.

"Don't I pay you already to that?"

Suigetsu deadpanned.

"No, you pay me to be your personal assistant. A secretary on the other hand would be more effective when it comes to serving you coffee."

It was Sasuke's turn to now deadpan.

"So I will pay for a secretary just to serve me coffee?"

Suigestu paused for a moment to think. And he had an idea.

"Well you can just pay for a coffee girl, to just serve you coffee."

Sasuke wasn't amused.

"Why does it have to be a girl and when was there a thing like a coffee girl?"

"Well seeing we are already two guys here, a third one would make a crowd and besides there is a need of feminine touch here." Suigestu supplied convincingly.

"Suigetsu, you know the reason I do not take women to work that closely with me is because I distract them and they can't work efficiently as I want them to." Sasuke said nonchalantly like he hadn't made the cockiest statement in the world.

The only reason Suigetsu didn't roll his eyes right in front of Sasuke was because he was surprised Sasuke could make such a comment with a straight face.

He swallowed the smart comeback at the tip of his tongue because he knew even though they were cool enough to say some things, there were things that he could that would get him fired.

And Suigestu knew what was at the tip of his tongue was one of those things so he swallowed it, and turn his tongue over for more appropriate words.

"Well it could be a guy if you want to, but think about it, you would be the first to have one and one plus side to it would be that you finally have something to make you cooler than Itachi."

Suigetsu realised a second way too late his last words came out wrong than intended and seemed to be one of the things he early thought he had pushed down his throat that could cost him his job, but stubbornly didn't go down his throat. If he wasn't sure enough, the glare Sasuke was giving was than enough.

"Finally, huh? " Sasuke tried his best to mask the growl in his voice as the pent up anger from the morning he was trying to push aside was clawing back up.

Suigestu was sweating bullets now.

"I mean you would be like your dad with a right hand man and a secretary which is way cooler than Itachi having just a PA." Suigestu let out nervously trying to pacify Sasuke to reduce the murderous aura oozing out of him.

But as the anger started rising, it made him remember the source of it all.

Hyuga Hinata.

And he had an idea.

"I think I would take your suggestion about the coffee girl thing." Sasuke suddenly said, surprising Suigetsu who was expecting a head chewing, and a burning at stake of his headless corpse.

"A coffee girl, as in its going to be a girl?" Suigetsu couldn't hold his excitement.

Sasuke nodded.

"And I have the perfect person for the job." Sasuke said with a wicked smirk before bringing his coffee to his lips for a sip.

Having no one other than the Hyuga heiress serve me my numerous cups of coffee with just a snap of my fingers was going to be fun. I would love to see her take back her company whiles she is serving me coffee non-stop. And that was just the tip of the iceberg of the "fun" we are going to have together. The hyuga heiress as my coffee girl. Itachi would tear his heart out and eat it out of jealously.

His smirk grew wider behind his cup of coffee.

He couldn't wait for tomorrow.

…..


Hinata sneezed. Ko turned to give her a curious look.

And then she sneezed.

And then she sneezed again.

Ko couldn't help the amused smile on his face. Hinata caught it in the rear view mirror as she wiped her nose with her handkerchief. She gave him a look to tell him she wanted in on the joke.

"You know they say when one sneezes out of nowhere it means someone is talking or thinking about them."

"It could be the pollen from the flowers." Hinata said referring to the flowers with her at the backseat she bought for her dad.

"Well it was three times and it is suspicious. Suspicious as those Uchihas."Ko couldn't suppress the instinctual growl in his voice at the mention of Uchiha.

"They might be discussing my contract." Hinata supplied deciding to go along with suspicions to humour herself.

There was no humour on Ko's face now.

"Of course they are. They are discussing how to crush you completely with that contract." Ko declared grimly clutching the steering wheel tighter, like he was there to actually see them doing that.

Hinata gave an exasperated sigh.

"Ko I thought we already discussed this and you agreed to accept my decision of not running away from my problems anymore."

"Yes Hinata sama, I did and I am proud of you for that. But, that doesn't change the fact that you made a deal with the devil's trinity in the form of those Uchihas and, the reality of this decision you have made being that they are going to use it to completely destroy you so you wouldn't be able to stand on your two feet again. It is my job, Hinata sama to help you prevent that from happening to you so you achieve your goal." Ko spoke out passionately, which made feel Hinata feel bad that she had put him in a situation where he had to worry about her again.

And she knew worry was an understatement in the face of Ko's over protectiveness.

Hinata took all Ko's words in and knew he was right. She could even feel it in the room when they presented her with the contract. She could feel every fibre of their being thirst for her blood.

She knew what she had gotten herself into when she signed those papers.

She knew her family, especially the elders would go crazy if they heard about this, but after they abandoned her and tried to steal Hanabi from her, she could care less about them.

She knew the Uchihas would definitely use this contract to try and destroy her father's legacy completely through her.

But it was a risk she had to take.

To restore her father's name and legacy.

And also, to find out what really happened to Itachi to change so much towards her.

And that was why she was going to her father's grave, to tell him everything herself eventhough he might turn in his grave as Ko said earlier.

But she needed this.

She need to tell him of this big decision she had made, to take off the burden of fear that was crippling her slowly from inside, at what was ahead of her.

The car pulled over to the Hyuga burial grounds and Ko killed the engine. Hinata took in a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Ko got down open to the door for Hinata and she stepped out of the car with the flowers in her arms. Ko escorted her halfway and made her take the rest of the journey to her father's grave alone to give her the privacy she needed.

She was finally before her father's grave for the first time since the funeral. Seeing her father's name engraved in a gravestone and the fact that he was buried 6 feet under it, made tears brim Hinata eyes.

She couldn't believe she was going to break the resolve she had made this morning not to cry again. But that was when she was in her room, and not in front of her father's grave like this. The pain was too fresh and still too deep to get over this soon. She was only human with blood running through her veins and a perfectly working and beating heart. And she was a daughter who had lost her father, her rock and protector.

The tears escaped her eyes as she knelt down before her father's grave and put the flowers on his gravestone. This time she wasn't bawling uncontrollably like before.

She had made some progress.

She turned her face to the side to wipe the tears and turned back to smile at her father's name on the gravestone. She didn't want to address when she was crying. She knew he hated seeing her show weakness in front of him.

"Hello daddy…it has been a while, hasn't it?" she greeted injecting light into her voice that never reached her wet eyes.

She allowed the expected silence to ring in the air, to make it seem like she was having an actual conversation with him, which would have been the same except with some small nods and grunts here and there.

"Hanabi is fine and is in school that is why she couldn't be here….She really misses you." Her mind took her back to the funeral at Hanabi emotional outburst at the realization of their father's death finally hitting her.

And this time she let the silence stretch a little longer so as to take in air to calm herself.

"Daddy….since you've been gone, everything has just fallen apart, the family, the business, everything seems to have left with you." She almost choked on her last words but held on to continue.

"The Uchihas didn't waste time to take everything away from us as soon as you left, but the people we call family left us as soon as the money left." She couldn't hold back the bitterness in her voice when she mentioned the family abandoning them.

The next words she was about to say seemed stuck in her throat but she had to let it out.

"The Uchihas claim….they claim you signed everything away to them with the excuse that you owed them a lot of money you couldn't pay with the time they gave you… but above everything I know you are not a man to create a situation that would harm the people you love or drag them down to ground by his own hands. I know you are not a man who would let your sweat and blood to making the Hyuga Empire this great and powerful go to waste like this. I know you aren't a man to let down your clansmen like this. So something must have happened, something drastic must have happened to you in that room during that meeting to make your signature somehow appear on that paper that gives everything you have worked for to the Uchihas."

Her eyes blazed with determination at her next words.

"And that's what I'm going to find out. And to do that I would have to do something I know you are not going to like…. I am going to work for them."

She paused to allow her big announcement sink in the silence, before she continued.

