Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Elena arrived at the hotel where she had been staying for the past few days and dropped her bag on the sofa as soon as she walked in. She took off her shoes slowly, as if any sudden movement might break something inside her, and stood there in silence.

Grief was not easy. She liked Mark. He was unlike anything she had ever known: calm, attentive, a true gentleman.

A few tears fell, bringing no relief at all.

The rest of the day passed like that: walking around the room, sitting down, standing up, lying down again. She felt no hunger. She didn’t eat, didn’t drink. There was only that constant tightness in her chest and a sense of loss that seemed endless.

By late afternoon, exhaustion finally overtook her. She took a quick shower, put on an oversized T-shirt, and went to bed far too early. She fell asleep without realizing when.

The next day, she woke up before the alarm clock.

Her eyes were swollen from all the crying, and her head felt heavy. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and got up. She took a warm shower and applied light makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes. Everything on autopilot. Life didn’t wait for the pain to ease before moving on.

On the way to work, the memory of the kiss came to her mind. So tender… so intense. Elena tightened her grip on the steering wheel and sighed, feeling her chest tighten once again.

When she entered the company, something was different.

More silence. More emptiness.

She stopped for a moment in the hallway and took a deep breath, gathering strength.

It’s just another day, she told herself. She went straight to his office.

She pushed the door open slowly, almost expecting to find him there. The office was exactly as it always was. Elena ran her hand over the wooden surface of the desk, feeling the cold texture beneath her fingers.

"Good morning…" she murmured, not knowing to whom.

She turned on the computer, the air conditioner, organized some papers. She did everything as she always had, even without knowing what to expect from this new world without him. She sat down, opened her emails, and started working.

She sighed from time to time, almost without noticing.

Time passed slowly. When she looked at the clock, it was eight minutes past nine.

By that time, Mark would already be in his office. He always arrived early, accompanied by his security guard. The thought was automatic… and hurt immediately afterward.

She leaned back in her chair.

He would no longer walk through that door.

Then she remembered his son. Vlad Darkmoor.

Would he come? Maybe not. Maybe he needed time—for mourning, for succession, for everything that had changed so abruptly.

Vlad…

He was too perfect. Elena caught herself imagining Mark many years earlier: young, strong, handsome. Dominant. It made sense that he would have been like his son. But there was something about Vlad. Something that couldn’t be explained by genetics alone.

His scent still seemed trapped in her memory. And his eyes… those black eyes that, for a brief second at the funeral, had sent an inexplicable shiver through her.

Why?

She frowned.

"Strange…" she murmured to herself.

Then the memory came back more strongly. The dream. A man. His face wasn’t clear, only the sensation. The closeness. The way he looked at her: intense and full of desire. The low, enveloping voice. In the dream, she had felt fear… and longing.

Sitting in that office, Elena felt her stomach churn. The man in the dream had a face similar to Vlad’s.

She swallowed hard.

"I’m mistaken… it’s impossible. I had never seen him before…" she murmured, running a hand through her hair. "My head is too confused…"

The sentence died when she heard the door open.

"Good morning, Miss Lancaster."

She jumped to her feet.

"Good morning, Mr. Darkmoor," she replied, surprised to see him there… and even more so to see him accompanied by the security guard.

She stood still, watching him cross the room. For a moment, she wondered if he would be able to handle all of this. She had never seen him at the company. He had been a Darkmoor for only a short time.

Minutes later, once again focused on her work, the intercom rang.

He was calling her.

Elena picked up the agenda and sighed before heading to his office. When she entered, Vlad lifted his gaze. His black eyes met hers, and they looked just like Mark’s. She blinked, confused. The way he looked at her was the same.

How had she not noticed before?

"Miss Lancaster, are you feeling well?" he asked, his tone concerned.

But his gaze… that gaze seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and feeling.

"Yes, sir. I’m sorry," she replied, opening the tablet to talk about the day’s schedule.

Vlad didn’t take his eyes off her as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He observed every gesture, every nuance of her sweet voice.

He sighed. He would have to win her over again.

If he could, he would have stood up and kissed her right there. But no. The story needed to begin again.

Now, as Vlad… and Elena.

He thought about the taste of her kiss. About how hard it had been to pull away that night at dinner. About how nearly impossible it was to restrain his seductive nature when it came to her.

You are mine… He didn’t say it out loud; he only thought it.

She felt it. She felt a warm pressure spreading through her body, starting in her chest and slowly, dangerously moving downward. A sudden heat made her hold her breath.

She swallowed hard.

"Th-the day’s agenda…" she began, but her voice failed.

Vlad kept his gaze fixed on her, unmoving, as if testing how far he could go. The corner of his mouth curved into a small smile.

Mine.

Her body responded before her mind. A shiver ran up her spine, followed by a desire far too strong. Her face burned with embarrassment.

"At… at ten o’clock, a meeting with the board…" she continued, her voice trembling, breathing with difficulty. "At eleven, a call with the legal department… and…" she paused for a second, closing her eyes. "And lunch is confirmed for twelve thirty."

She finished as best she could, without the courage to lift her gaze.

"Excuse me…" she murmured, almost in a whisper.

Vlad nodded slowly, satisfied.

As soon as she entered the bathroom, she locked the door and leaned against the sink, breathing deeply. Her reflection in the mirror showed flushed cheeks, eyes shining in a way she didn’t recognize.

"This isn’t normal…" she whispered to herself.

But her body didn’t obey her mind. She brought her hands between her legs, pressing hard, trying in vain to calm the fire consuming her from within.

His voice was in her mind.

You are mine…