Elena's portfolio thudded onto the conference room table, pages spreading as Mateo's face burned into her from the TV screen. His crooked grin, his name in bold: Mateo Marquez, coder, killed in Cross Enterprises lab accident. Her heart seized, breath catching like broken glass. The company she had fought to join, his dream, was where he died? The room tilted, Julian's gray eyes and Elias's brown gaze blurring into a haze.
"Ms. Marquez?" Julian's voice sliced through, low and sharp, like a command wrapped in silk. He leaned closer, his presence overwhelming, eyes tracing her jaw with lover's intensity. "You are faltering".
Her nails dug into her palms, grounding her. Mateo's laugh echoed, sharp with grief. These men— Julian with his devouring stare, Elias with his disarming warmth, might know why her brother died. She could not crack, not now. "I am fine," she said, voice trembling. "The TV…threw me off".
Elias moved first, snatching the remote with easy grace, muting the broadcast. Silence fell heavy but his eyes met hers, soft and searching. "Rough moment", he said, voice smooth like whiskey, warming her up despite her defenses. "You don't have to play tough".
He sees too much, she thought, his tenderness a blade to her defenses. Heat stirred, unwanted and dangerous. "I am not hiding", she snapped, but her voice cracked, betraying her.
Julian's lips curled, a predator's half smile. "You're shaken, Ms. Marquez. But you are still pushing". His gaze slid to her lips, her throat, igniting her skin. "I like that". He stood, all muscle in his bespoke suit, looming. "Finish your pitch. Impress me".
Her pulse raced, his words a dare, pulling her in. He is trouble and magnetic also controlling. Her body ached with it, a reckless want she cursed. His gray eyes held hers, a storm of control and something else, guarded, like a secret locked away. Did he know about Mateo? She pushed the thought down letting defiance fuel her. "I always finish", she said, meeting his stare with fire.
Elias laughed softly, cutting the tension. "She's got spark, Julian. Don't run her off". His tone teased, but his glance at Julian carried an edge, a hint of rivalry.
Julian shot a look at Elias— cold and sharp then fixed on Elena. "Run her off? She's not that weak". He leaned in, voice a husky murmur. "Are you, Ms.Marquez?"
Heat coiled in her belly, his closeness unraveling her. God, he's dangerous. "Try me", she said, defiance masking her want.
He smirked, amusement softening his edge. "I will." He stepped back, nodding to the screen. "Show me".
Elias's warm gaze steadied her as she turned to her designs, their bold lines glowing. She spoke, voice growing firm, pouring her heart into her work despite the ache for Mateo. Your art is magic, Lena, he had said. Julian watched, unreadable but locked in on her while Elias's subtle nod felt like a tether.
Mid-sentence, confidence rising, Julian raised his hand. "Enough. You're in". His tone was final, but his eyes lingered, promising more. "Don't make me regret this".
Her knees wobbled. She had done it, for Mateo. But the TV's words burned: lab accident. She needed answers, and this job was her way inside. Could she trust Julian with his devouring stare? Or Elias, with his gentle pull? They are both troubles, her mind warned, and you are already falling.
As Julian turned to leave, Elias stepped closer, his ocean and leather scent cutting through the room's sterile air. "You held your own," he said, voice low and intimate. "Not many do with him". His hand brushed hers on the table, a spark jolting her. "You,okay? That news hit hard".
Her heart skipped, his touch undoing her. He is too close and too kind. "It is nothing", she lied, taking a step back. "Just a shock." But Elias's quick move to mute the TV nagged at her. Was he harboring something? Was he her only safe harbor?
He studied her, eyes softening. "This world's brutal. You don't have to go through it alone".
His voice was a caress, tempting her to lean in.Trust burned you before, her mind hissed, her body craved his warmth. "Thanks," she said, voice cool. "I have got this"
Elias's smile was sly, undeterred but a flicker of conflict crossed his face. "Fair but media's circling after that broadcast. Old news, new trouble." His tone shifted, sharp with a strategist's edge. "Media's digging up Project Phoenix and it's bad for our project so we need a distraction".
Elena's pulse quickened, her chance to probe. "Saw the news", she said, casual. "Someone died in your lab, right?"
Elias's eyes flickered to hers, searching. "Someone?"
She shrugged, heart pounding, playing oblivious. "Yeah, an accident, sounds messy".
Elias's gaze at her cutting through her, heavy and sharp. "Messy's generous. It's old, not our focus".
Her skin prickled, his dismissal was cold, but his eyes, locked on her, sparked heat she put down. She had to stay sharp, keep Mateo's connection hidden. "Old?" She said, voice light, pointed. "Press thinks it's fresh".
Elias stepped closer, voice calm. "That's why we need you, a new story, something big to bury it".
She raised a brow. "Like what?"
His lips curved, slow. "You, be Julian's Fiancée."
Elena's breath caught. "You're joking".
"It's clean", Elias said, eyes steady. "Pose as his fiancée. Press loves romance, forgets the past and you get our files, our world."
Her mind spun. Fiancée to Julian, all power and danger? Her instincts screamed run, but her heart saw a path, files meant the truth about Mateo's death, a way to keep his dreams alive. This deal and their gazes, was a risk as Julian's stare burned, daring her and Elias's quiet watch, warm and steady, tempted her trust.
"Why me?" she asked, voice sharp.
He moved closer, cologne sharp, ocean and leather. "You've got fire and you can sell it. Can you handle it?" his voice was low, eyes on her lip.
"I would set my own rules", she said, voice steady despite her racing pulse. "And I would need to talk to Julian".
Elias grinned, impressed. "Bold move." He glanced at Julian, who had paused by the door, watching them with unreadable eyes. "She wants to negotiate, Julian, you game?"
Julian's lips twitched, a predator's amusement. "Negotiate?" He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, cedar and spice curling around her. "This isn't a boardroom pitch, Ms. Marquez. You want to play in my world, we do it my way". His gaze darkened, promising more than a deal. "Come to my penthouse tonight, eight o'clock, then we'll talk."
Her breath caught; his invitation was a dare. His penthouse? Alone with Julian Cross, where his control will be absolute? Her skin tingled with fear and desire warring within her. "I will be there but it will be on my terms".
He smirked, a flicker of respect in his eyes. "We'll see". He strode out, leaving the air heavy with his absence.
Eliza's gaze lingered on her, soft but edged with concern. "Careful, Elena", he murmured. "He plays to win".
Elena gripped her portfolio, Mateo's grin fueling her. She would play their game, Julian's intensity, Elias's charm, the secret behind the glass tower, but she would play for answers and for herself on her own terms even if it meant risking her heart out to men who could break it.