"I know you would say it is stupid and a ridiculous thing to do, but you also taught me great things never happen to those who do not take risks in life. I know it looks like I am walking straight into den of a lion that seems to have a very healthy appetite for only my flesh, but this is the only way to unravel this mystery to restore your name…..and also find out if they had a hand in your death."

Hinata leaned forward to place both of her palms on his gravestone and stare directly at her father's name engraved on the stone.

"I swear before you, on your grave, on this day that, I will take back everything the Uchihas took from you and restore your name, and I am not promising you as a Hyuga, I am making this promise to you as your daughter."

There was no crack, stutter, hesitance or shakiness in her voice. Her voice was clear as a bell and firm with determination.

Those were words she had sworn over her father's grave, were ones she couldn't take back, and ones she was going to fulfil at any cost.


.

The alarm rang loud in the room but Sasuke was already in the bathroom almost done bathing which was very unnatural for someone like him. On a normal day, he would be dead and gone, deep in his sleep where the sound of his alarm could not reach him. Sometimes this was the time he came back from a wild night out and was going now going to sleep it off for some hours before work, with no care in the world that he would be late.

But today was different.

Today was a day any Uchiha would kill to be in his shoes.

Having a prideful Hyuga bow to you as their master.

He couldn't help the grin that stretched his lips wide at the thought, as he turned off the shower.

Because of this he hadn't gone out to clubbing like usual or have an all-night rendezvous with a hot lady.

No, he was at home, being sober and plotting the many ways he was going break the Hyuga heiress slowly and painfully with his own hands.

He couldn't say he slept well during the night because his excited and overworking twisted mind of his kept him awake most of the time. But that didn't take away the full burst energy of destruction bursting through him.

He had decided to even forgo his ritual cup of coffee before he left for work so as not to spoil his appetite for his new Hyuga coffee maker.

He was in such a good mood that anyone would be beyond shocked because it was a well-known fact Sasuke was not a morning person and when he was up this early, even a whole bottle of happy pills could do nothing to quell his grumpiness and crabbiness the whole the day.

"Today is going to be a terrific day." Sasuke chimed uncharatersitically to himself as he walked out of the shower, with his devious grin still in place.

….


Hinata stood in front of the mirror staring at herself. She had dressed to the T like a professional and an heiress. She had her hair in a strict bun with just enough make up on her face to look presentable. She wore a black sharp suit top and a white fitting skirt that ended right above her knee putting her beautiful long and curvy legs on full display with the help of a pair of black high heeled open toe shoes.

Before her, was a woman that looked like she could take on anything the world threw at her, even be it the Uchihas, eventhough the knots in her stomach told her otherwise.

She took in a deep breath to calm her nerves.

She had a promise she had to fulfil, one she had to fulfil at all cost and without any room for failure or hesitance.

With one final look she grabbed her purse from her bed and stepped out of her room to face the world.

….


Suigestu rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him at what he was seeing.

"Sasuke…..is that you?"

He didn't believe this day would ever come to pass; Sasuke Uchiha coming early to work and even earlier than him.

Sasuke just lend back in his seat giving Suigestu a condescending look.

"In the flesh, and you are late." How Sasuke had longed to say that to his smart mouthed personal assistant. He was loving how Suigestu looked like he was going to choke from shock from Sasuke of all people telling him he is late.

It turned out that it was actually laughter he was trying to hold as a chuckle escaped his lips.

"I am actually 15 minutes early to work. It's clear you do not know the official time works starts here eventhough you came so uncharacteristically early. I understand, it's your first time." Suigestu couldn't help but tease earning him a dart to the eye by Sasuke's glare.

Sasuke smiled sadistically at him.

"But if I your boss was able to come early to work, shouldn't you as my employee come earlier to put things in place before I arrive?" Sasuke shot back threateningly.

Suigestu gulped loudly from fear and Sasuke enjoyed it.

"S-Should I get you your coffee now?" Suigestu tried to pacify Sasuke in case he had any diabolic plans of firing him.

"No, not now, I do not want to spoil my appetite." Sasuke declined the offer.

Suigestu raised an eye brow.

"Appetite?"

Sasuke smirked at Suigestu's confusion.

"You would soon find out."


"Welcome, Fugaku sama." Koga greeted his boss as he opened the door for him to step out from his car.

"Tha-" before Fugaku could reply, his eyes hit something he couldn't believe he was seeing.

"Is that Sasuke's car?" Fugaku blurted out the question before he could stop himself.

Koga turned to trace Fugaku's surprised gaze on Sasuke's car.

"Yes Fugaku sama." Koga confirmed which seemed to make Fugaku even more confused.

"Did he spend the night here?"

Koga expertly held down the laughter burning in his chest.

"No sir, he left for home yesterday and came back early this morning."

It became painfully difficult for Koga to hold down the laughter tickling up his throat at Fugaku's eyes almost popping out in shock at what he had just informed him of.

"Sasuke came to work…..early?" Fuguku asked like the impossible had happened.

"Yes sir." Koga patiently confirmed again.

Fugaku was genuinely surprised and taken aback.

He didn't know Sasuke was this serious about having the Hyuga heiress work under him so he could do well to his promise of terrorizing her.

His determination to destroy her made Fugaku almost feel sorry for the Hyuga.

Almost.

Fugaku schooled his face back to his normal neutral look.

"I see."

"And sir, Miss Hyuga is waiting for you." Koga informed Fugaku.

"Oh, this early? Its not even 8 yet." Fugaku said in mild surprise.

"Yes sir. She just came a few minutes before you came." Koga answered.

"Ah." Fugaku said nodding thoughtfully.

Pitiful girl, if only you knew what you were coming so early to.

…..


Hinata sat there at the waiting area in front of Fugaku's office, with her back straight and stiff as a poker. She outwardly looked stoic and untouchable but inside she was regretting declining Ko's offer of coming in with her.

She could really use the assurance of her safety of his presence right now.

But she knew she had done the right thing and had to stick with it. She couldn't let the Uchihas think she still needed a bodyguard around her wherever she went, which they could use against her.

She had to present an independent and strong woman before them that they cannot trifle with so easily.

The elevators then opened to reveal Fugaku and Koga stepping out of it. She stood up to greet Fugaku.

"Good morning, Uchiha san."

Fugaku stopped in front of her with a mild curious look on his neutral face as if expecting something.

"I don't see your babysitter around." He asked more than stated and it didn't changed the fact that it irked her at what he called Ko and what it implied concerning her.

"I figured my right hand man's service would be put to good use elsewhere instead of by me whiles I worked." She said politely lacing it with a cool jab at him and Koga.

Fugaku's gaze turned stony.

"Why don't you join me in my office?" Fugaku commanded more than asked, emphasizing it by walking ahead to his office without waiting for her reply.

Seated in the office, Hinata, thought she was going to crumble from the intensity of sitting with the man before her, as they waited for Koga.

She now knew where Itachi got that from.

What made things worse was that eventhough she avoided his gaze, she could feel those intense hawk like gaze of his on her, rendering her almost immobile. She didn't know what came over her, but she all of a sudden looked up to meet his gaze.

But something happened that surprised her.

When their eyes met, she could have sworn she saw his eyes widen a fraction and then after a beat of a second or two, he, the great Fugaku Uchiha looked away.

She didn't know what to make of it but before she could ponder over it, Koga knocked and walked in with a file in hand.

"Fugaku sama, I have called Suigestu san as you asked." Koga reported and Fugaku nodded.

Koga handed the file to Fugaku and he opened it to run his eyes through and he closed. He lifted his eyes to Hinata as he handed the file to her.

"This contains the terms of our agreement and all that's required of you as an employee here." Fugaku said as Hinata mimic his actions of scanning through the contents briefly before there was a knock on the door.

After being called to come in, a young man with white shoulder length hair and purple eyes walked in and greeted.

