Chapter 1

 

The leather folder landed roughly on the glass table.

"Read it," Valerie said.

Noah stared at the woman standing with her back to the large penthouse window, which displayed the glittering night of Valcrest. From the sofa where he sat, he could see Valerie's posture, deliberately made rigid and domineering.

"Three months," Valerie continued. "Two hundred thousand dollars upfront for your sister's heart surgery, and fifty thousand dollars a month for you. The conditions are simple: don't ask too many questions, don't argue, and don't involve your feelings. You come when I call, and leave when I tell you to leave."

Noah looked down, staring at the document on the table. Two hundred thousand dollars. That number suddenly triggered a dark memory he had been trying to bury. The bloody night two months ago. The fire devouring his headquarters, the betrayal of his trusted subordinates, and tens of billions of dollars hacked from his main accounts overnight.

Now, the man who used to be able to manipulate the Valcrest stock market with just a snap of his fingers, had to surrender his freedom for two hundred thousand dollars. A figure that once wouldn't have even been enough for his private jet's maintenance costs.

However, this document was the perfect protective shield. Becoming the kept man of a control-freak female CEO was the last hiding place his enemies would look for him.

Without wasting time, Noah picked up a pen and immediately affixed his signature.

"Done, Miss Valerie," Noah said flatly, hiding his amusement.

Valerie placed her drink glass on the table. The woman walked closer and stopped right in front of Noah's knees. The scent of musk and dark rose perfume wafted through the air. The low-cut maroon dress the woman wore was clearly designed to intimidate, but Noah made sure his facial expression remained calm, as if the sight in front of him did not affect him at all.

"Do you know what that signature means, Noah?" Valerie looked down. Her fingertips touched the collar of Noah's worn-out jacket with a look of distaste. "It means your body and your time are mine. You are paid to satisfy me. To obey my every whim."

"I understand," Noah answered. He looked directly into Valerie's eyes, deliberately not allowing even a hint of hesitation to escape his gaze.

Valerie seemed bothered by his calmness. The woman's red nails pressed against Noah's chest, then slowly scraped down to his top shirt button.

"Prove that you are worth the price," Valerie challenged with a condescending smile. "Take off your shirt."

Noah did not protest. He stood up, deliberately towering over Valerie and forcing the arrogant CEO to look up. With slow, controlled movements, Noah unbuttoned his shirt one by one, letting the worn fabric fall to the floor.

He let Valerie's gaze sweep across his broad chest and his rock-hard, muscular stomach—a result of life-and-death battles in the past, not merely a gym decoration.

Noah felt Valerie's palm press against his bare chest. He knew exactly what the woman was looking for: a racing heartbeat. So, Noah controlled his breathing, keeping his heart rhythm stable. He could see a flash of frustration in Valerie's eyes for failing to dominate him psychologically.

Valerie's red nails pressed harder, stopping at the edge of his belt.

"Not bad," Valerie muttered. Suddenly, the woman grabbed Noah's arm, pulling him until their faces almost touched. "Go take a shower. The bathroom is on the right. Your job starts tonight."

Noah complied. He leaned his body forward, letting his lips get very close to Valerie's ear.

"As you wish, Miss."

Noah deliberately let out his deep whisper slowly. As he turned and walked toward the bathroom, the corner of Noah's eye caught a satisfying sight: Valerie gripping the edge of the glass table tightly. The CEO thought she was the one in control, unaware that her own body had just betrayed her.

The sound of the water stopped. Noah stepped out of the bathroom, wearing only a white towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

He walked into the bedroom and found Valerie already waiting for him at the edge of the king-size bed. The woman was wearing black silk lingerie that was very thin and transparent. Valerie's hungry gaze trailed over Noah's body blatantly.

"Come here," Valerie ordered.

Noah stepped closer and stopped in front of his master's knees. The woman's hand roughly yanked the knot of his towel until the fabric came loose and fell to the floor. Noah stood tall without flinching. He let Valerie's gaze strip him bare, evaluating every inch of his body.

"Do you know your duty tonight?" Valerie whispered. The woman's hands pulled Noah's waist until he was pressed against her knees.

"To satisfy you, Miss," Noah answered flatly.

Valerie scoffed roughly. The woman's hand gripped Noah's jaw, forcing him to look down, and immediately smashed their lips together. Her kiss was aggressive and rough. Noah felt a bite on his lower lip, but he remained still, letting Valerie channel her ego of power.

Both of Noah's hands gripped the edge of the mattress. He waited until Valerie's breathing began to quicken. Then, in a single breath, Noah turned the tables.

He tilted his head, sucking on Valerie's lips much deeper and wilder. He released his grip from the mattress, moved up to squeeze Valerie's waist tightly, locking the woman's body against him. Noah's ears caught a small moan escaping the CEO's throat as Valerie's fingers reflexively gripped his wet hair.

Noah took full control of the kiss before finally breaking it off. He stared at Valerie's face, who was now panting. The woman's red lipstick was a ruined mess.

Casually, Noah wiped the leftover lipstick at the corner of Valerie's lips with his thumb. His own breathing was still perfectly regulated.

"Satisfying enough, Miss?" Noah asked calmly.

Valerie's eyes flashed with anger as her pride was slapped. Refusing to look weak, Valerie suddenly pushed Noah's broad shoulders with all her might. Noah didn't resist at all; he let himself be thrown flat on his back onto the mattress, enjoying this game.

Valerie immediately got on top of him and straddled his hips. The woman's hand moved down, tracing his chest, until it stopped right above his center of desire, which had now grown rock-hard.

"Don't be arrogant," Valerie hissed, her breath hitting Noah's face. "Tonight, I'm the one in control. You're just a tool to satisfy me."

Noah looked up at Valerie from below. Instead of being intimidated, he moved his hand up, casually landing his palm on Valerie's sensitive inner thigh. A slow stroke from his fingers made the skin of the woman's thigh tense up reflexively.

"Of course," Noah replied casually, staring intently into Valerie's eyes. "Use me however you like."

Right as Valerie leaned down to claim his lips again, the screen of the CEO's phone on the nightstand suddenly lit up brightly, displaying an incoming message notification.

Noah's eyes quickly caught the one sender's name displayed on the screen. Instantly, the temperature of Noah's blood chilled to ice.

Victor.

The person who had betrayed and destroyed his business empire was apparently already this close to the woman on top of him. A thin, deadly smirk slowly formed at the corner of Noah's lips.