I glance at him, the faintest flicker of amusement crossing my face, then wave him off. “Pour me a drink.”
He opens his mouth to argue, but one look from me silences him. Luka moves to the minibar, pours a deep amber liquid into a glass, and sets it in front of me. I let it sit there, untouched, as I watch the liquid catch the lamplight.
“And what are you doing here?” I finally ask, leaning back.
He purses his lips, the telltale sign that he’s switching to a serious mood. “Foreign buyers linked to David Chang have spread whispers. Elara…her disappearance. People are noticing, Boss. If we’re not careful, suspicion could land on the Rusnaks.”
I let the words hang in the air for a moment before taking a slow sip, letting the burn sharpen my focus. “Let them whisper,” I mutter. “David won’t know what hit him until it’s too late.”
Luka shakes his head. “It’s not just David. Investors, associates…they’ll be watching. Rumors can spark reactions youdon’t want. Even you can’t control every angle if people start talking.”
I tilt my head, swirling the drink in my hand. “I’ll handle it. Nothing or no one touches my wife; nothing leaks. Understood?”
He nods, eyes lingering on me. “Understood, Boss. But these whispers…be careful. Sometimes shadows move faster than we do.”
I growl, setting the glass down with deliberate force. “Appearances can be handled. I’ll spin the marriage as a union, not a kidnapping. Everyone will see what I want them to see.”
Luka leans against the desk, arms crossed, eyes sharp. “You’re losing your edge, Roman. I can see it. The way you look at her, the way you deal with her…this isn’t just a union to you. Your heart’s in it. You’re already letting her get under your skin.”
I pause, then snap, voice cold, “Get out of my office.”
He straightens, eyes meeting mine for a long moment before he finally turns and leaves, closing the door behind him. The silence presses in, and I feel the tension coiling tighter inside me. My pulse races—not from danger, but from the thought of her. From the way she exists in my mind, unrelenting and untouchable.
I remember Luka’s words again, and deep down, I can’t shake the truth in them.
I pick up my glass, letting the burn of the liquor anchor me. Edge or no edge, she’s mine…in every way that matters. And I won’t let anyone, not even shadows, take her from me.
I drain the last drop and stand, the echo of glass against the wood sharp in the quiet room. I cross over to the bar and grab a fresh bottle. The weight of it feels good in my hand—steady, familiar. For a second, I’m tempted to drink until I stop thinking about her, about what Luka said, about the mess I’ve made.
But I picture her in that bed—barely a day into this marriage—and the thought of stumbling back to her drunk feels pathetic. Weak. Not tonight.
I twist the cap back on and set the bottle down. The sound it makes against the counter is final.
I stay in the office for hours, forcing myself to focus on work that refuses to hold my attention. Numbers blur. Words fade. Every thought circles back to her warm skin, sharp tongue, eyes that burn like a challenge.
By six a.m., the city is stirring awake beneath a gray sky. I push back from my desk and decide it’s time to clean up, change, and try to pretend I’m not unraveling.
When I step into the suite, the sight that greets me stops me cold.
Elara stands by the window, wrapped in nothing but a sheet. Morning light spills across her bare shoulders, turning her hair into black heat. She doesn’t look soft. She looks like a warning.
Her gaze meets mine. It’s steady, calm, unyielding.
“You may own my body, Roman Rusnak,” she says softly, voice like silk over steel, “but you will never own me.”
The words cut cleaner than any blade.
And still, I can’t look away.
For the first time, I feel it—the sharp edge of doubt slicing clean through the wall of control I’ve spent years perfecting.
I can command armies, crush empires, and bend men to my will with a single word. But her?
I don’t know what to do with her.
“I don’t want anything more than your body,” I snap, the words tearing out before I can stop them. She’s filling my head with doubt, and I hate her for it.
She huffs, chin lifting. “Of course men like you are only good for sex.”
