A Broken Rule

Elena Vale had always been taught to be two things: perfect and quiet.

That night, with the rose petal turning brown in her palm and the threat echoing in her mind, she chose to be neither.

“I want to burn him down,” she said, voice low, controlled and dangerous.

Jack didn't ask who. He didn't even need to. They both knew the enemy had unmasked himself.

Richard Harrow.

“He's scared,” Jack said. “This is a power play. He seems to be loosing grip, so now he's going scorched earth.”

Elena met his eyes. “Then let's meet him in the fire.”

They spent the next three days locked in a silent war of information.

Jack dove into old Harrow Tech servers, encrypted contracts, and leaked financial statements. He traced offshore accounts and shell companies that connected to names Elena recognized from her father's private meetings.

Amidst the chaos, Elena wished for a vacation just to clear her mind and head because she was feeling choked up.

Meanwhile, she quickly infiltrated the board, subtly reminding key members of where their loyalties and shares lie. She smiled in passing hallways, planted seeds of doubt in quick exchanges, and offered just enough truth to rattle those who had quietly backed Conrad and Richard.

“You're terrifying when you want to be,” Jack whispered one night, as she slipped off her heels.

She smiled without humor. “I learned from the best.”

She sighed softly and stared down at her hands in thought.

“What's wrong?” He asked softly as she lifted her head to meet his eyes.

She parted her lips to say something but immediately shut it. She closed her eyes in obvious exhaustion. “It's nothing. I'm fine.”

He didn't believe her. He slowly approached her and squatted in front of her on the bed.

“Well, I don't believe you.” He muttered.

She bit her lower lip as she stared dimly at him. “I just feel — exhausted. And I know I shouldn't be, especially now that we have to keep our heads up in this fight. But I can't help it.” She looked at her hands again and fiddled with it. Before she brought her gaze back on him. “I'm really exhausted.” She added, a glint of tears in her eyes.

Then he took her hands in his. He looked like he wasn't sure of what to say to her to soothe her, he just caressed her hands in reassurance.

“I understand. And heck, I'm exhausted too.” He chuckled softly and her lips curved into a thin smile at his words.

“But you're not alone.” His expression turned serious. “We're in this together.” He mumbled the last part under his breath.

She scoffed obviously amused at the thought of something. “Is it like saying: we are in this together until paperworks do us part?”

“You can say that again.”

They both laughed.

Then her smile lingered.

“The messed up affairs lately, has sadly not given me the opportunity to compliment your beauty and your bravery.” He said with a mix of amusement and seriousness.

“Please…” She slapped his hands away from her hands as she frowned at her thoughts.

“Woah… I just realized you're allergic to compliments.” He chuckled softly as she bit her lower lip to stifle a smile.

“You're crazy.” She chuckled and couldn't stop herself from smiling.

“I've heard worse.” He smiled. “But we could go on a trip if you'd like?”

She furrowed her brows at him, like he read her inner thoughts and tapped away from her desires.

“A trip? In this mess?” She asked as she stood up from the bed and moved away from him.

He stood up and met her eyes. “There is a way. That is, if you are open to the idea.”

She rested one hand on her waist and the other, ran in and out of her hair in thought. She was torn between the urgency and importance of the current situation and her delicate desires for a little break.

Jack sensed her dilemma and nodded slightly at her. “While I leave you to think about it and decide, I have prepared a soothing bath for you —”

She shook her head at him. “You didn't.” She watched his expression. “Wait, you really did?”

“I figured it's not a bad thing to take care of my little wife.” He smirked.

“Little?”

“No offense.” He raised his hand dramatically in surrender.

She chuckled softly. “None taken.”

He smiled. “So, a bath?”

“Certainly.”

For a moment, their gaze remained on each other. Seeking. Searching.

“Care to join me?” She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

He observed her and she bit her lip in instant regret about her invitation. She looked away from him as her eyes darted across the room. “If you don't want to —”

Before she could register anything else, he was right in front of her.

Their proximity made her swallow the lump at the back of her throat.

“I do.” He muttered.

She blinked as his breath fanned her face. “O-okay.” She barely heard her voice.

Then his gaze rested on her lips. She stared at his as if she was trying so hard to hold back.

Suddenly, his lips grazed the surface of her mouth.

She felt her senses skyrocket. “Jack…” She whispered against his lips.

“There is no one here to put on a show for. It's just us.” He breathed out as his hands slowly wrapped around her waist.

His eyes burned with desire. And she tried to calm her racing heart.

“And I understand if you want to abide by the rules of the contract and stay intimately away from each other—”

She shook her head cutting him off. “No…” she mumbled under her breath as her body heated up against his and her legs wobbled under his fierce gaze.

She bit her lip. “I want this… I want you.”

And with that, he claimed her lips passionately.

She moaned at the jolt of pleasure that spiraled down her spine.

He grabbed her body possessively to his torso as he pushed her carefully and finally pinned her up against the wall.

For just a split second, Elena Vale registered red block letters at the back of her head.

That one rule has been broken.