Unfinished Business

Drake froze for a split second, and I instantly seized the opportunity to push him off me.

Adjusting my disheveled dress, I grabbed my phone off the table. To my complete surprise, Jacob was still on the line!

How intriguing, I thought. In my past life, he never had this much patience; he always wanted to hang up faster than a startled rabbit. But I hardened my heart, knowing his sudden persistence was driven solely by curiosity and fear regarding my uncle's unexpected return.

"Jacob? I'm so sorry, babe! I suddenly felt dizzy and had to rush to the restroom, so I couldn't answer you right away," I said, putting on a breathy, apologetic voice. "I actually have a few things to take care of right now, so I'll call you back later, okay? Bye!"

Without waiting for his response, I hung up immediately.

As I turned toward the door, I stole one last glance at Drake, wondering why he had suddenly gone quiet.

Damn it. That was the only word that came to mind.

His dark gaze was like a predator locking onto its prey, the intense desire in his eyes still burning fiercely. The sharp, warning look he gave me practically screamed that we were far from over.

Why is he so maddeningly handsome and hot at the same time? Gosh, why am I acting like this?! I was supposed to be furious, yet I couldn't bring myself to feel genuine anger. I knew I needed to put an end to this reckless boundary-crossing; I hadn't even begun my revenge, and I couldn't afford any distractions.

I hurriedly left the room and headed toward the dining area before Drake could eat me alive.

When I reached the table, Uncle Elias had already set out a delicious spread.

"Oh, you're here," Elias said, looking up from the table. "Where is Drake—"

Before I could answer, Drake walked into the dining room, completely composed. I quietly took my seat, avoiding his eyes.

For a while, we ate in harmonious silence, enjoying the comfort of the meal. Suddenly, the sharp ringing of the landline phone broke the atmosphere. Elias picked up the receiver. "Yes, Elias speaking."

"Oh, so you've already reached headquarters, Eli? So, how was London?" a voice boomed through the speaker.

My breath stopped. My chest tightened as I recognized that voice—it was my grandfather, Thomas Mercer. Tears immediately welled up in my eyes. I missed him so terribly, yet felt consumed by guilt because of how I had treated him in my past life.

"Well, Dad, it's still the same old London," Elias replied calmly.

"Is that so? What about Aurelia? How is my sweet girl? They didn't mistreat her, did they?" Grandpa asked frantically, his anxiety clear over the line.

"Calm down, Dad. She's completely fine. In fact, she's sitting right here with us," Elias said, shooting me an encouraging look as he held out the receiver. "Do you want to talk to her?"

I swallowed hard, forcing my trembling voice to sound steady. "Grandpa... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for not believing you before. I'm sorry for pushing you away..."

I tried my best to hold back my tears, but a sob escaped my throat. I felt overwhelmingly guilty for every piece of pain I had caused him back then.

"No, sweetie... my sweet girl, you have nothing to apologize for," Grandpa comforted me, his voice softening instantly. "Grandpa will never blame you. Remember, I will always protect and support you, okay? So don't cry, my sweet girl."

I closed my eyes tightly. In my past life, I had been so foolishly blind to who truly cared for me. I couldn't even imagine how broken he must have been when I died in that cold warehouse.

"Shh, don't cry anymore, baby girl. You'll turn into a crying little cat if you keep this up," Grandpa teased gently. "Don't worry, Grandpa will finish up business here quickly so I can return home. Just wait for me, okay?"

"I will, Grandpa... I'll wait for you," I managed to whisper.

The line clicked and went silent.

As I sat there wiping my eyes, I felt a warm, reassuring hand soothingly stroke my back. I looked up to see Drake standing beside my chair. Though he didn't say a word, his gesture was filled with unspoken comfort. Despite his maddening, arrogant personality, he had always been my protector beneath it all.

"Alright, let's finish our lunch so we can review our plan," Elias said smoothly, intentionally shifting the mood to help me regain my composure.

I took a deep breath, nodded, and picked up my fork.

After we finished eating, I began gathering the dirty dishes, but before I could carry them to the sink, Uncle Elias gently took them from my hands. "You two go back to the study. I'll handle the dishes."

Left with no choice, I walked back to the classical private office with Drake.

I sat down on the leather sofa and picked up a book, attempting to hide my nervousness behind its pages. But even with my eyes glued to the text, I could feel Drake's intense gaze burning into me.

Suddenly, a wave of familiar warmth brushed against the back of my neck. Drake's heavy, rhythmic breath hovered right behind me.

Shit! What is he doing now?! If my uncle catches us, I'm dead!

