Playing with fire

An hour later, we were cruising inside my uncle's tinted luxury car. Drake occupied the front passenger seat while I sat in the back.

I gazed out the window in confusion as the city skyline faded away, replaced by dense greenery. We were heading deep into a remote forested area.

"Uncle, where are we going? It looks like we're heading into the middle of nowhere," I asked.

"Just relax, Kitten. We aren't going to sell you off," Drake teased from the front, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"You'll find out soon enough, Aurelia. We'll be there in five minutes," Elias assured me.

I closed my eyes to avoid Drake's persistent gaze in the mirror. His intense, dark eyes looked at me like a hunter who had been patiently tracking his prey for years. A peculiar warmth spread through my chest, making my heart beat unnaturally fast.

"We're here," Elias announced as the car came to a stop.

Opening the car door, my eyes widened in astonishment. Right in front of us, a massive secret entrance hidden within the cliffside slid open smoothly.

"This is the confidential headquarters of the Mercer clan, built sixty years ago by our ancestors," Elias explained as we stepped inside the hidden entrance. "There is much you need to learn about our lineage. Now that you are turning twenty-one, you are finally ready to inherit our family's true legacy."

I marveled at the sight before me. It wasn't just a hidden bunker—it was a high-tech command center equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance and security systems. The Mercer family was far more than an ordinary business empire.

Before I could process everything, Drake grabbed my hand and pulled me into a private glass elevator.

As the doors closed, I stepped back instinctively, but Drake’s arms immediately wrapped tightly around my waist from behind. My heart did a sudden flip.

"Drake! What are you doing? Let go of me!" I whispered, glaring up at him, conscious of my uncle standing just a few feet ahead of us.

"Don't move, Kitten—unless you want your uncle to turn around and catch us," Drake murmured near my ear, tightening his grip.

His warm breath brushed against my skin, and the distinct scent of his cologne washed over me. It was Ocean Breeze—the exact same custom fragrance I had gifted him years ago before he moved to Europe.

A warm flush spread across my skin. Before I could process the sudden wave of nostalgia, Drake leaned down and pressed a soft, sudden kiss against the side of my neck. A jolt of electricity coursed straight down my spine, making my skin burn.

"Drake, stop!" I gasped under my breath.

"Alright, Kitten... I'll stop. For now," Drake whispered huskily, resting his hands lightly on my waist.

I bit my lip to stifle the breathy sound trapped in my throat. Infuriating man!

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open.

We stepped into a grand, high-ceilinged gallery designed in a classic European style, filled with magnificent canvas paintings.

"Do you like it?" Elias asked softly, looking around the room with deep nostalgia. "There is only one artist behind all of these masterpieces: your mother, Sofia. She was our family's brilliant painter. It is a tragedy she was forced to put down her brushes."

A quiet, sad smile touched my lips. My mother’s artistic talent had been deliberately buried the second David entered her world. He couldn't stomach the thought of his wife outshining him in high society. His fragile ego had ruined her passion.

"What's our first move? Where do we begin?" Drake asked, leaning against a display case and cutting straight to business.

I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Wait... why are you even here, Mr. Monteverde? Why are the two of you working together?"

"Drake is already a brilliant corporate attorney in Europe—a dark horse at his firm—and he happens to be my golden student," Elias said, a hint of pride gleaming in his eyes. "I chose him to be my successor."

I nodded slowly, adjusting my perspective before turning back to the task at hand.

"Alright, let's focus. I think it's best if we start by targeting the fruit of David and Valerie's affair—Chloe." A cold, calculating plan took shape in my mind.

"I agree," Drake smirked. "What do you have in mind?"

"Chloe's grand art exhibition in Paris," I said smoothly. "She has been preparing for it for months—it's her ultimate dream. I want to dismantle everything she cares about, piece by piece. Let's start there."

"An excellent target," Elias approved. He glanced at his watch and stood up. "Let's pause our discussion here for a moment. I'll prepare our lunch. You two can refine the details." He walked toward the adjacent kitchen suite.

The moment Elias disappeared around the corner, I walked over to examine one of my mother's landscape paintings.

Without warning, strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind, pulling me flush against a broad chest. I froze. Before I could even turn my head, Drake spun me around, pulled me close, and covered my lips with his in a deep, demanding kiss.

"Mmmph—!"

Muffled sounds escaped my throat as I gripped his arms. I tried to push him away, afraid my uncle would hear us from the next room, but Drake was relentless. His hands moved possessively down my back, pulling me closer until I bit his lower lip in desperation.

"Ouch! Damn it, Aurelia... are you a cat?" Drake groaned, pulling back slightly and touching his bleeding lip.

"You bastard! Why did you kiss me?!" I snapped, my cheeks burning with irritation and embarrassment. "In case you've forgotten, Mr. Monteverde, I am not your girlfriend—and I already have a boyfriend! So keep your hands to yourself!"

Yet, deep down, a confusing wave of heat lingered in my chest. Damn it! I cursed myself inwardly.

Drake didn't answer. Instead, he slowly stepped closer, his dark eyes locking onto mine as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and tossed it aside, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal a powerful, muscular frame.

I inhaled sharply. He looked like an international model—no, far more imposing and dangerous.

Panicking, I backed away until my lower back hit the edge of a large glass display table. I tried to dart to the side, but Drake stepped in, trapping me completely between his arms.

The scent of his cologne filled my senses, making my pulse race out of control.

"And where do you think you're running off to, Kitten?" Drake purred, his deep voice dipping into a dangerous whisper. "Are you going to push me away again? Just like you did years ago for that worthless animal, Jacob?"

He leaned down, his fingers tracing a slow path up my leg to my neck, resting lightly against my pulse point.

"I told you before I left for Europe, Kitten: when I came back, you wouldn't be able to push me away again. You belong to me."

"What are you doing, Drake? You don't own me! Let me go!" I demanded, my breath coming in shallow gasps.

Without another word, Drake lifted me effortlessly, seating me on the edge of the glass table. He leaned in and captured my mouth again in a breathless, passionate kiss.

I fought against the sensation, but my body traitorously melted into his touch. My hands instinctively found their way to his neck. His lips trailed down to my jaw and onto my collarbone, igniting a fire beneath my skin.

"Drake... please, stop..." I managed to whisper, struggling to keep my voice down.

"I missed you so much, Kitten," Drake murmured against my skin, his voice thick with raw emotion. "I endured being away from you for five long years. Don't push me away."

His fingers reached for the zipper of my dress, sliding it down.

At that exact moment, the phone inside my clutch bag began ringing loudly on the nearby table.

Drake paused, glanced at the screen, and casually swiped the answer button before tossing the phone onto the display table beside us.

I thought he was letting me speak, but instead, he pinned my hands gently above my head, his lips returning to my neck with even greater intensity.

"Aurelia? Aurelia... babe? Why aren't you answering? Are you okay? Aurelia?!" Jacob's anxious voice called out loudly through the speakerphone.

"Don't hold back, Kitten," Drake whispered playfully against my ear, his eyes gleaming with dark arrogance. "Let your 'boyfriend' hear our reunion."

Just as Drake's fingers reached the clasp of my bra, a loud voice echoed from the hallway.

"Aurelia! Drake! Lunch is ready!" Elias called out from the kitchen.