Theron's POV
I was concentrating on my work. Yes, I was concen....
That scent.
Floral.
Her body carried a fragrance mild, calming, yet deeply distracting. Lilies. I'd bet her hair smelled like lilies. She was cold… yet warm when she helped me. She could've just left. But she didn't.
And her skin—soft… like feathers.
"Ahemmm…"
I blinked open. An eyesore stood in front of me.
"Hmcchh…"
"Boss, you seem to hate looking at me today," John raised a brow, too smug for my liking."Were you enjoying your dream?" he added, smirking.
I shot him a glare sharp enough to peel paint.
But of course, the idiot didn't get the hint.
"Was she cute? How was her shape? Curvy? Lean? Thick?" His grin widened. "Did you look at her eyes… nose… or" ....he gestured with both fourth fingers touching...."…her lips?"**
Ugh.
I was already drowning in her thoughts. And here he was—fueling it. Raising my damn temperature.
Bastard.
I grabbed the nearest file and launched it straight at his head.
"BOSSSSS—!"
"Shut the fuck up. You better have a damn good reason for disturbing me."
Suddenly, John looked tense. That's rare. My eyes narrowed.
"Boss… Isabella is here."
That bitch again.
I don't have the patience for her games especially not when she is clouding my mind like a storm.
"I don't have time for her."
"So… you have time for your imaginary girlfriend?"
"She's not imaginary," I snapped. "She helped...."
"What boss? She helped...then what? Don't tell me you both...." He made the damn kissing gesture again.
"You keep talking, and I'll make sure you lose your life," I said, face like stone.
"Sorry boss...."
"So, what is it about?"
"Adkins canceled our contract."
"WHAT—?!"
No. No. No. No fucking way.
"Call her in."
A few minutes later
"Mr. Drakos… umm…"
"WHAT HAPPENED?"
She flinched. As she should. Even men shudder at the sound of my voice.
"Why did they cancel?"
"They seem to be connecting with Aetos."
"WHAT?!"
"Not only that… they're arranging a meeting with Imperium Holdings."
I shot up from my chair. Isabella rose too, visibly shaking.
Something's off.
I brushed the thought aside.
"Gather the legal team. NOW!" I thundered to John.
"Mr. Drakos, I've already sent a notice on your behalf. Any further actions can follow from there." She bowed her head.
Tch. Isabella empty-headed most of the time, but her brain works in sudden bursts. Weirdly impressive.
"Good work, Isabella. You can leave now."
She hesitated. Just for a moment. But I caught it.
Aurora… I will make you disappear into thin air.
At Adkins Real Estate
The tension was unbearable. The air itself felt heavy, suffocating.
Sales team. Legal team. Technical team. All gathered in the conference room.What was supposed to be a power move had backfired.
Chaos. Absolute fucking chaos.
Not only had Drakos Corp demanded compensation, but they were also threatening a lawsuit.
To make it worse, a company email had apparently been sent from Aurora herself to Drakos, confirming the cancellation.
All of it done within a single day.
Meticulously.
Perfectly.
Untraceable.
How the fuck was this even possible?
Everyone in the room was panicking, trying to understand how this happened under their watch.
And then...
Silence.
The door opened.
She walked in.
Their CEO. Aurora Adkins.
Her presence silenced the storm.
Composed. Cold. Deadly.
Her black blazer, contrasting with crimson heels, spoke louder than words—she was power personified. A queen in her court of chaos.
She walked to the center of the room.
"Everyone calm down," she commanded. Her voice? Like silk over steel.
Her eyes landed on Mr. Dev Patel, the head of Legal.
"Ms. Adkins… What we're facing now it's Drakos. Beyond legal options, they could bankrupt us in seconds… before we...."
"Mr. Patel, don't think about that." Her tone cut through his panic."Help me draft two notices. One for their failure to investigate before suing us. The other… well…" Her lips curled.
"Criminal and defamation."
She smirked.
A wolf in heels.
"Ma'am… how can we..." he began.
"Trust me, Dev."
He stopped. And nodded.
Her gaze turned to the technical team.
"I know it's hard. But for now, focus only on restoring client data. Get the server back online. Nothing else matters. I've contacted a cyber expert friend—he'll help."
The team nodded, unsure, but ready.
"Ma'am… do you think Isabella could pull this off?" Susan asked cautiously.
"No," Aurora replied flatly. "Drakos Corp is a pit of poisonous snakes and bloodthirsty vampires. Since we dared deal with them, we inherited their enemies."
"So…" Ria hesitated.
"So someone's backing Isabella. That's not our concern."Her voice sharpened. "We do what we do best."
"Let's strike back."
"How? With no weapons left?" someone muttered.
Aurora turned, eyes locked onto Henry Johnson, a lead in the tech team.
"You'll see… right, Mr. Johnson?"
Every pair of eyes followed hers.
George Walker, head of technical, looked baffled.
Aurora blinked once at him—calm, reassuring.
He understood. Nodded.
"Everyone else can leave. Except Susan, Ria, Dev, and Henry."
The others exited with quick, uneasy glances. The room felt heavier like the air knew what was coming.
Aurora's eyes locked onto Henry. Calm. Calculated. A storm in waiting to show its wrath.
"You did great, Henry..." she started, voice smooth like velvet too smooth.
"But you missed one thing."
A slow smirk crept across her lips.
"I have a hidden camera in my office. One that isn't connected to our server."
Silence dropped like a blade.
Susan froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
Ria's mouth parted, then closed again, her throat visibly tightening.
Dev Patel leaned forward slightly, brows furrowing, trying to process the implication.
Henry's pupils dilated. He stammered, "W–What?"
He looked around. Panic etched across his face.
He wasn't the prey. He was the bait.
And Aurora? She wasn't just a CEO now—she was the hunter setting the perfect trap.
He bolted toward the door.
But six guards already stood there. Expressionless. Unmovable.
He skidded to a stop, legs trembling, chest heaving. His knees gave way.
Ria took a step back, covering her mouth.
"Henry… you… you betrayed her?" Susan's voice was a whisper, cracked with disbelief.
"All this time you were with us," Dev muttered, fists clenched. "And you were the inside mole."
Aurora didn't flinch.
She walked past him without a second glance, her heels clicking against the marble floor like the sound of judgment day approaching.
"Ria," she called without turning back, "ask our people to look after our dearest Henry."
Ria nodded, still stunned, but her voice steady. "Yes, Ma'am."
Aurora turned her head slightly, eyes half-lidded but dangerous.
"This game is bigger than Henry. He was just the bait. Now let's see who bites."
She exited, leaving a silence louder than any scream behind her.
Then, just before the door closed...
"Ria. Fix an appointment with Isabella.""And with Mr. Drakos."
Ria blinked. "Ma'am… you're going in person?"
Aurora's voice echoed back, unshaken.
"Yes. I'm going directly."