Julian's face went from pale to a dangerous, splotchy purple. For a second, Elara thought he might actually lunge at her.
He planted his hands on the mahogany table, glaring up at her. "You are making the biggest mistake of your life, Elara. Alexander doesn't care about you! He's a psychopath. The second he gets bored of this little game, he will throw you to the wolves, and you will have nothing left!"
Elara didn't flinch. She simply tilted her head, her gaze sweeping over his pathetic, red-faced display.
"If I'm thrown to the wolves, Julian, at least it will be by a king," she said smoothly. "You? You're just a scavenger who fed off my scraps. Liam?"
Liam took one heavy step forward. He didn't say a word. He didn't even reach into his jacket. But the sheer, lethal intent radiating from Alexander's right-hand man was enough to make Julian stumble backward.
Chloe squeaked in terror, grabbing Julian's arm. "Julian, let's just go. Please!"
Humiliated, stripped of his power, and thoroughly terrified of the man standing behind Elara, Julian yanked his arm out of Chloe's grip and stormed out of the boardroom. Chloe scrambled after him, the clicking of her cheap heels echoing down the hallway.
The heavy doors clicked shut.
Elara exhaled a slow, quiet breath. The adrenaline that had been keeping her upright was slowly starting to drain, but she couldn't show weakness yet. She walked around the table and sat down in the high-backed leather chair at the head of the room.
She looked at the three remaining board members. They were sweating profusely, avoiding her eyes.
"The Vance Corporation is undergoing restructuring," Elara announced, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Cancel all of Julian's ongoing projects. Audit his department. If you find a single cent missing from the company accounts, I want it reported to the police immediately. Meeting adjourned."
The men practically ran over each other trying to escape the room.
Once they were gone, Elara slumped back in the chair, rubbing her temples. She had done it. The first phase of her revenge was complete. Julian was out.
"An impressive display, Madam."
Elara looked up. Liam was standing by the door, a faint glimmer of actual respect in his usually dead eyes. "The boss will be pleased."
The mention of Alexander made her stomach do a nervous flip. The high of crushing Julian was fading, replaced by the daunting reality of the man she had shackled herself to.
Payment. Alexander's dark, husky voice echoed in her mind.
"Let's go back," Elara said, standing up and smoothing her coat. "I shouldn't keep my husband waiting."
The penthouse was eerily quiet when Elara stepped out of the private elevator. The sun had already set, casting the massive living room in deep shadows, illuminated only by the sprawling city lights flashing through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Alexander was sitting in a dark leather armchair near the glass, a crystal tumbler of amber liquid in his hand. He had discarded his suit jacket and tie, the top three buttons of his crisp white shirt undone, revealing the faint edge of a dark tattoo on his collarbone.
He looked relaxed. Dangerously so.
"Eighty million dollars," Alexander murmured into the quiet room. He didn't turn to look at her, but his deep voice sent a shiver straight down her spine. "That is how much you spent on my card today, Mrs. Cross."
Elara took a deep breath and walked into the room, stopping a few feet away from his chair.
"I bought out the dissenting board members," Elara explained, forcing her voice to remain steady. "The shares are entirely in your name. They are worth far more than eighty million. It's a solid investment for the Cross Holding Group, and—"
"Elara."
Alexander set his glass down on the side table. The sharp clink cut off her nervous rambling. He finally turned his head, his pitch-black eyes locking onto hers.
"Did I ask for a financial report?" he asked softly.
He stood up, his massive frame unfurling with the grace of a predatory cat. He closed the distance between them in three long strides. Elara instinctively took a step back, but her shoulders hit the cold glass of the window. She was trapped.
Alexander stepped into her personal space, caging her in by placing one large hand on the glass right beside her head. He was so close she could smell the intoxicating mix of expensive whiskey and sandalwood.
"I don't care about the money," Alexander said, his voice dropping to a low, rough whisper. "I have enough money to buy this city twice over. What I care about is the fact that my wife used my name to conquer her enemies today, and she hasn't even greeted me properly upon coming home."
Elara's breath hitched. She looked up at him, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. The intensity in his eyes was suffocating, burning with a heat that had nothing to do with anger.
"How..." she swallowed hard, her throat dry. "How do you want to be greeted?"
A wicked, breathtaking smirk touched the corner of Alexander's mouth. He reached up, his knuckles grazing the soft skin of her cheek before his fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck.
"Like you belong to me," he commanded softly.
Before Elara could even process the words, Alexander's head dipped, and his lips crashed down onto hers.