Chapter 4: The Boardroom Brawl
The Golden Cage
Aria woke to the unsettling realization that she was curled against a warm, immovable wall of muscle. Elias Thorne.
The silver tracker pendant lay heavy against her collarbone, a chilling confirmation that the horrors of the previous night were not a nightmare.
She lifted her head slightly and looked at his face. Even in sleep, his features were stern, unforgiving.
As if sensing her gaze, Elias's eyes snapped open—ice-blue and instantly alert.
"Awake?" he grunted, his voice husky with sleep. He didn't move away; in fact, he pulled her closer, his arm tightening around her waist. "Good. We have an audience this morning. The staff needs to believe their CEO is passionately devoted to his new wife."
He leaned down and kissed her—a long, deep, and utterly possessive kiss that left no doubt about their supposed intimacy. This time, the kiss felt less like punishment and more like a warning shot to the world.
When he finally pulled away, he trailed his thumb over the tracking pendant. "No attempts to remove this, Aria. It's registered to my biometrics. Try anything, and alarms will sound. And believe me, you don't want to see my reaction when my property tries to escape."
Aria clenched her jaw. "I understand the terms, Mr. Thorne. I have a sister to save."
"Then act like it," he ordered, rolling out of bed with a fluid, terrifying grace. "The board meets at ten. You are coming with me."
The Public Debut
Within an hour, Aria was transformed. The staff, expertly drilled by Elias, had delivered designer clothing and makeup artists. She wore a sleek, sapphire blue power suit that clung to her curves, a dazzling diamond wedding band on her finger, and the constant, unnerving weight of the tracker around her neck.
As they entered the Thorne Global headquarters, the difference was immediate. She was no longer the shy intern; she was Mrs. Thorne. Employees whispered and bowed their heads.
Elias kept his hand firmly locked on the small of her back—a gesture that looked affectionate but felt entirely controlling.
"Smile, wife," he murmured near her ear as they approached the top floor. "Show them you are obsessed with me. That I am the only thing on your mind."
He pushed her into the boardroom. The air was thick with tension. Around the long mahogany table sat the board of directors, mostly old men, but one man stood out: Victor Stirling, Elias's cousin and long-time corporate rival, who was clearly furious.
Victor stood immediately, his face contorted in a sneer. "Elias! What is the meaning of this? Bringing... the help to a board meeting?"
The Vicious Defense
Elias's grip on Aria tightened, nearly bruising her. His voice, when he spoke, was dangerously calm.
"Careful, Victor. You are insulting my wife. Allow me to introduce Aria Thorne. We were married last night."
A collective gasp went around the room. Victor laughed, harsh and cynical. "Married? To the girl who was fetching coffee six weeks ago? You are desperate, Elias. Desperate enough to pull a stunt just before the trust fund deadline."
Aria felt Victor's gaze rake over her, dismissive and humiliating. Elias sensed her rising discomfort, and his possessiveness immediately flared.
He didn't speak. Instead, he spun Aria around, cupped her face aggressively in his hands, and crushed his mouth against hers, right there in front of the entire board.
This was not a gentle, private warning; it was a loud, public declaration.
His tongue plunged past her lips, dominating the kiss until Aria felt dizzy. He kissed her until every person in the room understood the primal, consuming nature of his claim. He even pushed his thigh between hers, making the gesture aggressively intimate.
When he finally pulled back, Aria's lips were swollen, her cheeks flushed, and her chest was heaving.
Elias didn't look at her; his terrifying gaze was fixed entirely on Victor. "That is my wife, Victor. If you ever question her position or her devotion to me again, I will not only ruin your career, but I will strip you of every last cent you own. Is that clear?"
Victor recoiled, seeing the raw fury and possessive madness in Elias's eyes. "Crystal clear, Elias," he muttered, defeated.
The Secret in the Elevator
The meeting proceeded, cold and hostile. Aria, though shaken, played her role perfectly—leaning slightly into Elias, placing a hand on his arm, and offering soft, adoring glances.
After the meeting, as they stepped back into the private elevator, Elias relaxed his stance.
Aria finally found her voice. "That kiss... that was unnecessary."
"It was necessary," he corrected, his voice flat. "Victor saw the fear in your eyes when he attacked you. I needed to replace that fear with my dominance. They need to believe that I am so obsessed with you, I can't keep my hands off you, even in a professional setting. It sells the narrative."
He reached out and gently traced the sapphire necklace she was wearing over the tracking pendant.
"You were perfect, Mrs. Thorne," he praised, a rare, terrifying compliment. "You perform your duties flawlessly. And for that, you deserve a reward."
The elevator chimed, stopping not at the residence, but between floors, plunging them into darkness.
Before Aria could react, Elias had her pinned against the cool metal wall.
"The board meeting took too long," he whispered, his voice dark and impatient. "I need to ensure the loyalty of my wife. Right now. Right here."
His hands were already moving, reaching for the zipper of her power suit skirt. He pulled it down rapidly, the sound echoing in the confined space. Aria gasped, feeling the cold steel of the wall against her exposed skin.
"No one will ever know how needy you are for me," he growled, his lips brushing her ear. "But that tracker ensures I know exactly when you climax. It's another layer of control, my love."
The tracking device is a sensory monitor? Trapped in a dark elevator with the dominant billionaire, how will Aria escape her?