"Good morning Fugaku sama, Koga san and Miss."

"Good morning Suigestu, she is Miss Hyuga and she would be working with us under your boss, and I want you to take her to meet him so she can start work with immediate effect."

After Fugaku's words, a realisation hit Suigestu making him smile mischievously to himself.

I have found out your little secret, Sasuke.

"As you wish, Fugaku sama." Suigestu replied.

He then turned his attention to Hinata with a friendly smile on his face.

"Shall we, Miss Hyuga?"

"Yes please." She answered getting up on her feet.

"Oh Hyuga Hinata." Hinata froze in place at the sound of Fugaku's voice.

She turned to see him look at her with a glint of deviousness in his eyes.

"Good luck…..You would need it."

His words let a chill run down her spine at the look in his eyes which promised she would need more than that for what they had prepared for her.

But she wasn't going to let him see that.

"Thank you Uchiha san, and have a good day." And with that she turned on her heels to leave.

Suigestu smirked to himself at this and followed her out.

"I am going to have a wonderful day at the sight of you completely destroyed, Hyuga Hinata." Fugaku said darkly as his stony gaze remained fixated at where she previously stood.


"I am Hozuki Suigestu at your service." Suigestu introduced himself to Hinata, extending a hand for a hand shake.

Hinata eventhough wary of his friendliness, took his hand to shake it gently.

"I am Hinata Hyuga." She replied politely but still detached.

Suigestu didn't seem to notice as he pressed on to continue the conversation, as he seemed excited to meet her.

"So how long are you going to be with us?" he asked conversationally.

"6 months." Hinata provided simply, still not putting effort into continuing the conversation. She didn't want him asking why she was working with them in the first place.

But she noticed his smile faltered at what she mentioned.

"6 months huh?" he said thoughtfully as he mulled over her words.

It now all made sense to him. Sasuke's uncharacteristic and shocking punctuality to work without his protocol grumpiness from just being awake. He seemed so full of energy and excited about something. And now he knew what that something was and he couldn't help but pity the Hyuga heiress.

And then he gave an exasperated sigh, all his excitement dissipating.

"Seems too short but still long enough for me to feel sorry for you."

Hinata was taken aback by his sudden words.

"Could you explain yourself please, Hozuki san?" Hinata inquired, now showing interest in the conversation.

"Unfortunately for you and I, we have the biggest jerk around here as our boss and that's saying something."

Hinata didn't like anything from what Suigestu had said.

Before she could ask further, the elevator doors opened and they stepped into a hallway where they were met with some workers who gave her weird looks as they passed by.

She could even hear some of them gossip about her as they walked by her.

But she had more important matters to think of, like knowing who this nightmare of a boss she was going to work under.

She quicken her steps to catch up to him.

"Who is this boss you are talking of?" She asked with a hint of urgency in her voice.

"Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

Hinata felt like the whole of South Pole had been poured on her at the mention of his name.

Oh.

No.

Hinata was prepared for any nightmare of a boss, but not the horrors of horrors in the name of Sasuke Uchiha, the guy who hated her with such passion she could touch it.

His death glare full of hate and a promise to torture her when she falls into his trap, from yesterday flashed through her mind and almost crippled her with fear.

She now understood the good luck that Fugaku gave her.

She felt dizzy all of a sudden like she had been over the head by a bat.

He was going to torture her for jabbing his arm shut yesterday. He was going to make her pay painfully and slowly.

Hinata's whole body was arrested with fear and dread at her slaughter ahead of her.

She felt so heavy she didn't realise she had stopped walking.

"Yo Hinata, we are here."

Suigestu's voice calling out to her broke her from her reverie to see Suigestu a couple of steps ahead of her with a door opened waiting for her.

The door to Hades.

She forced her immobile legs to budge forward, and slowly and gingerly she reached the door step and entered, into a room leading to Sasuke's office, which served as Suigestu's office. The large door at the end was the door to Sasuke's office and there was another smaller one facing Suigestu's large desk.

Hinata's heart had gone overdrive, pounding persistently against her rib cage as she stared with dread at the door to Sasuke's office.

Just then Suigestu's phone rang in his pocket, prompting him to fish it out of his pocket.

He made a grunt of displeasure under his breath as soon as he checked the caller on his screen.

"Sorry, I need to take this." He excused himself before turning away to pick it.

Hinata was busily thinking of the many ways Sasuke was going to torture her, till she heard Suigestu suddenly scream into his phone.

"You are here?! What the hell are you doing here you crazy- aaargh! Stay there I'm coming down." He barked into the phone before he abruptly turned to Hinata with a look of apology and urgency on his face.

"Hinata, I'm sorry but I have to go downstairs to take care of a problem in the name of my crazy girlfriend. Please go ahead to Sasuke's office. He is expecting you." He didn't even give Hinata a chance to protest before he flew out of the door and vanished leaving Hinata alone and petrified to face the wolf waiting to devour her to the bone, all by herself.

She stood rooted where she stood as flashes of Sasuke's fury blazed eyes, concentrated with so much hatred just for her, haunted her as she stared fearfully at the huge doors that would lead to her doom.

At that moment the only thought that made sense was to bolt out the other way, abort mission and never turn back.

And it was one tempting thought that almost had her put one foot out the door of escape.

But then in that moment, she remembered Akamine san and the workers at the Hyuga towers, loyally standing by her with the hope she would regain control of management, she remembered, she remembered Hanabi who she had as her responsibility, she remembered her need to find out about what had happened Itachi and she remembered her vow to her father at his grave the day before, her vow to him as his daughter to by any means restore everything taken away from them.

And the only way she was going to achieve any of that, was to go through that door and survive, even if it meant meeting the devil face to face.

She had to do this.

So many people had their hopes in her for her to just give up so easily.

Hinata took a huge breath to try to calm down the turmoil in her to find her courage.

She clenched her fist at her sides as she begun to build up her courage and determination.

You can do this, Hinata. You can do this.

She let out the breath she was holding and stared straight at the huge doors trying to intimidate her.

I can do this.

And with that last pep talk, she took her first step towards her goal.

She continued with the next step and soon she was right in front of the dreadful doors.

Without letting a beat of a second pass for fear to have its way and change her mind, she knocked steadily on the door and after a second, she heard a deep familiar voice from behind the door.

"Come in."

….


The suspense eating Sasuke up had hit the roof after Suigestu gave him the news that Hyuga Hinata had arrived and he was to bring her here to meet Sasuke.

For some reason he couldn't seem to sit still after Suigestu had gone to meet her.

His thoughts had gone haywire with how to start the crucifixion of the Hyuga heiress and he found himself up from his seat pacing in his office.

He caught himself in time to realise how ridiculous he must look and sat back in his seat.

It must be because I haven't had my morning cup coffee yet. Sasuke convinced himself.

He settled for sitting patiently staring at his door and waiting.

But as popularly known, waiting wasn't one of Sasuke's strong traits because of infamous impatience.

He had counted to ten…in his head and there was no sign of Suigestu or Hinata.

Had she chickened out already?

Sasuke thought which made his eyes narrow dangerously at the thought of missing his chance of making her pay for what she did to his arm yesterday…..and all round being a Hyuga.

If that was the case, he would still go after her and make her life miserable till she comes back crawling on her knees begging for her job.

Just then, like a miracle, he heard a knock that brought him back to staring at his door anxiously.

And then something kicked him in the chest.

She was in. Even the voice in his head sounded excited.

Before he could stop himself, his mouth moved on its own accord to speak.

"Come in."

And before the door could open, he positioned himself well in his seat and took some files to pretend to be looking through to seem busy so as to not give away the fact he was waiting for her arrival. Eagerly.

There was a click of the door as it was slowly opened.

Hinata slide herself pass the door opened to step into Sasuke's office hesitantly.

As soon as she was in, like iron attracted magnet, her eyes immediately fell on the raven head behind the desk, who seemed so busy and engrossed in the files he was going through that he hadn't noticed her presence.

