Chapter One.

"I’m Lorenzo Casello” he said, taking in the crowd. “Welcome to VI Tech. I didn’t get to where I am today by fucking around.” He let the titters and whispers die down before he continued. “Or by fucking up"

Lorenzo couldn’t claim to know every single one of his employees. The company was too massive for that. But he could tell the interns by their shock. Their furtive glances around the auditorium. No one expected the CEO of a multibillion dollar company to casually drop a couple of fucks while addressing everyone.

The employees who had been here for a while already knew the routine.

“I will never bullshit you,” he continued, scanning the audience, watching for flinches at the language. “I expect the same respect from all of you. I don’t care who you are.”

His eyes fell — and lingered — on a woman in the crowd. She had to be one of the new cohorts of interns. He would’ve noticed her before otherwise. She was … exquisite. It was the only word that suited those long legs, gleaming in the stage lights, delicate feet crossed at the ankles. She wore her hair down, the golden curls brushing her shoulders.

Her full, pink lips pressed together in concentration as she scribbled in a notebook. What the hell was she taking notes on? “I will never bullshit you,” Lorenzo imagined, almost making himself laugh.

Seated in the front row, knees pressed primly together, she looked like a good girl.

That singular thought leapt unbidden to hid mind. She was different from the women who writhed on the dance floor at the club, hoping to catch his attention.

Which reminded him. he has been too focused at work, and couldn’t remember the last time he had taken his table at the club, watching the dance floor until he saw exactly what he wanted to take home.

That explained the extra edge that was making people scuttle out of his way today at the office.

The company had a new class of interns in, and he always made it a point to introduce himself at the start of orientation — even though everyone already knew who he was. he wanted them to see what success at his company looked like.

And yet, it was a testament to his current condition that he could already picture how he would make this woman writhe on his bed, all traces of good banished, her hair knotted in his fist, saliva wetting her swollen lips as he made her scream.

She banished all remaining thoughts that he have to go looking for some woman at the club tonight to sate his appetite.

His prey was already right in front of him. Could he help it if he wanted to play with her a little before he consumed her?

“You,” he said crisply, pivoting from script.

Lilith finished with whatever she was writing down and looked up as people murmured around her. She blinked, obviously surprised to find the CEO looking directly at her. She laid her hand over her chest, and his cock stirred. In his bed, he would make her caress herself, squeeze her own breasts, pinch her nipples until they were hard and she was panting with need.

“What’s your name?”

“Uh, Lilith” Lilith stumbled a little over her name, like she was having trouble remembering it. "Lilith Rumero”

Everything ground to a halt. Full stop. “Lilith?”

Lilith laughed awkwardly. “That’s right. You can … um. You can save the jokes.” She tucked her golden curls behind her ears, bright eyes darting around the auditorium. “I’ve heard them all.”

Lorenzo didn’t get this far on his own believing in coincidences. And that surname was far too uncommon. The only other person he had ever met named Rumero was the asshole who had tried to take everything from him.

Now, he could repay him for that favor. Especially if she was who he thought she was.

Who she had to be.

Lorenzo smiled. It was good to have a new hobby. Work-life balance was important.