All Chapters of COLLATERAL DESIRE : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

"If you don't take your hand off my shoulder in the next two seconds, Marcus, I will snap your wrist," Ethan said, his voice dropping into a register so lethal that the ambient noise of the ballroom seemed to die instantly.Marcus Vance didn't release his grip. Instead, his fingers dug deeper into the expensive fabric of Ethan’s jacket. "You don't get to command this room anymore, Ethan. Look at the board. Look at what you've done to these people."My eyes darted past Ethan’s rigid shoulder toward the massive stage display hovering above the head table. The electronic timer didn't display a stock index or a company logo. It flashed a stark, glaring red countdown: 09:00.Nine minutes.A high-pitched shriek tore through the front row, shattering the fragile silence of the high-society crowd. Within a second, five hundred guests turned as one, their faces twisted in absolute panic. The gilded chandeliers above us flickered violently before plunging the grand space into an eerie, blood-re

The heavy red detonator switch clicked under Marcus’s trembling thumb, but no explosion came.Instead, a series of deafening metallic screeches echoed through the room as massive steel blast shutters dropped from the ceiling framing. The reinforced plates slammed directly into the floor with a massive hydraulic thud, shaking the foundation beneath our feet. The violent impact sealed off every window and exit, instantly cutting off the ballroom from the rest of the hotel.Marcus stumbled backward, his hand shaking as he stared at the useless detonator. He smashed his thumb against the red button again and again, but nothing happened."Looking for the firework?" Ethan asked, his voice calm and cold as he stepped out from behind the piano frame."This was supposed to bring down the whole east wing!" Marcus screamed, his face twisting in wild panic. "It was set to trigger the basement charges!""Your signal was re-routed twenty minutes ago," Ethan said, pulling me up by my waist until I w

"Put the gun down or I take his shoulder off," Ethan growled, his voice a low, terrifying rumble right behind my ear.Before the lead Swiss agent could even finish raising his sidearm, Ethan moved. It was a blinding, two-second blur of violence. He didn't just strike; he obliterated the distance between them. His palm slammed into the lead agent's throat with a sickening thud, cutting off the man’s air before he could scream. In the same fluid motion, Ethan caught the guard's wrist, twisted it until bone popped, and sent the heavy silver pistol clattering across the metal floor of the train corridor.The agent gasped, eyes bulging, but Ethan wasn't done. He grabbed the man by the collar of his tactical vest and slammed his spine back against the steel wall. The impact rattled the light fixtures overhead.With a quick, practiced flick of his fingers, Ethan snatched the glowing red security clearance card from the agent's front pocket."Move!" Ethan bellowed, his hand slamming into the

Our hands hit the glowing screen together, our fingertips pressing down with equal force.A sharp green flash erupted across the glass terminals, bathing the cold underground vault in a sudden, brilliant light. The master control system let out a single long electronic hum, sending a deep vibration straight through the metal floorboards under our boots. Across the main terminal, line after line of legal code locked into place, sealing the global merger of Croft International and Vance Global into international banking law forever."It's done," I breathed, my fingers still pressed against the smooth glass next to his.Before the words fully left my mouth, the quiet vault erupted into noise. High-pitched digital chimes and frantic notifications began pinging from our phones on the console. Emergency alerts lit up the screens in rapid succession breaking news updates, urgent board meeting requests, and direct calls from major stock exchanges across three continents. The international mar

The heavy mahogany doors of the master penthouse suite clicked shut with a sharp, electronic seal, locking automatically and cutting off the roar of the world outside.Ethan didn't set me down. He carried me past the threshold and straight into the center of the dim, candlelit room. The distant, thrumming chaos of press helicopters and hundreds of cheering guests instantly vanished, replaced by the deep, quiet luxury of the penthouse. The only sound left in the universe was the heavy, rhythmic beat of his chest against my cheek and the harsh, uneven rasp of our breathing.He lowered me slowly, letting my feet sink into the thick, plush silk rug. But even as my heels touched the floor, his broad hands remained pinned to my waist, keeping me flush against his frame."Ethan," I whispered, my voice barely carrying in the quiet space. "We're finally alone.""Finally," he repeated, his voice a low, rough growl.I reached up, my fingers trembling slightly as I lifted my hands to the strict k