The boardroom was quiet. The air screamed power and opulence.
Damon stood at the apex of the table like an emperor surveying his empire. His presence
alone overwhelmed the board members.
The doors opened. Elara walked in, steps calm and calculating. All eyes darted towards her as
her heels clicked on the marble floor.
Damon's eyes darkened.
"You're late, Miss Monroe"
, Damon said coldly, without offering her a
seat.
Elara's heart pulsed. She stared at the vacant seat beside him, but he didn't gesture at her to sit.
She stood, clutching her purse tightly.
"Didn't realize my presence was vital,
" Elara stated, her gaze sharp.
Damon smirked.
"Hmm. When you're bound to me, you'll learn that your presence isn't
significant"
.
"You act when I tell you to"
, he added, his gaze cold.
The board members began to murmur, exchanging shock glances. Their mocking stares pierced
through her skin. She felt the weight of it, but she couldn't falter under his presence.
"And if I refuse?" She asked,her gaze locked on his.
The air grew thick. The board members gasped. Some coughed, others whispered.
Damon cleared his throat.
"Then you'll learn how costly defiance is,
" he said sharply, eyes
pinned on her.
"It's better you just comply"
.
Elara rolled her eyes.
"I won't comply. I act on my own will,
" she shot back.
Damon paused. His eyes turned cold.
"If you don't, you'll learn the hard way"
.
Damon's control and Elara's defiance could be felt at the boardroom. Her insides twisted as
Damon said those words. The board members felt the tension between them.
Elara's lips curved into a faint smirk.
"The hard way? That's the only way I've ever learnt, Mr
Blackwood"
.
Silence stretched. He ignored her comment but didn't ignore the fact that she challenged his
control.
He tilted his head, eyes looking at the members.
" Drama's over"
, he said sarcastically.
"Let's
proceed"
She sank on the chair. For the first time, Damon didn't counter her.
The meeting commenced. Deals sealed. Projects planned. Figures estimated. Contracts signed.
Damon dominated, throwing questions at her and pulling her into his web.
"Monroe Enterprises competes differently. In your opinion, what is Blackwood's weakness ?
What could rivals use as leverage against us?"
The board members adjusted their seats. Damon was testing Elara and Elara knew that.
She straightened her spine, expression serious.
"Blackwood's expansion is both a strength and
a weakness. The likely leverage is overextension. The rivals won't strike immediately, they'll wait
for inner cracks and exploit that"
.
Hushed whispers rose from the members. A sly smile played on his lips.
"So tell me… if you
were in my position, would you trade reputation for profit… or profit for reputation?" Damon
asked, eyes keenly watching every expression of hers.
There was silence. All eyes fixed on her.
A cold chill ran down her spine. Her heart thundered but she kept calm.
"A man who picks one over the other has already lost. Reputation maintains profit, and profit
maintains reputation"
.
She paused a while.
"Trade either, and the empire crashes down. It isn't about choosing but
mastering them both"
, she said sharply.
The members froze at Elara's confidence. But Damon was an exception.
Elara leaned back, playing with the pen in her hand.
"If Blackwood falls, it won't be rivals that
destroy it, but imbalance between reputation and profit"
, she added firmly.
The room quieted. Damon parted his lips.
"Interesting"
. That wasn't a compliment but a
warning.
The meeting carried on. Damon and Elara exchanged cold responses; the quiet battle
grew between them. Damon controlled; Elara resisted.
At the end of the meeting, Damon dismissed the board members with a nod, his eyes still
fixed on her. The doors shut behind them leaving both alone.
Elara stood, gathering files.
"If you tried to break me during the meeting… you failed miserably"
.
Damon stood and closed the distance between them. He pinned her to the table, eyes locked in
hers.
"I never fail. Not now, not ever… not with someone like you"
.
Elara's jaw clenched. She felt suffocated in his presence. She stepped back, but he pulled her
closer. His cologne clung to her blouse.
"I want to know"
, he said, gripping her arms tightly.
"Did you enjoy making a scene? Snapping
back at every comment?"
Elara parted her lips slowly, folding her arms.
"You want to know…
" she paused.
"I felt alive. A
feeling that's alien to you"
, she pointed at him.
Damon's eyes darkened. He leaned closer.
"That wasn't life you felt, Miss Monroe"
. He scoffed.
"That was borrowed courage. And courage comes with a price"
, he said, voice as cold as steel.
"Call it whatever you like"
, she said, rolling her eyes.
"At least borrowed courage burns brighter than your hollow power"
, she pushed his chest, voice
firm.
"Just know this… I'd rather die on my own terms, than be tamed by you"
.
Damon didn't flinch. He grabbed her wrist firmly.
"Careful. Even wild animals get tamed. Yours
isn't different"
, he said, voice sharp.
"You'll bend to my will"
, he added coldly.
Elara's chest tightened.
"And what if I don't?"
Damon left her wrist. He whispered in her ears, voice low and venomous.
"Your family thinks
they can hide everything… but secrets never stay buried, Elara.
"He paused.
"Who will burn
first?"
He walked out. Those words dug deep into her skin. Her hands trembled. Damon knew
something big. Something she wasn't meant to know.
One question echoed in her mind.
"What did he know?"
She realized she wasn't just trapped, she was hunted.