The morning after was different. Anya woke up in Lex's bed, the morning light soft on her face. She was not scared. She was not a victim. She was a woman in a man's arms. Lex was awake, his arm a heavy, comfortable weight around her. He was watching her, his stormy eyes soft and full of a new kind of emotion.
"Morning," he whispered, his voice low and sleepy.
"Morning," she whispered back, her heart full of a feeling she didn't know how to name. It was not love, not yet. It was something more. A connection of darkness, a bond forged in pain and fear.
He kissed her softly, a gentle, morning kiss. It was a new world, a new life. A life with him, a life of danger, a life she had chosen.
They spent the morning talking. He told her about his past, about his father's darkness, about the burden of his power. He told her about Kravtsov, a man who wanted to destroy him, not just in business, but in every way.
"Kravtsov is working with my biggest rival," he said, his voice low and serious. "A man I thought was dead. A man who wants to take everything from me. And he knows I have a new weakness. He knows about you."
Anya's heart clenched. She was his weakness. The thought was both terrifying and wonderful.
"We need to be careful," he said, his eyes full of a new kind of worry. "He's a smart man. He's not going to attack us directly. He's going to play a game. A dangerous one."
Later that day, they went back to his office. The office was no longer a cold, scary place. It was a place of power, a place where she belonged. She sat at her desk, and he sat at his, but the distance between them was gone. They were in this together.
She was working on the Kravtsov files, trying to find more secrets. She was a good student, and she was learning fast. She was no longer just an assistant. She was a partner.
Suddenly, an email came to her phone. It was from the unknown sender. The same sender who had sent her the video of the club. The subject line was "More Proof."
She opened the email, her heart a drum. Attached was another video. She clicked on it, and her blood ran cold. The video was a recording from a hidden camera. It was a video of her and Lex, in his bed, just a few hours ago. The video was shot from a hidden camera in his own room.
The shock was a physical thing. She felt a wave of nausea, a cold dread that went through her to the bone. Someone was watching them. Someone was inside his home, in his most private space.
She looked at the email. The message at the bottom was short and sharp. "You chose a side, Anya. Now you will pay for it. Tell Lex Volkov to give me what I want, or the world will see his secret. The world will see you, his little whore."
Tears streamed down Anya's face. She felt a terrible sense of violation, of being watched, of being used. She was not a victim anymore. She was a pawn in a bigger, darker game. A game she didn't know how to play.
Lex saw her face. He saw the tears. He was at her side in an instant. "Anya, what is it? What's wrong?"
She handed him the phone, her hands shaking. He watched the video, his face turning into a mask of cold, terrible fury. The look in his eyes was not of a lover, but of a killer.
"Kravtsov," he said, his voice a low growl. "He's in my house. He's in my life. He's trying to get to me through you."
He grabbed his phone and made a quick, angry call. He spoke in a language Anya didn't understand, his voice full of power and rage. He was a king, and his kingdom had been invaded.
"They're sweeping the house," he said, his voice now a little calmer. "They'll find the camera. They'll find everything."
He looked at her, his eyes full of a new kind of pain. "I'm so sorry, Anya. I brought you into this. I put you in danger. This is my fault."
Anya shook her head, tears still falling. "No. It's not. I chose to be here. I chose to be with you. What does he want?"
Lex's face was a hard mask. "He wants the company. He wants everything I have. He thinks he can blackmail me. He thinks he can use you to make me give up."
Anya's fear turned to a slow, burning anger. She was not going to be used. She was not going to be a pawn in his game.
"We need to fight back," she said, her voice firm. "We need to find out who sent this. We need to find out who is working for him inside your house. We need to find the man who is trying to destroy you."
Lex looked at her, a look of respect in his eyes. "You're right. We're going to fight. We're going to use what he gave us. We're going to turn his game against him."
He took her hand, his grip tight and comforting. "I want you to be with me, Anya. I want you to be a part of this. But I won't force you. You can walk away. You can go back to your life. I'll make sure you're safe. I'll make sure he can never touch you."
Anya looked at him, at the dark, powerful man who was offering her a choice. A choice between a life of peace, and a life of danger. A choice between a quiet world and a world with him.
She didn't have to think. "I'm not leaving," she said, her voice full of a new kind of power. "I'm staying. We're going to fight this. Together."
Lex smiled, a real smile, a beautiful, dangerous thing. "Good. Because I have a plan. A very dangerous plan. We're going to give him what he wants. But we're going to give it to him in a way he never expected."
He pulled her into his arms, his body a strong, safe cage around her. "We're going to play his game. We're going to make him think he has won. And then, we're going to take everything from him."
Anya closed her eyes, her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating, a strong, steady drum. She was scared, yes. But she was not alone. She was with him. And she was ready for war. The game was on.