Sasuke was painfully aware of her presence like a sour thumb.

The first thing she noticed was the uncanny resemblance he shared with Itachi and at the same time the differences between them, even from how he sat.

The way Itachi sat, even if in a laid back way, was done with unconscious poise and grace.

But the man before her sat with a different air about him.

This man, Sasuke Uchiha even without being conscious of it, had this air of arrogance and dominance about him as he sat.

And it rubbed Hinata wrong.

She just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

She closed the door loud enough to announce her presence.

Sasuke, still in the in character of being too busy to be aware of Hinata's presence in an attempt to mask his gnawing impatience when waiting for her a few minutes ago, raised his head to finally bring his attention to Hinata in response to the sound of the door being closed.

"Oh, it's just you." He said feigning boredom and disappointment at the sight of her.

Hinata actually saw his seemingly deflated mood as a good sign that he wouldn't be energetic enough to put maximum effort when torturing her.

She just regarded him with coolness to seem unaffected however.

"Good morning…sir." She greeted, having to force the "sir" out of her throat at the very end.

Sasuke caught on it, and it made the side of his lips curl up into a smirk.

He let himself fall back into his chair, as he let his eyes drag up and down her form lazily, to make her highly uncomfortable.

He soon realised he was letting him himself get carried away by the many provocative curves of her body which her fitting attire did little to hide.

And it took him back to when he first met her yesterday. If Sasuke were to be honest, he met her derriere first. Her fine, generous and friendly derriere.

How he knows it is friendly, it said hi to him first.

He could say they were going to get along pretty well, with all the flirting going on from both sides…until its dreadful owner turned and burst their perfect little bubble.

Wet blanket.He sniped at her in his head.

But then he got to meet her equally generous and friendly chest which was at moment winking at him whiles seemingly trying to burst out of its tight confinement.

Tease. He accused her in his head.

But even if it was killing her inside at how his eyes were on her, especially her chest, Hinata didn't show it, as he continued to stare back intently at her.

"It's a pity I can't wish you a good morning because life decided to be cruel to you to make you fall right into my hands." Eventhough his voice sounded neutral and calm, the wickedness in his eyes told her a torrid tale of how he was going to make her time with him, a living hell for her.

But she didn't flinch or bat an eye like Sasuke expected her to.

She just stared back coolly at him.

And her indifference about the terror he was going to descend on her begun to not sit well with Sasuke.

He stood up from his chair, and begun stalking menacingly towards Hinata. The only thing he got in response was her stare getting icy as he got closer.

At least it was somewhat a response and Sasuke used it as motivation.

When he was close enough, he stalked around her in his slow and menacing pace, like wolf sizing up its prey, looking for an opening to attack.

"A little Hyuga princess wandering all alone into the lair of the Uchihas, without her dog following her…." Hinata had to bite her tongue not talk back at what Sasuke called Ko, and just fixed him with a cold glare as he stopped in front of her.

"…it almost makes me want to protect you." That statement really took Hinata aback, her eyes opening a fraction in surprise and confusion.

And that was the opening Sasuke was looking for which he wasn't going to waste it.

He stepped closer, into her personal space, so close his breath fanned her face. The suddenness and boldness of the intrusion alarmed Hinata making her lose her composure in that moment, which only reinforced Sasuke.

His eyes turned deadly as they pierced through her wide ones, his aura as dark as his pitch black hair.

"To protect you from all other possible dangers, so you would be safe for just me, to be fit to go through the slow painful nightmare I promise to make you suffer through my hands." His voice, every word from his mouth, was doused in impenetrable hatred, and it shook Hinata to her very core.

Never had she seen hatred so scalding, so vivid and so deep, especially towards her.

It was so suffocating she couldn't breathe.

And Sasuke was enjoying this sight of her.

It made him hunger even more to see her totally broken by his hands.

But there was no rush, he was going to take his time and enjoy every minute of it.

Slow and painful.

When he was about to step back to his seat, his eyes lowered and fell on her lips just as she parted them to take in a breath.

And then he was transfixed where he stood, forgetting about stepping back all together.

His legs became immobile where he stood, with his eyes unmoving from her parted plump lips staring right back at him.

At least that's what he thought, but for some reason her lips got closer and closer.

And then the sound of Hinata's sharp breath intake broke him out of his reverie to see the horrified look on her face and that's when he realised he had been moving towards her….. the whole time.

He wanted to see her face contorted with pain and fear at him breaking, to see this horrified look on her face when she hears his name.

So why did he not like it that she had that same look of horror he wanted on her face, at him being this close to him?

Why did his mood plummet and darken at this?

And it reflected on his face as it hardened and the heat of his glare suddenly increased.

"Coffee. Now." He ordered curtly and then turned away in an instant to go back to his seat, not given time for Hinata to assimilate what he had just said or what had just happened before that.

She took in the breath that Sasuke interrupted earlier and quickly turned to leave the room as if she was being chased.

When she got outside, she clutched her chest to calm down her beating heart, taking in more breaths as she tried to understand what just happened in there.

She saw how his heated gaze were on her lips and how he drew closer to them…..like….like he was going to…to kiss her.

Everything within Hinata cringed at the thought and shut her eyes tight to erase the thought completely from her head.

No it is absurd. Why would he want to kiss me when he hates my very existence?

Then she opened her eyes only to them narrowed.

He was messing with me.

He had already started the torture session.

He was targeting my feelings.

He was playing with me to get to my feelings so he can throw me away when he was done messing me up.

He wanted to start breaking me from the inside.

Hinata felt heat rise in her chest and spread all over her body.

She was pissed.

How dare he..?

Who did he think he was to play with a person's feelings?

Her aura became icy.

She wasn't going to let him. She was never going let him get close enough to mess her up on the inside.

Even if he tried his best with that tactic, his main obstacle and cause of his failure would ironically be his own brother, Itachi.

But now even without Itachi, she wasn't going to make someone like Sasuke able to touch her heart just to trample all over it in his twisted game of revenge.

It was even impossible with the deep disdain she felt for him.

Every fibre in her being was repulsed with the idea of him trying to have his way with her.

It made her sick to her stomach.

After she got over her wave of disgust, she made her way to the kitchen to make Sasuke's coffee.

When she grabbed a mug to start, a thought suddenly made her stop in her tracks.

She didn't know how he liked his coffee.

Should I go and ask him?

She decided against knowing she might regret doing so. And she wanted to limit seeing him to only when it was necessary.

She thought of how Itachi liked his coffee sweet, and it made sense to her that with him being his younger brother, he might also share the same preference.

She proceeded to prepare his coffee but just made it in a mug to test her theory.

Itachi liked cream in his coffee, so she added some to Sasuke's.

Satisfied with her handiwork, she picked it up and headed back to Sasuke's office.


What just happened?

Sasuke asked in his thoughts trying to understand how he lost himself for that moment because he was affixed with her lips.

He didn't understand why he would be affixed with her lips in the first place.

When he thought of how close he had gotten to her face, he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn't made a sound.

Was I going to kiss her?

He bristled at the thought.

It was ridiculous.

It was absurd that an Uchiha like him would want to kiss a Hyuga, more so Hinata who he hated with a passion.

She was just a witch playing mind games on him.

Sasuke concluded, as the only sane reason for any of this to happen.

Or it was the only excuse that would allow him live with himself.

And then the look of her face crossed his mind. That look of horror on her face, like she was so disgusted beyond words at him daring to get that physically close to her.

Like he was some filthy thing that would taint her holiness.

And it pissed him off beyond measure.

He had outstandingly beautiful women fall at his feet every single day and she had the audacity to feel disgusted at his proximity.

Even Yoshino who evaded his advances never looked at him with disgust.

He let out a dark chuckle.

She really knew how to make him despise her.

There was a knock and then the object of his thoughts came with his cup of coffee in hand.

