4| DADDY?

ELARA

I spent the next four days trying to pretend Room 7 had been a dream.

A very vivid, very filthy dream.

Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the masked stranger from Room 7 inside me, his voice in my ear calling me exquisite, his hands bruising my hips like he was marking territory no one else would ever claim. I’d wake up soaked, thighs clenched, hating how much I wanted to crawl back to that club and beg for round two.

Instead, I smiled for the cameras at my official engagement party.

The venue was one of the Thorne family’s private rooftop lounges. The place was practically dripping in gold and expensive designs.

The guest list involved some casino owners, real-estate sharks, a handful of politicians. David didn’t seem to know half of them. I figured they were his father’s friends. He spoke so much about the man.

David found me near the bar, already three drinks in, tie loose, pupils dilated.

“There’s my gorgeous fiancée.” He slung an arm around my waist, too tight. “You clean up nice.”

I forced a smile and answered through my teeth, “Thank you, fiancé.”

He laughed, loud enough to draw eyes. “I got you something.” He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. “Apologies for my… earlier unpleasantness.”

I opened it. A ring. He’d upgraded my old ring into a timeless ruby piece.

“Beautiful,” I said flatly.

“Put it on.”

I did. He took my palm in his and planted a kiss on the back of my hand.

“See? We’re good,” he murmured, breath sour with vodka. 

“Tonight we sell the dream. You behave, I behave, my father signs the papers in ten days, and we’re both rich. Simple.”

I met his eyes. “And if I don’t behave?”

His grip tightened on my wrist. “You know what happens.”

He released me, kissed my cheek like we were in love, and sauntered off.

I stayed by the bar, sipping water, trying to breathe through the restlessness that lived in my chest since Sunday night. Vivian had texted me twice today:

VIV: You okay? That bitch bothering you?

VIV: Ghosting me after I linked you up with the best dick of your life? Rude.

I didn’t answer still, not even Viv’s jokes could cheer me up right now. I just wanted this to be over with so I could be out of here.

Suddenly, David rushed back to my side and gripped my arm.

“My dad is here, Elara, behave for once and help me win him over. You know how much I need this, if you don’t do as I say then kiss your career goodbye.” Another threat. I struggled to stay quiet. And failed.

“I’m doing as you say, David. You don’t have to threaten me every second.”

“Well I need to remind you, just in case you’ve forgotten about our deal so soon.” He snarled in my face.  “I’m letting the videos out of my dad doesn’t like you.”

My heart slammed in my chest. “What? Are you insa—”

We both paused when a familiar tall, but muscular man walked through the set of double doors. His salt and pepper hair was flicked back into a smooth 90’s style, and his beards, neatly trimmed. Those striking grey eyes that mirrored David’s was trained on me, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t fantasize over them all through last week.

Terror gripped me, my heart beat going crazy as I shook almost violently in my seat.

This man was clad in a three piece suit paired with a white dress shirt and a pair of Italian boots. I knew I should take my eyes off him.

I begged myself to, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, knowing our history.

What’s he doing here?

I was still trying to circle my thoughts around him being here when David’s voice cut through every thought.

“Dad!” He called out, taking my hand so we walked towards my Dom four nights ago. My heart dropped to my stomach.

What the fuck did he mean dad?

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead when we got directly in front of him, and my body trembled, no matter how I tried to keep still. Suddenly his hands were all over me again and he was ordering me to take every inch of his enormous cock.

I stumbled back, darting my eyes everywhere but to those pairs of grey orbs that bore a hole into me. There’s no way in hell this was true. A few times, I had to pinch myself while praying to the heavens that this was the sort of nightmare I was stuck in.

It wasn’t. Oh God it wasn’t…

“Are you okay?” David turned to me, observing my face keenly.

I straightened, gave him a terse nod. He seemed okay with my answer, looking away from me.

“Well. Dad, this is Elara. Elara, my father. Alexander Thorne.”

“Elara.” His voice was the same low rumble that had whispered good girl against my clit. Just a tad more polite and controlled now. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you, and seen even more.”

The double meaning landed like a slap.

David beamed, clueless. “Isn’t she stunning? Told you she’s a catch.”

Alexander’s eyes never left mine. “She is exceptional.”

Heat crawled up my neck. I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe. I just stood there with our gazes locked, like we were unable to look away from each other. The man who came inside me four nights ago was my fiancé’s father. My knees almost buckled under me. What now? What happens now?

David, drunk and stupid, just kept going. “It’s a spring wedding. We’re already thinking of a honeymoon destination. Maybe… Bora Bora? You’ll walk her down the aisle, right, Dad? You can’t be busy on my wedding.”

Alexander’s jaw flexed, just once. “Hmm.”

He extended his hand to me.

I stared at it, wide-eyed. Broad. Scarred knuckles. The same hand that had fisted my hair and held me down while he fucked me until I screamed.

I placed my palm in his.

His fingers closed around mine—firm, warm, lingering a second too long.

“Congratulations,” he said softly. “You must be… thrilled.”

The sarcasm was so subtle that only I caught it.

I forced words out. “Over the moon.”

His thumb brushed the inside of my wrist—deliberate and hidden from David’s eyes. Right over my pulse point, which was hammering like a trapped bird.

David clapped him on the shoulder. “Come on, dad, let’s toast. Everyone’s waiting for the big announcement."