---
Morning light spilled across Chicago, but Lucinda Morreti's penthouse remained shrouded in velvet curtains, the world outside reduced to a muffled hum. She sat at the long oak table, a porcelain cup of coffee cooling untouched before her. Her maids moved in silence, trained to be invisible shadows in her presence.
It wasn't arrogance it was survival.
Lucinda had learned long ago that weakness was a predators favorite scent. So she carved herself into steel, her aura so commanding that even men thrice her age bowed as if she were royalty. Still, even steel had cracks, and last nights encounter with Hades Slayer left one burning.
She hated the way he unsettled her.
She hated the way his words clung to her skin.
But most of all, she hated the way her body betrayed her with every thought of him.
The Devil has come for your crown.
The anonymous message replayed in her mind like a curse. Was it a warning or a promise?
---
Power in the Boardroom
By noon, Lucinda stood before the towering glass headquarters of Éternelle. Inside, the conference room buzzed with tension. Executives, designers, and investors filled the seats, all eyes turning toward her as she entered.
Men old enough to be her father rose to their feet. Women, sharp and calculating, dipped their heads in respect. Not one dared speak until she did.
She wore power like armora crimson silk blouse, high-waisted trousers, and heels that echoed like a judges gavel against the marble floor. When she spoke, her voice rolled across the room like thunder.
Éternelle does not follow trends. We set them. Those who question our authority are free to leave.
Silence. Then, murmurs of agreement, pens scribbling, heads nodding.
To them, she was untouchable.
But in her chest, unease gnawed.
Because she could feel it again.
That shift in the air.
That weight pressing at the edges of the room.
Her eyes flicked toward the far end, and her pulse faltered.
He was there.
Hades Slayer.
Not invited. Not announced. Simply thereseated among her board as though he belonged. Shadows pooled faintly at his chair, too dark, too alive.
Her breath caught, but she recovered instantly, her expression sharp as glass. Mr. Slayer, she said evenly. To what do I owe the intrusion?
He leaned back, the ghost of a smirk playing at his lips. Business, of course. Your empire fascinates me. I thought Id see it up close.
Empires arent circuses, she snapped. You dont buy tickets to watch them burn.
The board stiffened, eyes darting nervously. But Hades only chuckled, low and dangerous, a sound that slid down her spine like smoke.
Oh, Lucinda, he drawled. Every empire burns eventually. The question iswho lights the match?
---
The Game Tightens
The meeting continued, but Lucinda could hardly focus. Every word out of his mouth was a bladecutting, mocking, daring her to strike back. He asked the right questions, prodded her weaknesses, smirked when her voice tightened.
Yet, beneath the verbal warfare, something darker coiled between them.
An attraction she couldnt shake.
A hunger she couldnt name.
When the meeting ended, her executives fled like prey sensing predators nearby. Only she and Hades remained.
He rose slowly, walking toward her with deliberate steps. She refused to move, her aura flaring in defiance.
You think this is your world, he murmured, stopping inches from her. The shadows seemed to stretch, brushing against her heels. But tell me, Queen when the night comes, and the shadows crawl into your bedwill you still be untouchable?
Her breath hitched, fire and fury burning in her chest. You overestimate your power, Slayer.
Do I? His gaze dropped briefly to her lips, then back to her eyes. Or do you underestimate how much you want me to use it?
Her nails bit into her palms. She wanted to slap him. She wanted to drag him closer. She wanted
No. She couldnt.
Before she could answer, the sound of a throat clearing cut through the tension. Cassian stepped into the doorway, his presence like a blade of ice. Loyal protector. Childhood shadow. A man forged in his own vengeance.
Lucinda, he said, his gaze flicking to Hades with barely veiled hostility. Your next appointment awaits.
The air shifted again. Hades smirk deepened, as though he enjoyed being interrupted. As though this was all part of a game only he knew the rules to.
As Hades brushed past her, his lips ghosted near her ear.
This is only the beginning, he whispered. And I never lose.
By the time she turned, he was gonevanished like smoke, leaving only the echo of his promise.
But when she looked at Cassian, something in his eyes froze her blood.
Hatred. Not just for Hades. For her father. For her empire.
And as the door closed, a realization struck her like lightning:
Hades wasn't her only enemy in the shadows.
🔥 End of Chapter Two 🔥