Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Elena arrived at the company almost at a run, her heels striking the marble floor in a hurried rhythm. She passed through the revolving door without even properly looking at the security guard, murmuring a “good morning” that sounded more like an apology to the universe.

She quickened her pace down the corridor, dodging two people and nearly bumping into another.

“Sorry!” she said automatically, without even looking back.

When she turned the corner toward her office, her stomach dropped. Someone was sitting at her desk.

A woman. Young. A headset over her ear. Speaking on the phone casually while flipping through a folder that Elena immediately recognized as her own.

The world stopped for half a second.

“Oh my God…” she whispered, feeling her legs weaken. “I’ve been fired.”

The woman looked up, her eyes widening slightly, and quickly removed the headset.

“Hey, relax!” she said, standing up. “I’m already leaving, I promise.”

Elena blinked, confused.

“How…?”

“The big boss just asked me to cover the phones today,” she explained with a friendly smile, gathering her things. “Fridays are usually chaos, and he didn’t want to overload you.”

Elena let out the breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

“So… I still work here?”

The woman laughed.

“Definitely. If you’d been fired, I’d be a lot more comfortable in that chair.”

Elena let out a nervous smile.

“Sorry… I was late and—”

“It happens,” the other woman replied, heading for the door. “Oh, and relax. He asked if you were okay.”

That made Elena’s smile disappear for a moment. He asked.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

When she was finally alone, she sat down slowly in her chair, running her hand over the desktop as if she needed to anchor herself to something real.

Late. Confused. With increasingly strange memory gaps.

And still, everything seemed to revolve silently… around him.

She glanced sideways.

His door was closed, as always.

Elena sighed softly and decided not to think about it. She opened her email, organized a few folders, tried to focus on work.

She knew she should let him know she had arrived—it was the proper thing to do—but the embarrassment still burned in her chest. Then the intercom rang.

She closed her eyes for a second.

She knew it was him.

She pressed the button carefully, trying to control her breathing.

“Yes… Mr. Darkmoor?”

His voice was far too calm.

“Could you come to my office, please?”

“Of course. I’m on my way.”

She hung up slowly and stood still for a few seconds, her heart racing for no logical reason. She smoothed her skirt, took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders.

“It’s just work,” she repeated mentally.

She stood and walked to his door. Knocked twice and waited.

“Come in.”

“Are you alright?” he asked, watching her with more attention than necessary.

“I…” her voice faltered for a moment. “Yes, sir. I’m fine.”

He studied her too closely. He rested his forearms on the desk and tilted his head slightly.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said softly. “There’s no reason to feel embarrassed. We all… sometimes have nights that get out of control.”

His black eyes locked onto hers.

“Especially when something… significant happens.”

Elena felt heat rise to her cheeks and swallowed hard.

“It was just… exhaustion,” she replied too quickly. “The last few days have been difficult.”

“I imagine,” he said, leaning back in his chair without breaking eye contact. “Grief steals our sleep. And sometimes, it leads us to seek comfort where we didn’t expect it.”

Silence.

“You may go, Elena.”

She left without saying another word.

Back at her desk, she managed to focus on her work despite everything. She stayed at the company until three in the afternoon and, as soon as she left, went straight home. Exhaustion quickly overtook her. She slept for a few hours, a light, restless sleep.

At six o’clock, she was already showered. The hot water helped calm her thoughts. In front of the mirror, she did her makeup carefully: eyes heavily lined in black, deep and intense, to match the dress and shoes. She chose a light, discreet lipstick, letting her eyes be the true highlight.

“It looks great,” she murmured to herself, almost trying to convince herself.

She put on the dress, slipped into her shoes, and added a few accessories: a delicate ring, a thin bracelet, and earrings that framed her face. She brought her hand to her neck and frowned.

“Damn it…” she whispered when she realized she didn’t have any necklace.

She checked the time: 6:50 p.m. It was already time to go downstairs. She grabbed her purse, took a deep breath, and went down. When she reached the street, the black limousine was waiting.

Vlad looked to the side. There she was.

He got out of the car and, for a second, completely forgot the world around him. The look of admiration was immediate, far too intense to go unnoticed. Elena felt it. She always did.

They got into the limousine.

“You look more beautiful than ever,” he said, his voice low and controlled.

“Thank you…” she replied, feeling the warmth rise to her face.

Vlad gave an order to the driver and then closed the partition window that separated them from the front.

He took a small jewelry box and placed it in her hands.

Elena blinked several times, surprised.

“Take it. It’s for you.”

She swallowed hard before opening it. When she saw the necklace, her heart raced. It matched perfectly with the dress, the earrings, the ring… with her.

“How… how did he know?”

“It’s beautiful…” she murmured, almost voiceless.

Vlad tilted his head slightly, watching every reaction.

“Let me help you.”

He took the necklace carefully and gestured for her to turn around. Elena obeyed, feeling a shiver run down her spine even before he touched her.

His fingers brushed her skin as he gently moved her hair aside. Elena held her breath when she felt the cool metal meet the warmth of her neck.

Vlad fastened the clasp far too slowly.

His thumb lingered a second longer than necessary, tracing a sensitive line just below the nape of her neck. Elena felt her body react immediately, an intense heat spreading through her and her legs growing slightly weak.

He moved closer, so close that she could smell his scent—far too familiar… far too disturbing.

“There,” he murmured near her ear. “Perfect.”

She turned slowly. Their eyes met. Silence.

Vlad lifted her chin with his hand, raising her face with calculated gentleness. The touch was light, but enough to make her heart race.

She stared at him, surprised, waiting for… something.

Could it be? Could he…?

“You’ll draw more attention than usual, Miss Lancaster,” he finally said.

Elena noticed the glint in his eyes. There was hunger there. It wasn’t just desire; it seemed like something forcibly restrained. For a second, she had the strange feeling that if he allowed himself, there would be no turning back.

Then Vlad released her chin and stepped away, resuming his impeccable posture.

The air between them remained hot.