Thread: A Devil's Game ::: {Ariamella & Prince of Smut}

RE A Devil's Game Ariamella Prince Damien waited to speak until the door had closed behind Macy. Guten Morgen, Fraulein , Damien announced as he spun his chair around to face her. A small smile curled the corners of his mouth as he played up his dramatic reveal, knowing the sight of a young, very attractive, and well-dressed man wearing sunglasses instead of the older, balding and corpulent George would be shocking. After her morning in the spa and celebrity style makeover, Damien wouldn't be surprised if Macy was half tempted to pinch herself to make sure this wasn't a dream. Sit, Damien ordered in a soft, but firm, voice. It wasn't a request, it was a command. An order to be obeyed immediately and emphasized with a curt motion from one of his hands directing her towards the chair in front of his desk. Damien wanted to establish the tone of their relationship early and send the message that he was in charge. Every nuance of his speech and subtlety of his body language from now on would be a reinforcement of the power he held over her. George was fired last night by the board. Evidently he's been fucking a number of employees and was stupid enough to secretly video his trysts, including in this very room, said Damien in a casual tone, like he was discussing an unimportant fact. His English was nearly perfect with just a slight heavier accent on his hard vowels that hinted he wasn't a native speaker. He leaned forward and a small grin appeared on his face. My name is Damien Van Horne and I'm the new CEO of Brandon-Demmings Publications, effective today. Damien rose from the chair in a smooth motion, letting Macy see his full height and giving her a hint of the toned body that moved fluidly under his well tailored clothes. Striding around the desk, he sat on the edge and let one leg dangle as he regarded her up close. In this position, sitting above he, he would seem to tower over the smaller woman and his physical size would only amplify the power he already held as her new CEO. With the sunglasses on, she couldn't see that his eyes were slowly taking her new outfit in from head to toe, but the length of his scrutiny would likely make her suspect he was studying her in detail. I hope your morning was pleasant. I know it's not sufficient recompense for what you've suffered at George's hands, but take it as a token of my sympathy. I must say, your new outfit is quite fetching and the stylists have done an amazing job, Damien said at last, an easy smile now on his face as he attempted to set the young girl at ease. I've spent the last couple days reviewing files in preparation for this transition and your name is one I discovered as an unrecognized star within Couture . I've seen your work and know how that hussy Andrea stole credit from you. You are very, very good and someone I'd like to rebuild this magazine around for the coming decades. But to do that, we need to invest in developing you as well. I ordered this makeover to fix a glaring shortcoming, namely that your personal image was holding you back. To be a star at Couture you have to look and act the part, and that means dressing like a Queen Bee and owning the natural beauty that you've strangely decided to hide. I'm guessing you are proud of your work and want it to stand on its own, Ja ? That your behavior is some sort of statement on you thinking merit should trump politics and substance win over style? Well, that's very idealistic, and it worked to some degree as I found you, but now it's time to grow up and play the game. This isn't college, it's the real world. You won't change anything protesting on the sidelines and no one cares about how many people sign your petition. Instead, put it all together -- style, substance, intelligence and beauty -- and show the world what you can really do. And I'm going to give you your big shot, said Damien, speaking in a slow and measured tone that let each statement sink in deeply. It was a critique designed to smash her down a peg and make her contemplate the immaturity of her past behavior, crumbling the moral high ground right from under her feet and trivializing her pet crusade against women that used their looks, and other assets, to get ahead. But his speech had ended with a tantalizing promise and Damien paused on that note, letting the suspense build about what exactly he was hinting at. Effective immediately, you've been promoted to full editor, Damien said finally with a big smile. It was a large leap, skipping assistant editor and junior editor roles that most women slaved at for a decade in the hopes of a full title. You'll be in charge of a new Sex and Relationship section that I want to develop to modernize the magazine and get our readership growing again. Think Cosmo, but high class and with a fashion bent in the features and spreads. You'll report to Heidi directly and get your own assistant. As we speak, your belongings are being moved to your new desk. Any questions? the tall, dark haired man asked, smile still on his face as he let her bask in her newfound success.