And the sight of her, a Hyuga heiress serving his coffee to him was a priceless sight that needed to be frozen in time and immortalized for future Uchihas to see and be awed beyond words at this achievement of his.

Luckily Sasuke had a phone with a good camera.

His hands with a mind of its own, fished out his phone and took a picture of her, which made Hinata suddenly halt, with a look of a deer in headlights.

Her surprise then turned to cold fury, as she shot icicles at Sasuke's taunting smirk at her.

"I must say the camera loves you, Hyuga." Sasuke teased cheekily as he looked at the picture he took of her, his smirk widening.

Hinata had to use strength beyond human capacity to hold herself from bursting in flames from her anger.

How dare he….

She glared at him as she begun to walk forward to give him his coffee.

He didn't even look up at here even when she placed his coffee before him.

He was too engrossed with the picture he had taken of her.

It angered her the more.

I wish I had made the coffee hot in enough to burn that tongue of his.

Sasuke picked his cup of coffee with his eyes still on his phone and brought it to his lips to finally take a long sip of coffee he had been waiting all morning for.

He actually chugged it because he was that starved of caffeine.

And then he froze, with his mouth full of the sweet creamy coffee Hinata Hyuga had served him.

He shot his wide eyes to her face which confused her, as his face contorted to that of disgust like he was going to spit it all in her face.

But it looked like he decided she stood too far for his sweet creamy coffee spit to reach her face like he would have loved, and resulted to spit it back into the mug.

Hinata balked in disgust at this.

Sasuke kept on coughing and making retching sounds like he wanted to vomit his guts out.

He even took out his handkerchief to scrub off the taste of the coffee, like it was corroding his tongue.

Hinata could just stand there totally bewildered at what was happening right in front of her.

And when he had gotten enough of the coffee out of his system to start normal body functioning, he straightened up to lift his glowering coals to burn through Hinata's eyes.

They promised her hell.

"What the fuck….What the fuck did you give me to drink?" Sasuke growled in a low and dangerous note trying to contain his anger without success.

He looked like a raging bull ready to attack.

It made Hinata bones shake with fear.

Hinata needed a moment to breathe and find her voice before she could answer.

"C-Coffee?" And then her stutter was back from past.

Her answer seemed to aggravate his anger.

"Then why the hell was not only sugar, but fucking cream in my coffee?!" The anger in his voice knocked her knees together and Hinata could just stand there petrified.

"I…I…I thought y-you would l-like your c-coffee that way." Hinata answered sheepishly turning into a stuttering mess.

It fuelled his anger fire.

Sasuke tried to hold his anger back a little to be able to not shout his next words, because he didn't want her to faint yet till he was done with her.

"And what gave you the brilliant idea that I would like my coffee that way, Hyuga?" he snarled sarcastically.

Itachi.

But there was no way she could say that out loud.

And then she thought to herself.

How was I supposed to know he abhorred cream or sugar in his coffee?

He just sent me to go get him coffee without telling me how he preferred his coffee, leaving me to my own devices.

So why is he barking at me like I am the only one to blame here?

"Why aren't you answering, huh Hyuga? Are you deaf?" Sasuke barked at her almost making her jump.

And before she could stop herself, she said her thoughts out loud.

"You could have told me….you could have just told me how you liked your coffee."

Her words must have hit him weird as he just stood there, like her words just caused a temporary brain malfunction in his head.

"What?!" He blurted out after a long minute.

Hinata swallowed down any hesitance or fear as she had already begun she might as well finish.

"You could have simply told me how you preferred your coffee since this is my first serving you coffee instead of sending me off without a clue."

Her words seemed to have cause the temporary brain malfunction to last longer than intended, as his eyes begun to twitch uncontrollably.

And out of nowhere Sasuke started to laugh out loud and all that Hinata could register in her stunned state at the surprising sight was how his laughter sounded like it hurt.

His laughter then died down a bit for him to speak.

"So you are blaming me for your stupidity?" and then he went back to laughing into Hinata's face.

She bristled at what he had indirectly called her and she was beginning to feel mocked by his laughter eventhough it sounded painful.

And then when he stopped laughing completely, his face turned to stone and his eyes were full of spite, making her feel like trash.

"You really are one incredible idiot, aren't you?" Hinata felt like his words just slapped her hard in her face.

She couldn't believe it, she couldn't believe he just called her that. She couldn't believe he just said that out loud.

It must have been on her face, as Sasuke being so gracious decided to repeat himself in an even more biting way.

"You heard right, I said you are a big dumbass, Hyuga."

Hinata actually gasped at this, shocked at this amount of rudeness and spite coming from just one person.

And he wasn't done.

"Even for a Hyuga I must say you are damn stupid." Another painful slap to her face, but he didn't care and continued his verbal assault.

"Knowing you were going to work here, especially being the enemy territory, you should have prepared for anything thrown at you, even the impossible. That being said the smartest thing for you to do before you stepped foot here was to get your intelligence on us, get to know useful and even basic information about us, down to how even we like our coffee made. You couldn't think this far and you dare dream of taking your father's company from us?"

And then he chuckled darkly under his breath.

"Your stupidity is beyond compare."

Hinata just stood there rigidly, taking all the acid and venom from his mouth being spat in her face, quietly.

She did so by holding her breath, to somewhat reduce the impact of his insults.

Sasuke's eyes fell on the cup of coffee and it seemed to reinvigorate the verbal monster.

"You are truly a useless stupid Hyuga brat. At least begin putting yourself to some good use by taking this piece of crap you call coffee out of my face."

And then Hinata let out her breathe.

And it seemed to let loose something she was pushing down.

"At least I am just stupid and do not have a lose tongue in addition." Hinata shot back almost immediately after she let out that breath.

And Sasuke was now the one completely stunned wacked in the face by a golf club.

"What?!"

"You being the all-knowing one should have known telling me to investigate you and your family for information that would help me achieve my goal is what we call digging your own grave and that of your family." Hinata snapped back again unable to hold her tongue any longer.

Sasuke continued to stare at her speechlessly as if not able to believe what was happening before him.

"Did you just call me stupid?" he blurted out in his state of shock.

And Hinata's tongue continued to indulge in its new rebellion.

"I am not responsible for how you see yourself in the mirror." She replied coolly.

Her words hit more than a nerve.

Hinata could have sworn she heard a part of Sasuke's brain explode at her words and the dark shadow that fell on his face testified to that.

"You are fired."

He declared darkly, like a death sentence, leaving Hinata stunned.

That's when she realised how far things had gone.

She got fired.

Just when she started.

She felt dread hit her like a wrecking ball when she remembered her promise she made to her father to get back the company.

That was not going to be possible now that she has been fired.

Failure was staring right into her face and mocking her.

What was am I going to do?

How could it all end before it even started?

"What now? You finally grew a brain and realised how screwed you are now?" Sasuke sneered bitterly at her, still vengeful at her words.

Hinata could stand there just mute at his mercy.

"Huh, cut got that fiery tongue of yours now?" Sasuke taunted seeing how Hinata was now cornered.

She didn't respond only with her eyes cast down.

"You want your job back?"

His words instantly lit her dead eyes with hope as she stared wide eyed at him.

But the sinister look in his eyes was stifling that little hope out, knowing what was coming next wasn't good.

"I can't hear you, do you want your job back?" he pressed taunting her with the mockery in his eyes at sensing her desperation at the moment.

Hinata's tongue was heavy with and embarrassment and reluctance to respond to his question, knowing it was his way of humiliating her. But she had no options.

"…..Yes." she answered throatly feeling something die in her at how pathetic she sounded.

"Yes what?" he pressed harshly.

Hinata clenched her fist swallowing the painful lump in her throat.

"Yes I want my job back." Hinata felt her face burn with humiliation and the small smirk on Sasuke's face showed he saw it, and he enjoyed every bit of it.