"Drake, what are you doing?" I whispered sharply, shooting him a death glare over my shoulder.

"Kitten, don't you think it's unfair to leave our business from earlier unfinished?" Drake murmured, his voice thick with unfulfilled desire.

"Are you insane?!" I hissed. "My uncle is right in the next room washing dishes! Do you want him to walk in on us?!"

Instead of pulling back, Drake simply smirked. Before I could react, he lifted me effortlessly off the sofa and pulled me onto his lap.

"Kitten, I really want to devour you right now," he whispered playfully, pulling me flush against his hard chest.

A gasp escaped my lips as I felt something hard pressing firmly against me. My face burned bright red, heat flushing from my neck all the way to my ears.

"You shameless bastard!" I whispered furiously, trying to push against his shoulders.

Drake let out a low, dangerous laugh. He leaned down, burying his face in the crook of my neck, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against my sensitive skin. A familiar, intoxicating electricity shot straight through my body, making my knees weak.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.

I froze in pure panic. Fortunately, Drake reacted with lightning reflexes and set me safely back down in my own chair just a second before the door opened.

He leaned close one last time, whispering in my ear, "We'll finish this later, Kitten."

Elias walked in, completely unaware, carrying a folder. "Alright, let's dive into the specifics of our strategy."

"Yes," Drake said, switching seamlessly back to his professional demeanor. "What's our first move, Aurelia?"

I composed myself, letting a cold, calculating smirk replace my embarrassment.

"First, we need an ally on the inside," I stated sharply. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I need to convince Vivian to join forces with us."

"Vivian?" Drake raised an eyebrow.

"She is Chloe's main rival in the art world," I explained. "In truth, Vivian was supposed to be the featured artist for the Paris exhibition based on pure talent. But Chloe stole her spot by exploiting my late mother's prestige and connections."

"Second, Uncle Elias, I need you to contact Mrs. Ann Smith. She is one of the chief directors for the Paris exhibition and a close friend of my mother. Make sure she realizes Chloe's work is a fraud and completely unworthy of such a grand stage.

"And third, Drake—you're coming with me. We're going to meet Vivian first and bring her onto our side. We have a few months before the exhibition, which is plenty of time to execute a flawless trap."

Elias nodded approvingly. "A brilliant angle. I'll reach out to Ann Smith right away."

"And it will be my absolute pleasure to accompany you, Kitten," Drake added, shooting me a wicked smile.

Elias gathered his briefcase and stood up. "I have a few high-level meetings to attend in the city, so I'll take my leave first. Drake, guard Aurelia with your life and make sure she gets home safely before dark."

"Take care, Uncle," I said.

The moment the heavy wooden doors closed behind my uncle, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. The emotional rollercoaster of the day was catching up to me.

"I'm going to rest in one of the guest rooms for an hour," I said to Drake, stepping toward the residential corridor. "You can head out if you have work to do."

I entered the quiet guest room and closed the door behind me. But when I turned around, my breath hitched in shock.

Drake was already inside, standing right behind me—and he had completely discarded his dress shirt, revealing his sculpted chest and shoulders.

"Mr. Monteverde! What do you think you're doing?!" I gasped, staring in shock while backing up. "This is my room! Get out!"

"Have you forgotten, Kitten?" Drake purred, stepping forward with deliberate, predatory grace. "Our unfinished business. It's time to settle the score."

"Drake, stop this right now! Or else—"

"Or else what, Kitten?" he interrupted smoothly, backing me up until the back of my knees hit the edge of the mattress.

He pushed me down gently onto the soft sheets, hovering over me. His hands moved possessively, tracing a path up my thighs to my waist, sliding beneath the hem of my dress toward my lace underwear.

Heat flared through my body. My breathing turned shallow and frantic, my throat suddenly feeling bone-dry.

"You drive me completely crazy, Kitten," Drake groaned, leaning down to press hot, lingering kisses against my stomach.

A soft, involuntary moan slipped past my lips. I hated how my body betrayed me under his touch.

"Try pushing me away... Please," Drake rasped against my skin, his grip tightening as he fought for control. "Otherwise, I won't be able to stop myself from claiming you right here and now."

"Drake... this isn't right... mmph..." I gasped, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Why not use me, Aurelia?" Drake whispered dark and low, his heavy breath warm against my ear. "Your stepsister and your pathetic excuse for a boyfriend have been sleeping behind your back for years. So why shouldn't we do the exact same thing?"

He bit lightly into the skin of my waist, sending a sharp, electric jolt straight down to my core that made me arch my back with a gasp.