All Chapters of Under His Watchful Eyes : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Elena’s PoV "Elena Vance? Marketing?" A woman with a clinical smile and a sleek headset stared at me from behind a marble desk. "Yes," I said, my voice steady practicing my mask. The one that told the world I was perfectly fine. "It’s my first day." "Elevator B. Forty-second floor. Mr. Vane is expecting the morning analytics." I stepped into the lift, and the doors slid shut with a silent, heavy thud. The ascent felt like a vacuum. My ears popped as the floor numbers climbed higher and higher. When the doors finally hissed open, I wasn't met with the bustling office environment as I expected. Instead, at the end of a long hall, a set of double doors stood wide open.A man was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me. He was tall, his shoulders broad under a charcoal suit that looked like it cost more than my entire education. Short black hair, perfectly groomed. Even from behind, he radiated a kind of predatory stillness that made the hair on my arms stand

The door clicked shut, but the lock felt like a joke. A thin piece of metal was the only thing separating me from a man who had recreated my childhood like a museum exhibit.I didn’t move from the door. I couldn't. My eyes frantically scanned the bedroom. It was all there. The chipped paint on the edge of the nightstand where I’d dropped a heavy trophy in the fifth grade. The exact fraying edge of the floral rug. The air even smelled like the specific, dusty vanilla of the house I hadn't stepped foot in for a decade.This wasn't a room. It was a replica of my life.I walked toward the desk, my legs heavy, as if I were moving through deep water. The laptop screen was still active, the grainy, black-and-white feed of the empty prison cell mocking me."Dad," I whispered, reaching out to touch the screen.The cell was pristine. No bedsheets. No books. No sign that my father had ever been there. My breath hitched. Julian hadn't just cleared the path for me to get to Vegas; he had cl

The inside of the Maybach was too quiet. It was like a space that sucked all the air out of my lungs when the heavy doors of the car closed us away from all the noise of the press. Outside people were yelling; inside all I could hear was the sound of Julians watch ticking away.Julian did not look at me. He sat still like a statue, with his hands on his knees. I could see a vein beating in his neck. I had surprised him. For a man like Julian Vane being surprised is a big mistake."You are good at making moves Elena " he said finally. His voice was low and scary. It made the hair on my arms stand up. ". A move only works if you can handle what happens next. You just let the world into a room that I spent a lot of time keeping closed.""The door was already open Julian " I said, my voice shaking. I turned to face him. I made myself look into his cold blue eyes. "Your father was going to use me to hurt you in front of the cameras. I did not just save myself. I saved your company."Julian

The black SUV pulled into the garage of the Vane Penthouse.The steel gates rolled down behind us blocking out the bit of daylight. Julian didn't move to get out. He just sat there the engine humming quietly."You changed your mind quickly " he said, his voice low and even. He didn't turn to look at me. His reflection in the tinted glass was fixed on my face. "An hour ago you looked like you wanted to jump out of a moving vehicle. Now you're ready for a briefing?"I kept my eyes steady. I had my hands flat against my thighs feeling the texture of my suit jacket. "An hour ago I was reacting. Now I'm thinking. There's a difference."Julian turned to me his shoulder shifting against the seat. He reached out. Grabbed my chin forcing my head up. His grip was tight his thumb pressing hard into my jaw. He searched my face looking for the girl from the diner.I didn't give it to him. I stared back at him keeping my expression blank."You're lying to me " he murmured, his thumb dragging across

By noon the next day, the Vane Enterprises boardroom was a filled with pressure.I sat at Julian’s right hand, dressed in the sharp black suit he had chosen for me. My wrists were bruised beneath the fabric, a hidden reminder of the night before. Across the table, Vivienne sat with her legal team, her face tight, her eyes dark with a mixture of fear and fury. Arthur Vane sat at the head, watching the two of us like a spectator at a gladiator match.The final disclosure documents for the merger lay between us. If Vivienne signed, the Montgomery fortune would be bound to Vane Enterprises, sealing Julian’s absolute control over the market."The compliance files are fully verified," Julian announced, his smooth, commanding voice filling the room. He didn't look at me, but his hand was resting on the back of my chair, his fingers occasionally brushing against my shoulder. "Ms. Vance has personally audited the internal ledgers for Onyx Holdings. Everything is transparent."Vivienne let ou