But that wasn't enough.

He wasn't satisfied.

He wanted more.

"Then get on your knees, and beg for it."

His words felt like someone had pulled hard on a rubber band and left it to smack right into her face and smack all the sense out of her, seizing the normal function of her brain in that moment.

She thought it was not possible for her to have heard right.

No, he couldn't….

And then she looked into his eyes, the twistedness, the malice and impatience told her, she definitely heard right, loud and clear.

The confirmation felt like a hard knock to her head.

And it made her snap.

"I won't." hinata's defiance echoed loud and clear in the room.

The silence after was deafening.

Sasuke's face darkened.

"You won't?" it sounded more like a threat than a question.

Hinata bravely held his fiery coals with her cold ones, as her repulsion she had for him grew by the second.

"I would never kneel before you. Never."

A shadow fell on Sasuke's face as his body trembled with blind anger.

He had seen enough.

From yesterday, undermining his authority infront of the board members and employees, to humiliating him by disarming him and now…..

She dared to stand before him and defied him.

He slammed his hand loudly and heavily on his desk, making Hinata jump at the impact.

The deadly look in his eyes frightened Hinata, eventhough she was struggled not to show it.

Sasuke was also struggling to hold his anger in before he combusted from it.

"You would kneel before me this instant, Hyuga!" Sasuke barked out as his last warning and it shook her entire being with fear.

Yes, she was petrified at what his anger was slowly morphing him into before her very eyes.

But she wasn't going to allow that to break her to kneel before someone like him.

Never.

"Y-you c-can…you can take everything away from me as a Hyuga, but…." Hinata calmed herself to speak her next words boldly and without any hesitance or fear. "I will never….let you take my dignity as a person." Hinata threw back defiantly and stared straight into Sasuke's eyes to let him feel the impact of her words.

And then he shocked her with that laughter of his again, this time raw with so much bitterness sourness, which, made Hinata wonder if he had ever laughed from happiness ever in his life.

And then he stared down at her condescendingly with his eyes full of spite.

"Wake up little girl, without the Hyuga name, you are nothing, nothing but pure trash that should know its place." Sasuke spat harshly at her.

And then she surprised him with her own laughter in a form of a chuckle, and it only brewed a hotter fierier brand of Sasuke's anger.

" At least trash like me was able to let even you admit the greatness of the Hyuga name." Hinata pointed out with a triumphant smirk on her face.

Sasuke's rage was now so overwhelming he was rendered speechless with his entire being trembling with ill contained scalding fury.

Then her eyes turned chilly when they locked on his with a serious look on her face.

"And one last thing. Do not disrespect Ko by calling him a dog ever again. He is more of a human being than you could ever be." Her deadly tone was something that Sasuke didn't know she had in her. It might have had its rightful effect if he senses wasn't completely overtaken with the burning rage inside.

And with that Hinata sauntered out of the room with her head held high leaving Sasuke consumed with a new level of hatred for her.

But his all-consuming anger didn't seem have the power to stop his eyes from automatically falling on her impressive ass and watch it in motion as she walked out till she disappeared, with her ass from his sight.

He hated himself for being weak at the sight of her hypnotic ass.

And it made the fire of his anger and hatred for her increase by ten folds.

Suigestu had just arrived and watched in confusion as Hinata just walked off without so much as a glance at him.

He turned to Sasuke with the confusion on his face increasing at seeing his lively and unnaturally chirpy boss from the morning, now shaking and breathing fire from earth crushing rage.

Suigestu blinked at him for a while before blurting out unceremoniously.

"What just happened?"


As she walked out of Sasuke's office, it seemed her anger seemed to amplify and burn red, as what had just ensued with Sasuke continued to play in her mind and fan the flames of her rage.

She couldn't believe her bad luck.

No, this wasn't bad luck, it was a tragedy from the beginning.

All along she thought she would be assigned to work under Itachi so she could be closer to him to figure out what was wrong with him.

Only to end up with the last person she wanted to see.

She never thought she could dislike another human being so much and with such intensity, till she met Sasuke.

He seemed to bring the worse out of her and make her act different from her normal self with every encounter they had.

From just the few encounters she had with him, she didn't like how she was always left with these intense negatives thoughts and feelings.

She could feel so much bitterness and hatred for him, so much it poisoned him.

And it made he himself like poison, turning everything around him negative.

If it weren't for him, she didn't believe she could dislike someone so much, she sometimes believed she hated him.

She didn't want such negativity around her.

She hoped she never had to have the displeasure of encountering him in her life again.

She made her way to the hallway and stopped in front of the elevators to wait for her ride, tapping her feet impatiently.

And when the elevator doors opened, she almost jumped in surprise at who it revealed.

"Itachi." She gasped out unconsciously, thinking she had only called his name in her head.

The look of mild surprise at seeing her in his eyes, quickly disappeared to his normal emotionless look he seemed to have especially for her of late.

She pushed down the feeling of dread and fear crawling up her throat.

"I-I mean….. Good morning Uchiha san." She said awkwardly remembering what he asked her to call him when she met him the day he broke things with her.

It seemed to please him as he allowed a small polite smile on his face that never reached his dead eyes.

"Good morning Hyuga san." He greeted politely but Hinata didn't like it. " are you joining me?" he asked in the same polite tone Hinata hated.

She wondered if he really wanted her to join him.

But the thought of being in such a small space with just him made her heart start to pound wildly and form a lump in her throat making it difficult for her to talk.

She just nodded and stiffly walked in to join him in the elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Hinata seemed to have forgotten how to breathe all together.

She felt her lungs about to burst against her rib cage for more air but she didn't at the moment know how to replenish them.

Then something hit her.

She was being ridiculous.

Wasn't this the same man she had bared both her body and soul completely to and he to her?

Wasn't this the same man she could be herself completely with?

Wasn't he the same man who reached out for her heart when despite all odds against them because he loved her that much?

So why was she also going along with his recent strange behaviour and acting like a stranger around him?

She seemed to get her senses back to start her normal breathing functioning and her brain started working normally.

Her eyes reflexively swept over his form as she took in his appearance appreciatively.

From his long silky dark locks neatly tied in a perpetual low pony still leaving his long bangs to frame his handsome face perfectly, down to his broad shoulders which his suit seemed to lie perfectly to hi-

"Aren't you supposed to be at work, Hyuga san?" Itachi asked suddenly catching Hinata off guard.

She had to take time assimilating what he had asked and she turned to him since she had a lot going on her head with her eyes feast of him.

When she was done, she looked at him a hint of accusation in her eyes before she spoke.

"I accepted and came to do this job, thinking I would be possibly working under you…and not your impossible brother." Hinata couldn't help the edge in her voice as her anger from before resurfaced at remembering Sasuke.

Itachi's dead eyes turned cold as they bore unkindly into hers.

"Is that a compliant…..on your first day of work?" His voice had a threatening edge to it.

But the anger Sasuke singlehandedly ignited was one that couldn't be easily quenched with Itachi's coldness or intimidation.

"It is a fact." Hinata countered firmly, her eyes still demanding an explanation.

"I think it was clear enough from how arrangements were made that I didn't want to work with you." He said coldly.

Hinata ignored the sting of his words and decided to twist his words to her advantage.

"Is it because you wouldn't be able to separate your personal feelings for me from work?" Hinata asked confidently as she looked longingly and intently into his eyes for a sign of that to be true.

"No…I did not want to end up working with a pampered ignorant princess who didn't waste time to prove me right by quitting when the going went tough." Itachi delivered heartlessly as he coldly watched as he stabbed Hinata in the heart again with his words.

Every part of her face stung with tears as she tried to hold them as she stared at his face sadly with her tear brimmed eyes.

Then she surprised him, by smiling bravely at him through her tears.

"Is it that you are not happy to see me leave?...That's good to know." She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of that than Itachi.

