The next morning, Elena's phone buzzed before the sun was even up. A sharp email from Blackwood's office, summoning her to an emergency meeting. No details, no explanation—just his command.
By the time she arrived at Blackwood Enterprises, the tension in her stomach was coiled tight. She hated the way the building seemed to swallow her whole, like she had already stepped into his trap.
The receptionist directed her straight to the top floor. No waiting. No buffer. Straight to him.
When she pushed open the glass doors, Adrian was already standing at the head of the conference table. He didn't bother with a greeting. His assistants were packing up folders and leaving, their eyes flicking toward her with thinly veiled curiosity.
As soon as the last one exited, Adrian shut the door behind them.
"Elena Carter," he said, his tone flat but laced with steel. "We're going to make things official."
Her brows knit. "Official?"
He slid a thick folder across the polished table. The pages inside were filled with dense legal text, stamped with Blackwood Enterprises' insignia.
Her stomach tightened. "What is this?"
"A contract," Adrian said, watching her with that same unreadable intensity. "From today onward, you will work exclusively under me. No other assignments. No department transfers. Every task, every report, every project—directly to me."
Elena's hands curled into fists at her sides. "You can't just lock me into this. I didn't sign up to be your personal puppet."
His lips curved, not in amusement but in warning. "You did when you stepped into my world. Now you'll either accept my terms… or walk out of this building for good."
Her pulse hammered. "That's blackmail."
"That's reality," Adrian countered smoothly. "I don't offer second chances. And if you refuse, I'll make sure no one in this city hires you again. Not a single firm. Not a single client. Your career will be over before it even begins."
Elena's breath caught. He wasn't bluffing. A man like him, with his reach, could destroy her future with a single phone call.
"You hate me that much?" she asked, her voice tight.
His jaw clenched, a flicker of something dangerous crossing his expression. "Hate isn't the word. Let's just say your father left debts that were never paid. And now, his daughter gets to bear the weight of them."
Her chest ached at the mention of her father, but she forced her voice steady. "I'm not him. I don't deserve this."
Adrian stepped closer, his presence filling the space between them. "Maybe not. But you'll carry it anyway."
He tapped the folder with a single finger. "Sign it."
Elena's eyes burned with frustration. Every instinct screamed at her to throw the folder in his face and walk out. But she couldn't. This job was her only chance to prove herself, to build a future without her father's shadow hanging over her. If Adrian cut her off, everything she had worked for would collapse.
Her hand trembled as she picked up the pen.
"Good girl," Adrian murmured, his voice sharp enough to sting.
She froze, her eyes snapping up to meet his. "Don't ever call me that again."
For a brief second, his gaze darkened, unreadable. But he said nothing. He only waited.
With a surge of defiance, Elena scrawled her signature across the line.
The contract was sealed.
Adrian pulled the folder back, sliding it neatly into his drawer. "Welcome to my world, Miss Carter. From this moment on, your time, your effort, and your loyalty belong to me."
Her throat tightened, but she lifted her chin. "I'll work for you, Adrian. But I'll never belong to you."
For the first time, his expression shifted into something resembling a smile—cold, sharp, promising nothing but war.
"We'll see about that."
He turned away, dismissing her, as though the conversation was over.
But Elena knew one thing with absolute certainty.
This wasn't just a contract. It was a chain.
And she had just locked herself to the man who wanted to destroy her.