Theron's POV
The moment she entered the room, I felt it.
That aura.
It didn't just walk in ... it stormed in. Like a gust of hurricane wind crashing into a fortress. My fortress.
And I hated it.
I hate people who challenge me. But this....this was something else. Without saying a word, she made me feel like I was in a competition. Like I had to prove something. Like she already knew how this would end.
I've seen women try to act powerful. Seen them leech off men for money, for love, for protection. I've seen them crawl their way into power by clinging to someone else's name. I've dated enough of them. I've fucked enough of them. All of them desperate to own me.
That's why I stopped trying eight years ago. I had nothing left to prove.
Women drop their clothes the second they realize I'm Theron Drakos. But it's the aftermath I despise .... the neediness, the manipulations, the crying, the fake pregnancies. They all want something more.
But she... Aurora Adkins… she stood there like a war goddess.
Untouchable. Unapproachable. The air shifted when she moved. Her silence screamed louder than a boardroom brawl.
And when she finally spoke?
Every word from her mouth was a slap.
Then she dared .... dared .... to call me an "incompetent jerk."
I was ready to end her. But before I could even react....
That idiot Isabella lunged at her.
Bitch.
She ruined everything. This entire room was on fire because of her.
And Aurora?
Aurora didn't even flinch.
SLAP ..... THUD.
The sound was like lightning across marble.
Isabella collapsed like a sack of disgrace.
My hand rose instinctively, two fingers pressed to my lips. I looked casual. Indifferent. Like I wasn't phased.
But inside?
I was amused.
Impressed.
Interesting.
I smirked.
I was beyond angry. Isabella had fumbled everything. Words couldn't express what I felt .... this wasn't just betrayal. It was an insult. A disgrace to my name, my company.
I wanted to erase the entire Wilson family from existence.
And then… Aurora showed mercy.
She gave Isabella another chance.
I paused.
A woman like her — cold, calculated, razor-edged — offering mercy?
That… caught me off guard.
But just as I thought she was showing softness, she dropped the blade.
"I'm sure Mr. Drakos knows what a second chance means... pity he doesn't give them."
My eyes narrowed.
That hit too close.
She dug into my past ... a past only a few people dared to whisper about. She knew.
I smiled, but my thoughts turned black.
Was she implying the deal was over? That she was walking away? That all of this, the contract, the partnership — was already dead?
If that's what she meant…
I'll end Isabella with my own hands.
She went behind my back. She orchestrated a sabotage. And she almost pinned it on Aurora.
I assumed Aurora cancelled the proposal. That she was the weak link. That she'd crumble.
Stupid.
She wasn't just competent. She was ten steps ahead of everyone.
She waited.
Watched.
Planned her strike like a predator circling wounded prey.
Then… came the videos.
The first was her warning Isabella. Firm. Clear. Undeniable.
The second?
Security footage. A man entering Aurora's office. Sitting at her desk. Sending the cancellation email. Making a call:
"Ms. Wilson, I've done what you asked. Don't forget to transfer the agreed amount."
My heart paused.
The room dropped ten degrees.
That was it.
That was the smoking gun. The betrayal in 4K.
Then .... Mr. Wilson fainted.
His body hit the ground like dead weight. Secretaries rushed in. His daughter? She looked like her soul had just left her body.
And me?
I was calculating.
Everything Aurora did was methodical. Not a single wasted move. She didn't yell. She didn't scream.
She waited for everyone to destroy themselves.
Then she approached me.
Placed two folders on the table.
"There are things you'll need from me again. But I won't involve myself in your company's internal messes. Not unless you make it my problem."
Simple. Clean. Unshakable.
She didn't just win the room. She owned it.
She wasn't just a woman.
She was a warlord in stilettos.
And I hated her for it.
Not because she humiliated Isabella.
Not because she shut me down.
But because…
She's like me.
And maybe, just maybe, that scared me more than anything else.
As she turned to leave, she dropped one final line:
"I always had a feeling the structure… the style… resembled Mr. Brown's work. Quite the coincidence, huh?"
My stomach twisted.
She knew.
It was Jason's proposal.
She knew it was stolen. She knew we swapped leads mid-project. And the way she looked at me—?
She was telling me I underestimated her.
I looked at Jason. He was frozen. Eyes lit like someone had just handed him the Holy Grail.
Not just looking—staring like he'd been struck.
Eyes locked.
Breath caught.
As if her presence alone had knocked the air from his lungs.
And for a moment, I forgot the meeting.
Forgot the war.
Forgot everything.
Because all I saw was him...
Watching her.
Something twisted in me. Sharp. Irrational. Dangerous.
It wasn't about ownership.
She wasn't mine.
Hell, I didn't even like her.
But the way he looked at her—like she was the only star in his sky—
That, I couldn't stomach.
Aurora moved with lethal grace, her words slicing through tension like a honed blade. She didn't even glance at Jason. She didn't have to. Her power didn't need validation. It just was.
And yet, there he stood.
Spellbound.
Foolish.
And Jason?
He looked like a man ready to kneel.
He'd fallen for her.
Poor bastard.
I hated her, right?
So why did his gaze toward her irritate me?
Then I looked down — at Isabella.
Still curled on the floor like a broken puppet.
"JOHN!" I barked.
He jolted. "Y-Yes, sir!"
"Take these two to a private room. Confiscate all electronics. Phones. Laptops. Everything. Anyone tied to them? Same treatment."
I paused.
My voice dropped, lethal and precise.
"I want the full investigation by tonight. No more mistakes."
I turned to leave.
But something pulled at my leg.
I looked down.
Isabella.
"Mr. Drakos… this isn't me! I was framed—!"
I bent slightly, my voice glacial.
"What are you saying? That someone forged your insults? Your phone call? Even the stolen proposal?"
Her lips trembled. "I-I—"
I whispered slowly, like venom laced in silk.
"What I'm about to do to your family will be remembered by every name tied to mine. A reminder. That betrayal costs more than just jobs."
Her fingers slipped from my leg.
Thud.
She collapsed again.
Not just her.
Her entire world.
I smirked.
And walked out.