Itachi gave an exasperated sigh and irritation grew in his eyes.

"It must be really pitiful to have a daughter like you. You spend all your life working hard to make a future for her and make sure she never lacks a thing, but at the end in a dire situation to save everything you have worked for, she abandons it all to throw herself at your worst enemy's son. It is really a pitiful waste."

Hinata felt something die inside her at Itachi's acidic and cruel words.

She was at the verge of letting her tears fall freely down her face, but she somehow managed to summon the strength to hold her tears in and not cry before Itachi.

She didn't want to look any more pathetic than she was at the moment.

But she couldn't stop her face from conveying how his words killed her inside.

Her face felt heavy with the shame of being rejected, that she couldn't look him in the eye anymore.

The elevator doors then opened to Itachi's destination.

Before he left he turned to give her one last look.

"Have a good day, Hyuga san." And then he stepped, leaving his cold words echoing in the space of the elevator he had left her.

Hinata let out the breath she was holding as she blinked back the tears she was holding at bay.

"Have a good day?" hinata let out a bitter chuckle that felt like pins against her throat. "You really know what to say to rip a person heart apart and rub it in their face." She said in a pained hoarse voice as she pressed the button to go to the ground floor.


Sasuke clenched and unclenched his fist as he surrendered himself fully in his chair with his eyes shut, trying to quench down some of the fiery flames of his anger. But all he had done was prevent himself from turning his office upside down with his rage.

The degree of heat from his anger was still intact and overwhelmingly so, that he couldn't bring himself to work as his mind was haunted and taunted by Hinata's words and defiance.

There was a knock on his door but Sasuke couldn't be bothered to even open his eyes to see who it was.

He hoped his murderous aura would send the person away.

He heard the door open and footsteps towards his desk, one of the chairs opposite his, dragged and the intruder sitting.

What a bold fellow.

Sasuke couldn't help but let that thought cross his mind as he wondered who would dare walk into his office and get himself a seat like he owned it especially when Sasuke's murderous aura could be felt miles away.

His curiosity took the better of him and he opened his eyes to see who it was.

And then he shut it almost immediately as his migraine tripled at the last person he wanted to see in this state.

"What do you want?" Sasuke snapped in an irritated tone without bothering to open his eyes.

"Hmm I don't think a good morning is suitable for the current mood."

Sasuke could feel the taunt in his brother's words and it gave the right provocation for Sasuke to open his eyes to fix Itachi's blank face with his death glare.

"I don't think seeing your face is suitable for the current mood either." Sasuke spat back, earning and amused chuckle from Itachi.

Itachi then turned his head around as if in search for something, and Sasuke didn't like it.

"What do you want?" Sasuke repeated himself, letting his words drip heavily with his impatience.

Itachi ignored him as he seemed engrossed in his search.

"I can't find any Hyuga here like I expected." Itachi finally said.

"That's because she is working." Sasuke stared right into his brother's face and lied without blinking.

Itachi couldn't stop his grin as he was shocked at how Sasuke was able to look him in the face and lie to him so boldly.

"Oh, then why would she bid me farewell in the elevator?" Itachi asked in feigned innocence. After his meeting with Hinata, he had taken the stairs straight to come here.

Sasuke closed his eyes as he let out a breath of irritation from his mouth trying to hold his boiling temper, which Itachi seemed to enjoy fanning.

"So you came all the way here just to rub it in my face." Sasuke accused through clenched teeth.

Itachi smiled at him.

"I wasn't till you lied to my face." Itachi pointed out simply.

It was now Sasuke to give a chuckle.

"Your lack of effort in lying to me is insulting."Sasuke sneered sarcastically.

Itachi's smile remained on his face as his eyes grew serious.

"What happened with Hyuga san?" Itachi probed.

Sasuke's eye begun to twitch in irritation.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Sasuke bit back his reply.

Itachi's smile did not waver.

"Is it because she was too much for you to handle?"

Sasuke slammed his hand loudly on his desk and stood up from his seat.

Itachi had successfully broken any chains of restraint Sasuke had put on his roaring anger kind courtesy Hinata Hyuga.

His eyes blazed with his fiery anger as he glared down at his brother.

"Get out." It wasn't only an order, it was a life threatening one.

But Itachi was unfazed by Sasuke's fiery anger one bit.

"You still have not answered my question, Sasuke." Itachi pointed out calmly.

"Itachi, I said get out!" Sasuke voice got higher and deadly.

Itachi let himself fall back into his seat to regard Sasuke well.

"I get what happened now. She defied you so you fired her in your anger, isn't it?" itachi pressed.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Itachi." Sasuke growled with murderous intent at his brother.

Itachi was now not smiling anymore.

"You are always complaining about how dad doesn't give you a chance to prove yourself and when he does give you a chance, you prove him right by messing it up in grand style like only you are capable of."

And then Sasuke flipped over his huge office desk with his strength tripled by his monstrous anger, removing any barrier protecting Itachi, as he trudged dangerously towards a clearly unfazed Itachi.

Either Itachi had lost his reflex of fear or he had a death wish.

"What were you saying earlier?" Sasuke dared Itachi to repeat his previous words at the cost of his life.

Itachi didn't seem to get the dare part.

"That you couldn't handle a mere Hyuga." Itachi taunted.

Sasuke's hand shot out and grab Itachi by the collar.

"Let me handle your ass to show if I can't handle a Hyuga." Sasuke seethed through clenched teeth.

Itachi's eyes darkened at this.

He stood up from his seat to use his slight high advantage to stare down at Sasuke, who still held on steadfastly to Itachi's collar.

"Why? Is it because I spoke the truth too loud?" Itachi shot back looking meaningfully at Sasuke's hand grabbing him and to Sasuke's enraged face.

"That I can handle your ass?" Sasuke sneered.

"That Hyuga san is too much for you to handle." Itachi countered coolly turning Sasuke's face to stone.

The tension in the room became heavy and thick as the two thunderclouds had a glaring fest at each other, shooting all types of weapons at each other with their eyes.

Then a dark twisted smirk appeared on Sasuke's face.

"Fine, I would employ her back and then we would see if she is too much for me." Sasuke challenged.

Itachi stared at Sasuke for a long second before an amused smile appeared on his face.

"Deal." Itachi accepted the challenge. Sasuke's smirk grew wider and menacing.

"Deal." Sasuke also repeated.

"Now can you unhand me now?" Itachi asked dragging his eyes from Sasuke's face to his hand holding his shirt.

Sasuke let go with his raised in mocked surrender.

"Thank you." Itachi said as he straightened the front of his shirt.

"And now can you leave my office now?" Sasuke mimicked Itachi.

Itachi also mimicked Sasuke by also doing the mocked surrender stance.

"Ha… funny." Sasuke sneered sarcastically.

Itachi turned to leave but stopped when he got to the door, as if he had forgotten something.

"I'm really looking forward to this. Try not to disappoint me too early." And with that Itachi left, his words effectively riling Sasuke up.

"Try not to disappoint you too early, I'm going enjoy kicking you off your high horse, you arrogant bastard." Sasuke vowed, his eyes glowing red in determination and vengeance for all the times Itachi made him feel like second best in everything, especially in the eyes of their father.

That was going to change with Hyuga Hinata.

…..


Hinata was slowly but steadily losing faith with every encounter she had with Itachi.

He seemed to always have a way to kill what they had little by little with his words, actions and inactions.

But she refused to let go.

She refused just forget all they had even if it brought her more pain.

She stopped walking as she looked up their lake house, their love nest and the witness to their great love Itachi tries to deny ever existed now.

She knew if the whole world called her crazy and absurd because of their love, even if Itachi walked all over heart and love like it never existed and like it was all an illusion in her head, she knew this place would testify to their love, so igniting it made the sun seem cold, so deep it made the oceans jealous, so magnetic it caused the earth to move.

