Elize Pheiffer의 작품

The flight back from the Everglades had been a descent into a new kind of hell. I could still see the grey, furred limb of the creature in the pit. My hands, resting on the silk of my thighs, were shaking with fury.Back at the office, I threw open the double doors to Caspian’s office before he could even look up from his tablet."You took me off the Silver Moon files," I said, my voice a dangerous low."I tried to log in this morning. Access denied. Total lockout. What the hell is this, Caspian?"Caspian didn't look surprised. He was leaning back in his leather chair. He looked calm, too calm. The charming CEO who had caught me at dinner was gone, replaced by the calculating predator."Your role has evolved. The Silver Moon logistics are… tedious. I’ve moved you to the North Miami Port Acquisition. It’s high-stakes, faster-paced. It suits your temperament better.""Don't lie to me!" I slammed my hands onto his desk."You moved me because I saw Zone 4. You moved me because you know I

“Ready to go?”The sound of my father’s voice pulled me from the web of spreadsheets on my laptop. I looked up to see him standing in the doorway of Caspian’s office, a smile gracing his usually stern face. He looked pleased, almost triumphant.“Where to?” I asked.“We’re going up to the Everglades,” he announced, the words unexpected.“To inspect some reservation sites.”Caspian, who had been leaning against his enormous desk, now straightened, his gaze sweeping over me with the intensity he always seemed to possess.“We thought we’d show you what we’re doing there, Eloise. Give you a firsthand look at our commitment to conservation.”"Really? Okay, sure." I was eager to see firsthand what was going on at those sites I had only seen on the maps.We exited the office. My father led the way as we began ascending a staircase that I hadn't even noticed before. It led directly to the roof, where a black helicopter sat waiting, its blades blurring into a circle.The pilot, a man with a mil

I chose a simple black cocktail dress. It was silk that hugged my frame, ending just above the knee.As I exited the large front doors of my father's Mansion, I saw it.A brand-new Lamborghini Revuelto, finished in a red so vibrant it looked like a fresh wound.My father stood beside the hood, his hands tucked into his pockets. He looked at the car, then at me, a faint, unreadable smile playing on his lips. He held up a key."To a new start?" he offered. It was a peace offering, wrapped in several hundred thousand dollars of Italian engineering."Thanks," I said, my voice flat as I reached for the keys."But you shouldn’t have, Dad. How would it look if the CEO’s assistant showed up in a Lamborghini? It’s a bit... much for a personal assistant, don't you think?"My father’s smile widened;"Nah, it suits you. You’re going to be late," he said.I didn't argue. I climbed in, and the smell of "new" hit. I pressed the start button. The V12 engine didn't just turn on; it came to life, a roa

The morning air in Brickell was filled with the smell of saltwater. I stood on the sidewalk outside the glass tower that housed Aegis Zenith Holdings and smoothed my charcoal-grey skirt suit. The fabric was Italian silk, but it felt like a straitjacket.Three weeks ago, my fingers were stained with oil. Now, they were manicured, a soft, pinkAegis Zenith was the powerhouse behind the infrastructure of the Southeast. While my father’s company, Thorne Strategic Construction, built the structures of the city, Aegis Zenith was the nervous system behind it. They handled the venture capital, the logistics, and the high-stakes land acquisitions that made my father’s blueprints possible.I took a breath, adjusted the strap of my bra, and walked through the rotating glass doors."Eloise Thorne to see Mr. Vance," I said, my voice sounding more confident than I felt.The guard didn't even ask for ID. He simply nodded and gestured toward the private elevator."Floor fifty-four, Miss Thorne. He’s

The leather of the town car’s backseat felt like cold skin. Outside the windows, the pulse of Miami faded, replaced by the oppressive rows of royal palms that lined the entrance to the Thorne Estate. I sat in silence. I was "home," but as the massive iron gates swung shut behind us, the sound of the latch clicking into place felt like a cell door locking.Edward, my father’s driver, didn't look at me. He had seen me at my highest and my lowest, and today, I was simply a package being returned to its sender."Your father is at the pool," Edward said as we pulled up to the mansion."And... Miss Isabelle is with him," he warned me.My jaw tightened. Isabelle. My blood began to simmer, a heat that had nothing to do with the humidity and everything to do with the woman who had destroyed my life for sport.I walked toward the pool, my boots thudding heavily against the white limestone floors. I heard her laugh before I saw her. It was a sound that used to represent late nights and shared se

Cane was standing by the red door, his back to me. His shoulders were stiff with tension. Vane was a few feet away, leaning against a rusted hoist, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His eyes, his distrustful golden glare, never left my face."He knows," I said, my voice cracking the silence."He has the footage from the body-cam. He saw everything, Cane. He saw the shift. He saw the attack."Cane turned slowly."And? What is the price for his silence?""Me," I whispered."The price is me. I have to go back. I have to move in with him, resume my life as Eloise Thorne, and act as if the last month never happened. I have to be the perfect, obedient daughter."Vane let out a sharp laugh."There it is! The princess misses her castle. I told you, Cane. The moment the heat got too high, she’d go running back to her rich daddy.""Shut up, Vane!" I snapped, the Thorne fire flashing in my eyes."I’m not doing this to get my old life back. I’m doing this because my father gave me a choice