The boardroom air shattered. Silas slammed his fist onto the mahogany, his face contorting into a mask of pure, unhinged malice. "Security!" he roared, but the doors remained locked.
Alisha didn't flinch. She leaned closer to Drake, her shoulder pressing against his chest. The betrayal from the previous chapter still hung between them like a shroud, but the danger outside the door was more immediate.
"I didn't just learn your passwords, Drake," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the red-faced Silas. "I hacked the building's mainframe an hour ago. No one comes in, and no one goes out until I say so."
Drake's hand found the small of her back, his fingers gripping her with a sudden, bruising intensity. It wasn't a comforting touch; it was a claim. The realization that she had intended to ruin him hadn't made him turn away—it had ignited a dark, possessive hunger. He didn't care if she wanted to destroy him, as long as he was the only thing she was looking at when she did it.
"You're mine to ruin, Alisha," Drake growled, his voice vibrating against her. "Not his. Not the board's. If you're going to burn my world down, you'll stay in the center of the flames with me."
Silas lunged across the table, his composure finally snapping. "You think you can take me? I broke you once, Drake! I can do it again!"
Before Silas could reach him, Alisha was a blur of motion. She didn't use her knife this time. She grabbed a heavy glass carafe from the table and shattered it against the edge, holding the jagged remains toward Silas's throat.
"Touch him," Alisha said, her voice dropping into a register that made even the board members scramble toward the corners of the room, "and I will ensure you never breathe another arrogant word again. He survived you. But you won't survive me."
Drake stepped up behind her, his large frame looming over her like a dark guardian. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, his hands locking over hers on the broken glass. He wasn't stopping her; he was guiding her
"See that, Silas?" Drake whispered into Alisha's ear, though his eyes were locked on his brother. "She's the only person in this world who isn't afraid of the monster you made me. Because she's a monster, too."
Silas backed away, his breath coming in ragged gasps. For the first time in his life, he was the prey. He saw the way Drake looked at Alisha—not with love, but with a terrifying, absolute obsession. It was a bond forged in blood and mutual destruction.
"Go," Drake commanded, the word echoing in the silent room. "Before I decide that the legal route is too boring for what you put me through."
Alisha felt Drake's heartbeat thudding against her back—hard, fast, and violent. She knew she had a million reasons to hate him. He had taken her father's legacy without a second thought. But as his arms tightened around her, she realized she didn't want his apology. She wanted his power. She wanted the way he looked at her as if she were the only blade sharp enough to cut through his armor.
"We aren't finished," Alisha said, looking up at Drake as Silas fled through the side exit.
Drake's grip shifted, his hand moving to her jaw, forcing her to look at him. His thumb brushed over her lip with a possessive heat. "We're just getting started. You wanted my company, Alisha? It's yours. But the price is you. Every part of you. Forever."
She didn't pull away. She leaned into the darkness. "Deal."