Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Elena entered the office shaken and, as she sat down, slowly let out a breath, trying to regain control. Her hands trembled slightly as she opened her planner. The silence lasted only a few seconds.

The phone rang.

She startled, her heart racing again. She took a deep breath before answering.

“Sir?”

“Come to my office.”

There was a brief pause. Elena swallowed hard.

“Yes, Mr. Darkmoor.”

She hung up and remained still for a moment, staring at the phone as if it might bite. A strange chill ran down her spine. She stood up, smoothed her brown dress, adjusted her hair, and walked to the door.

In front of his office, she knocked twice, as always.

“Come in.”

She entered. Darkmoor was standing near the window, his hands behind his back. When he turned, his dark eyes swept over her.

“You called for me?” she asked, maintaining a professional posture despite her racing heart.

“Yes.” He moved closer to the desk but did not sit down. “I want to know if you’re all right.”

She blinked, surprised.

“I-I… yes, sir. Why?”

His lips pressed together for a moment.

“There was an incident on the street,” he said, watching her every reaction. “I thought it prudent to ask.”

Elena felt her face grow warm.

“I’m fine. It was just a scare.”

Silence.

Then, finally, he nodded.

“Good. You may return to work.”

She gave a small nod and turned to leave, but his voice stopped her before she reached the door.

“Elena.”

She paused.

“Yes, sir?”

“Be careful,” he said in a lower, almost intimate tone. “Not all dangers show themselves clearly.”

“I will,” she replied before leaving, with the strange feeling that his words carried far more meaning than they seemed.

Outside, Elena closed the door and rested her forehead against the cool wood. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm the turmoil in her chest.

She was nervous. But it wasn’t just that. There was a tension between her and Mr. Darkmoor that was almost palpable, a thread stretched too tight, about to snap. The way he had looked at her, the way his voice sounded different when he said her name… all of it stirred something she tried, uselessly, to ignore.

“Get a grip…” she murmured to herself, pressing her fingers into the fabric of her dress.

Her body reacted like a traitor, recalling the sensations from the night before. Her own body was playing games with her. How was it possible? Wanting two…

She straightened her posture, took another breath, and forced her feet to move. She needed to get back to work, to focus, to pretend everything was normal.

By the end of the day, Elena still hadn’t been able to remember who she had slept with. The memory came in scattered fragments: sensations, heat on her skin, a touch that felt too real to be imagined. Maybe it had been something quick, impulsive. Just some stranger, met between one drink and another, a stupid decision to numb the pain. A quick fling… and then each had gone their separate way.

That made the most sense. Or at least, it was the easiest thing to accept.

She sighed, closing the file on her computer.

“I need to stop thinking about this…” she murmured to herself. “And about him too.”

By “him,” she included two faces that insisted on occupying her mind: the man from the lost night… and Mr. Darkmoor. Especially Mr. Darkmoor.

Before she could finish her train of thought, the door to the main office was opened by the security guard.

The powerful boss stepped out. For one second—just one—their dark eyes met.

Mark Darkmoor stopped.

“Miss Lancaster,” he said, his voice deep and controlled. “I need you for a moment.”

Her stomach tightened.

“Of course, sir,” she replied, standing immediately.

“Get your things and come with me.”

Elena obeyed without questioning. She gathered her bag, her phone, the coat she had left on the chair.

In the elevator, he continued in a tone far too casual for the effect it had on her.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said as the elevator began to descend, “having dinner with me.”

She leaned discreetly against the mirrored wall. If she hadn’t, she might have lost her balance. Her heart was beating far too fast for something that should have been simple.

“Dinner with you?” she repeated, more to gain time than because she hadn’t understood.

He turned his face toward her.

“Yes. Vlad won’t be home tonight.” There was a brief pause. “I’m starting to get used to dining with company. Do you mind?”

Her reflection in the mirror betrayed her nervousness.

“Don’t think I’m just taking advantage,” he added, with unexpected softness. “You bring me peace.”

Elena slowly lifted her eyes and met his. For a moment, she had the strange sensation of having heard those words before. Somewhere else. Another time.

“I feel the same,” she replied honestly, her voice lower than she intended. “You are… very calming.”

Mark smiled.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

When the doors opened, Mark made a polite gesture for her to step out first.

“After you.”

At dinner, Elena paid close attention to every gesture. She didn’t want to repeat the mistake of the night before, whatever it had been. She drank only one glass of wine, more to accompany the meal than out of desire, alternating with generous sips of water. She needed to be lucid. Present. In control.

Mark noticed and smiled before asking,

“Is everything all right?”

“Yes,” she replied, politely smiling. “I just… prefer to take things slowly today.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“I like people who know how to listen.”

They talked about work. About the city. About small, everyday details. Nothing too intimate.

And yet, there was something there.

At times, when their eyes met, Elena had the strange feeling that he was… assessing her lucidity. As if he wanted to be sure she was truly present.

“You’re not nervous?” he asked suddenly, resting his elbow on the table.

She hesitated for a second before answering.

“A little.” She smiled, sincere. “It’s not every day you have dinner with your own boss.”

Mark chuckled softly.

“Then let’s pretend that tonight I’m not your boss.”

“And what would you be?” she asked, before she could think better of it.

He watched her for a moment longer this time. There was something indecipherable in his gaze.

“Just Mark,” he replied at last. “Just for tonight.”

She took a deep breath and nodded.

“Then… just Elena.”