Hinata felt the heaviness in her heart slowly dissipate as she walked towards the lake house. She was greeted by its beauty and the wonderful memories she shared with Itachi as if it knew the pain in her heart and was trying to comfort her.

She readily allowed herself to bask in it, as she needed it for she felt like she was about to burst from all the sadness, anger and hurt from all that happened this morning at the Uchihas.

She walked further and got to the door of the lake house where she stopped as she was hit by the memory of their last time together when he made her his for the last time.

It was like she was taken back to that moment, feeling the intensity of his eyes as he gazed intently into hers, full of unspoken passion and desire.

The way he held her to him was full of possession and longing.

Hinata opened and entered the lake house, leaning on the door to close at being overwhelmed by the vivid flashes of the memory of that faithful day.

She closed her eyes to savour it.

How he carried her in so lovingly like his bride as he looked deep into her eyes with earth shattering passion and love, how he kissed her with such longing with all he had in him, like he was never going to get the opportunity to do so again, the way he held her to him so tightly like he was afraid he was going lose her if he didn't hold on to her tight enough and how he trembled in her arms, that tremble she was familiar with, because of the number of times he made her always tremble in his arms when she was overwhelmed with love anytime he kisses her.

He loved her that much it shook him to the very core.

So how could all that change so quickly like it never existed, how could he change so drastically like he wasn't capable of loving her in the first place?

No matter how many times she tried to wrap her mind around it, it just didn't make sense to Hinata.

What could have changed him so much?

Or was this who he truly was? Was deceiving me all along like he claims?

But then their memories together made it not plausible for him to have deceived her all this while.

She did not only see his love for her or hear him say it, she felt it and felt it so well in her bones.

And her bones never lied.

Something was wrong with him causing him to act like this.

And she had to find out.

But how was she going to accomplish that when she conveniently got herself fired on the first day?

Hinata now wanted to kick herself for not having restraint on her tongue back in Sasuke's office.

Under normal circumstances, even if she was right in any situation in the past, she allowed herself be walked all over and play the guilty party quietly.

But she didn't know why with Sasuke she became this different person she didn't know she could become.

She turned to this spit fire which was opposite her meek and submissive self.

She didn't know if Sasuke was that vexing or she was acting that way because deep inside her, she hated Uchiha like all her clan members.

But she didn't act that way with Fugaku Uchiha.

Which means Sasuke was that vexing of a person.

The thought of him made her blood boil from their encounter in the morning.

She didn't know how people were able to work with him.

Then she remembered Itachi's biting words to her in the elevator, but when she put aside the acidity in those words, she could see the truth behind them.

She made it too easy for Sasuke to fire her.

Eventhough Sasuke could have kindly told her how he preferred his coffee, she could have also asked instead of making her own assumptions based on Itachi.

They were clearly two different people, and she herself noticed that the first day she met Sasuke.

So it was quite silly she quickly assumed Sasuke would like his coffee sweet like Itachi.

She could have even perceived how Sasuke preferred his coffee without even asking him.

She just had to look at the aura he emitted.

Dark and bitter.

But then all this made her realise something she had been to blind to see from before.

She made her whole world revolve solely around Itachi and as such all she saw, all her thoughts, all her plans and all her decisions were based on him.

As Ko said, all she saw was him and as such she saw nothing apart from him.

It made her realise for the first time how unhealthy her strong feelings could get.

Could it be that all this love, was obsession?

No, Hinata refused to believe that, knowing that what she felt for Itachi in her heart was true and pure.

But she realised it could get overwhelming and blind her, especially now that she had lost her father and was trying to use Itachi to fill that painful gaping hole inside.

She realised it was time had her head and priorities straight.

She now on had too many people depending on her to make Itachi her whole world.

She couldn't continue acting like lovesick school girl and forget about everything anytime she saw him.

She loved him and was going to find out what happened to him, but she first and foremost had to get her father's company back, and she knew through that she would be able to prove Itachi had nothing to do with the takeover like he wants her to believe and she would find out what was wrong with him.

But the problem now is how to get her job back.

But that meant having to go on her knees to beg for it.

Her whole body rejected the idea of doing that.

She had to find another way to get her job back. She would save kneeling him for the worst….worst, worst case scenario.

But first she realised, she didn't apologize for her mistake and eventhough Sasuke wasn't her favourite person in the world, she owed him that.

She had to suck in her pride, apologize to him and ask for her job in that order.

Even if it was Sasuke.

She said herself she would do anything to get her father's company.

This was one of them.

Hinata took one last look into the lake house with a grateful look in her eyes as she felt coming to this place helped her cleared her mind and made her think straight.

She made her way out and headed towards Uchiha towers.

….


Sasuke had paced in his office deep in thought as Suigestu begrudgingly cleared up the mess Sasuke had made all by himself.

The things I do for a salary. Suigestu said ….in his head of course.

Sasuke had agreed to Itachi's challenge and there was no way he was going to back down from it.

He had to get Hinata Hyuga back to work for him before he could begin the challenge.

All he had to do was simply to call her back.

But Sasuke from his few encounters with Hinata, realised quite painfully that nothing was simple with Hinata Hyuga.

He thought the job meant a lot to her as they made her believe that was the only way to get at most half of her father's possession when in reality it was far from that.

Then something hit him.

What if she had realised this, that's why she walked away so easily?

What if asking her to kneel before me, made her come to such a realisation?

Sasuke felt like kicking himself.

How did he think a Hyuga would simply kneel before him in the first place?

It was too soon to get her on her knees when she was still on her two feet with her snobby nose in the clouds.

And then something hit again him that made dread wash all over him.

It never occurred to him till now, about what would happen if his dad found out.

He had asked to personally handle Hinata Hyuga and see to it she was completely crushed before she left her and not with her dignity and pride intact.

Even if it killed him to admit it, what Itachi said was the actual truth.

If their father found out about this, it would just give him more reason why he never trusted with him with anything and completely writes him of as a failure not worth his time.

Sasuke felt cornered and he hated it.

He now saw he had no option but to bring the Hyuga back before his dad found out.

He hated how the tables had now turned on him.

He needed the Hyuga to get his father's approval.

And Sasuke loathed every tiny bit of it with a raging passion.

And it made his hate for Hinata increase by a tenfold.

He took in a deep breath and took his phone to call her number his dad had given him the day before.

He stared at the number for a long hard minute and decided he would call when he gets to the elevator.

All his thoughts were making him claustrophobic in his office and he needed to go outside for a breather.

"Suigestu, if my father asks of the Hyuga, tell him I have sent her on an errand and if he asks of me afterwards I have business meeting to attend to." He said flippantly over his shoulder as he made his way to the door.

Suigestu face scrunched in confusion.

"Have you not already fired Hina-"

"Suigestu." Sasuke cut Suigestu off sharply, pinning him down with his glare.

Suigestu gulped loudly.

"I will tell your father just that." Suigestu sang with an impish smile on his face.

"Good. I want my office in order by the time I get back." And with that order Sasue opened the door and left his office.

Suigestu deadpanned.

I hate this job.

….


By the time Sasuke had reached the parking lot, he had procrastinated calling Hinata like a 50 times.

It made him feel like a wimp and he hated it.

He had decided that for the last time, the very last time when he got inside his car, he would make the dreaded call and be done with it.

Which seemed to make him slow his pace so he doesn't get to his car to early. When he was a few footsteps away from his car, he decided he was being ridiculous and would just call already and get it over with.

He picked the phone and without a moment's thought tapped her number to start dialling.

To his surprise, she picked his call quite quickly than he expected.

"Where are you, Hyuga?" he asked in a demanding tone, unlike person who was trying to convince someone to come back and work for him.

"Right behind you." He heard her soft voice through the phone which took him aback.

"What?"

Sasuke whipped his head sharply in disbelief to see Hinata in the flesh, standing right there behind him, with her phone to her ear, like he had summoned her here with just his thoughts.

Reviews please!