“But I’m just telling you what Ivan and I discussed,” he protests. “Viktor wants her delivered. Untouched…”
“What the fuck is your point? I’m dealing with it.” I push back.
“We think she may be… confusing you with her assets. She is pretty, yes. But we want you to stay focused.”
I whip my body back, my fist striking his face with lethal precision. “Don’t upset me Maksim.” I flex my hand, watching him stumble against the glass, reaching for the handle. “I can have you replaced in twenty minutes. You’re only here because Ivan likes you enough.”
“Yes sir. It won’t happen again.”
Fucking morons.
It’s Ivan, he’s been worried about my connection to her since the night I spared her brother’s life.
But I know she’ll come to her senses eventually, ending up exactly where she needs to be. And yeah, she didn’t choose to come here. But mark my fucking words: she will choose to stay.
By nightfall, I need to unsettle her. And Elijah… Elijah is the perfect tool.
I track him to one of the clubs in Vostralya—a place where excess bleeds into everything. I secured a private room towait in. Walls draped in red velvet, candles flickering, smoke curling around girls with barely enough fabric to cover them, lines of cocaine and champagne on the table, men laughing and groaning over their own selfish indulgences. The kind of place that smells of sin and power.
Elijah is already there, sitting back in a leather chair, drink in hand, a leggy redhead grinding on his lap, her tits bouncing against him. He looks calm, like nothing can touch him. I’m hoping she can.
He doesn’t notice me yet, so I pull out my phone and record every second. Every glance, every subtle smile, every brush of skin. I’ll make sure she sees this. I’ll make sure she sees exactly what he’s willing to do—and how he responds to someone who isn’t her.
I watch Elijah’s hands trail over the girl’s body. He doesn’t stop, doesn’t push her away.
The little smirk he gives her shows his pleasure in control, in knowing he can have her, even if it’s just for tonight. And through it all, I see the weakness I need to exploit.
I already know Aurelia’s type. She doesn’t fall for boys who flaunt or manipulate with empty charm. She falls for danger, for control, for someone who sees her and wants her—not as a toy, but as someone worth taking. That’s me. That’s why I’m planning every second.
Leaning back against the doorway, crossing my arms, the shadows hiding my presence, I let the scene play out. Aurelia will wonder why he’s here and why he isn’t looking for her. She will feel that ache in her stomach—that pull between disgust and desire. And she will remember me—the one who protects her, who terrifies her, who makes her feel things she shouldn’t feel for a man like me.
Her safety, her fear, her desire… they are my tools. And when she finally decides between him and me, I want it to be becauseshe wants me—not because she’s trapped, but because she can’t imagine anyone else filling the space I occupy in her mind and body.
I push a button on my phone, capturing one last moment of the redhead grinding against Elijah. My thumb hovers, and I can practically feel her reaction—the pulse in her wrist, the quiver of heat behind her eyes.
I begin smashing my hands together, the claps startling them both. “Thank you,” I say with a thin smile, dismissing the girl.
Elijah sits up, adjusting his pants before shooting me a death glare. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“I invited her in the room. You didn’t have to have her dance for you.”
He rolls his eyes but doesn’t reply.
It almost reminds me of Aurelia, and the thought of them being close enough to share traits only aggravates me further.
“Let’s talk about our girl before you go.”
“I’m not telling you anything,” he spits.
“I just want to verify… it was you on her birthday, yes? The one who kissed her slutty friend and led her on for years?”
He doesn’t reply, but by the way he’s tapping on his leg, I’m guessing I’ve hit a nerve. So a smile spreads across my face.
“Did she tell you? That she wanted me to fuck her that night because of it?” I laugh. “A total stranger. She was so pissed at you she was willing to fuck me. Can you imagine how excited she got when she saw I was her kidnapper?”
His jaw tenses.
“She couldn’t get my cock in her mouth fast enough,” I whisper.
