Chapter 5

 

Valerie was startled, pushing Noah's body away, but the man instead tightened his embrace.

"Didn't you want to punish me, Miss?" he whispered softly right in front of Valerie's face. Not long after, he immediately kissed the woman's lips.

His kiss was deep, demanding, and mercilessly destroyed the remnants of the CEO's arrogance. Noah forced his tongue in, exploring Valerie's mouth and taking over the rhythm completely.

The taste of expensive champagne from Valerie's mouth was intoxicating, but not enough to distract Noah's focus. He gripped the woman's waist, lifting his master's body up slightly until Valerie was forced to stand on her tiptoes, pressing their centers together.

The friction triggered a suppressed sigh from Valerie's throat. The woman's hands, which initially tried to push Noah's chest, now actually squeezed the collar of the navy suit that the boutique assistant had just put on him. Her red nails gripped the expensive fabric desperately, seeking something to hold onto as Noah swept away all her common sense.

Noah tilted his face, deepening their kiss. His tongue cataloged every inch of Valerie's mouth. His large hand crept downward, slipping behind the slit of the woman's skirt. The touch of his rough skin on Valerie's warm inner thigh made the CEO's body jolt in surprise, but the woman didn't resist at all.

Instead, Valerie's legs parted slightly, giving unlimited access to the man who was supposed to be under her control.

Noah stroked that sensitive skin with a slow, agonizing motion, inviting a soft moan muffled by their kiss. In the reflection of the three-way mirrors surrounding them, Noah could see a perfect sight: an ice queen who was now completely melted, leaning helplessly against the glass with closed eyes and racing breath under his dominance.

However, before Valerie's defenses completely shattered and they crossed the line in a public place, Noah stopped his movements.

He pulled his lips back slowly. His thumb wiped Valerie's lips, which were swollen and wet from his rough kiss.

Valerie opened her hazy eyes. Her breath hitched heavily. Her chest rose and fell in a messy rhythm, demanding the continuation of Noah's suddenly halted touch.

"You..." Valerie whispered hoarsely, losing all of her arrogant vocabulary.

Noah tidied a strand of hair stuck to Valerie's cheek with a gentle movement that sharply contrasted his recent attack. The man leaned down, softly kissing the corner of the CEO's lips once more.

"Save your energy, Miss," Noah whispered, his voice deep and perfectly controlled. "We have a charity auction to attend tonight. Unless... you prefer that we spend the rest of tonight on the dressing room floor."

Valerie froze. Her consciousness was forcibly pulled back by reality and Noah's calm tone. She stared at her own reflection in the mirror—her face was flushed, her lipstick ruined, and her posture was very far from the word authoritative.

With awkward movements that she tried to hide from Noah, Valerie quickly tidied her skirt and blazer. She cleared her throat softly, trying desperately to piece back together her pride that had just been trampled by pleasure.

"Get ready. We leave in five minutes," Valerie ordered in a voice that was still slightly trembling, before turning and walking quickly out of the fitting area without daring to return Noah's gaze.

As soon as the curtain closed, Noah stared at his own reflection in the mirror. He tidied his suit collar calmly. A cold smirk once again adorned his face. He knew the CEO was already entirely in his grasp.

Night fell in Valcrest. While Valerie was busy with her makeup artist inside the penthouse, Noah stepped out onto the balcony. The cold wind hit his dark navy shirt that was not yet perfectly buttoned.

As soon as the glass door shut tightly, the mask of an obedient man vanished without a trace.

Noah's gaze returned to being as cold as ice. His eyes now radiated an aura of absolute power that far exceeded the arrogance of his master inside there. He took a special military-encrypted black phone from his pants pocket. His fingers pressed a combination of numbers quickly.

"Secure line, Boss." A man's deep voice was heard from the other end on the second ring.

"How is Anya?" Noah asked flatly. His eyes stared straight at the glittering skyscrapers of Valcrest.

"Miss Anya's surgery went smoothly. The special medical team in Geneva has confirmed her recovery period. She is safe from the reach of Victor and his dogs," reported the man, Leon. A hesitant sigh was heard on the other end of the phone. "But, Boss... do you really have to lower yourself to become... ahem, a woman's kept man? If you give the order, our shadow team can destroy Victor's family tonight and reclaim the Aether Syndicate."

Noah lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke slowly into the night air. The corner of his lips lifted to form a thin smirk. The memory of Valerie's flushed face, seemingly begging under his dominance in the mirror's reflection this afternoon, flashed through his mind again.

"Playing rough now will only make those rats hide deeper, Leon," Noah answered calmly. "Victor thinks he succeeded in seizing my company and bankrupting me. Let him enjoy his temporary victory. Becoming Miss Valerie's pet is the most perfect disguise."

"Perfect disguise?"

"None of Victor's hitmen would look for the former ruler of the Aether Syndicate under the blankets of a control-freak female CEO," Noah said casually.

"Then, what is our next step, Boss?"

"Victor is trying to expand his illicit power into this city. His main target must be the biggest real estate company here..." Noah turned slightly through the glass, staring at Valerie's silhouette as she applied red lipstick to her lips. "...V-Corp."

"You want to protect her, Boss?"

"Herd Victor into a trap," Noah ordered coldly. "He will come to the charity auction tonight to attack V-Corp. At the moment he feels the most powerful, we will cut all his financial veins from the inside. Hack the attorney general's server and leak all evidence of Victor's money laundering at exactly eight o'clock tonight."

"Understood, Boss. By the way... doesn't your disguise torture your pride too much?"

Noah put out his cigarette butt on the metal railing of the balcony. His eyes didn't leave the curves of Valerie's body, which was now wrapped in a pitch-black evening gown with a low cleavage.

"Not really," Noah muttered in a hoarse, calculating voice. "She is a rather entertaining toy while we wait for the right time."

Noah ended the call. He rolled his stiff neck, put the mask of a calm and obedient hired man back on, then stepped inside the lair of the woman who thought she had conquered him.