The penthouse felt far too quiet,
the kind of stillness that only amplified the roaring frustration inside Nyra’s head.
She marched into the living room and dropped her designer bag onto the leather couch—harder than usual.
Her heels clicked a restless, aggressive rhythm against the hardwood floor as she paced the length of the room. A board member, she thought, a string of irritated, colorful words echoing in her mind.
Are you kidding me? Of all the manipulative, trust-fund tricks in the book.
Why don’t we just wrap the entire corporate empire in a pretty bow and hand it to her on a silver platter? Bloody brilliant.
The silence of the penthouse offered no comfort, failing to drown out the mental image loop playing in her head. All she could see was Sera standing right beside Adrian.
Close-up.
Uncomfortably close.
Moving with the smooth, infuriating confidence of someone who thought she belonged exactly there.Nyra’s jaw tightened.
“She moves fast,” she muttered to the empty room.
Then she paused, her breath catching as a heavier realization sank in. And he just stood there and let her.
That was the part that truly rankled. It bothered her more than the actual corporate restructuring.
Storming into the kitchen, she grabbed a glass, poured herself some water, and took a sharp sip before slamming the glass down onto the counter.
“Why do I even care so much? It’s just business,” she snapped at herself.
But her conscience refused to back her up. She knew exactly why she cared, and she absolutely hated herself for it.
Stupid, territorial instincts. You’re supposed to be smarter than this, Nyra.The heavy thud of the front door opening broke her spiral. Nyra froze, adjusting her posture and smoothing down her skirt before turning around with practiced indifference.
Adrian walked in
He looked completely calm, immaculate, and utterly unbothered, as if the entire day hadn’t just been upended by a corporate coup. It looked as though having his toxic ex-associate force her way onto his board was just another mundane Tuesday.
Nyra crossed her arms, leaning back against the kitchen island. Perfect. Time to engage. “You’re late,”
she said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.Adrian glanced at her, unbuttoning his suit jacket with a slow, deliberate movement.
“Work.”
Short
Simple
Maddeningly unbothered
Nyra scoffed, stepping out of the kitchen.
“Busy day, then?”Adrian paused, his dark eyes locking onto hers.
“Very.”That infuriatingly cool tone was the match that lit her fuse.
“Oh, I bet it was,” she said, stepping into his path. “What with welcoming a brand-new board member and all.”
Adrian’s gaze sharpened, a flicker of amusement dancing deep in his eyes.
“Sera.”
“Oh, brilliant. So we’re actually saying her name openly now,”
Nyra replied instantly, her wit firing on all cylinders. “Good to know we don’t have to refer to her as 'She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' anymore.”
Adrian took a slow, measured step closer, invading her space.
“What exactly is your problem, Nyra?”Nyra let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
“My problem? My problem?”
“Yes. Yours.”She shook her head, her tone sharpening to a razor edge.
“In case your brilliant billionaire brain missed it, that woman walked into your office, threw a dramatic tantrum, put her hands on me, and now she literally owns a piece of your company.”
“And?”Nyra blinked, genuinely stunned.
“And? That’s all you have to say?”Adrian held her gaze, a small, testing tilt to his head. “What exactly do you want me to do about it right this second?”
That nonchalant attitude made her lose her remaining restraint.
She stepped right into his chest. “What do I want? I want to understand why you’re acting like this is a minor technical glitch. She is clearly plotting something twisted, and you’re just standing there like a statue.”
Adrian’s stoic expression didn’t waver, but his voice dropped an octave. “I already told you. I will handle it.”Nyra let out a frustrated sigh, rolling her eyes.
“You keep saying that. But from where I’m standing, she’s doing whatever the hell she wants, and you’re just letting her slide right in.”
The implication landed exactly where she wanted it to. Adrian stepped closer, his movements slow, controlled, and suddenly brimming with a dangerous, playful heat.
“You’re overthinking this.”
“No,” she countered, refusing to back down an inch. “I’m observing. And I really, really don't like what I see.”
Silence settled over them, thick and electric. Then, to her absolute outrage, the corner of Adrian’s lips curved upward into a tiny, knowing smirk. “You don’t like it,”
he repeated softly
Nyra froze, realizing the trap she had just walked into. Oh, you idiot, she cursed herself internally. “…that’s completely not what I meant."
“It is.”
“It’s not.”
“Then say what you mean clearly, little flame,”
he murmured, using the nickname that always made her pulse turn to liquid fire.
Nyra looked away for a fraction of a second to compose herself, then snapped her gaze right back to his. “I don’t trust her.”
Adrian studied her face, taking in the flush on her cheeks. “And?”She hesitated, her pride battling against the raw honesty clawing its way up her throat. Finally, she broke.
“And I don’t like the way she looks at you , At all.”
There it was. Out in the open. Totally unfiltered.Adrian’s expression shifted, the amusement melting into something much deeper, warmer, and entirely predatory.
“Why?” he asked quietly, stepping so close she could feel the heat radiating from his chest.
Nyra frowned, her defenses spiking. “What kind of ridiculous question is that?”
“A very simple one.”Nyra opened her mouth to fire back a witty retort, but nothing came out.
She didn’t have a safe answer, and she certainly wasn't going to confess the real one.“Exactly,”
Adrian said, his smirk returning in full force.Nyra glared at him, her frustration bubbling over into pure, chaotic energy.
“You’re absolutely enjoying this, aren't you? You arrogant piece of—”
Needing to wipe that smug look off his face, Nyra snatched a decorative plush cushion from the armchair and hurled it straight at his chest. Adrian caught it effortlessly with one hand, a low chuckle escaping his throat.
“You’re reacting again,” he teased.Nyra grabbed a second, heavier cushion.
“Oh, I am nowhere near done with you.”She threw it with all her might.
This time, Adrian fluidly stepped aside, the cushion sailing harmlessly past his shoulder. “You’re going to regret this, little flame,” he warned calmly, though his eyes were dancing.
Nyra smirked right back, her competitive streak flaring. “Try me.”Another cushion flew, followed by a swift dodge.
Suddenly, the heavy tension of the workday completely evaporated, replaced by a sudden, breathless burst of playful chaos.
They were moving rapidly across the living room—ducking, teasing, and trading sharp, breathless banter.
The energy between them was stronger than it had ever been, no longer just a light game, but a physical release for the undeniable attraction they had been burying for days.
Adrian suddenly moved with terrifying, athletic speed, closing the distance between them in a single stride.
Nyra tried to scramble backward, but her heel caught the edge of the plush sofa.
With a soft gasp, she lost her balance and fell back onto the deep cushions.Before she could even think of recovering, Adrian lunged forward, leaning completely over her.
He planted his hands firmly on either side of her shoulders, effectively trapping her beneath his frame without letting his full weight touch her.The entire universe slowed down to the sound of their ragged breathing.
Nyra’s breath hitched completely, her eyes wide as she looked up at him from the cushions.
“Still don’t like it?” he murmured, his face inches from hers, his voice a low, gravelly vibration.
Nyra tried desperately to keep her voice steady, to hold onto her crumbling defenses.
“…no.”It was a blatant, pathetic lie, and they both knew it.Adrian leaned down a fraction of an inch closer, his gaze dropping to her lips before rising back to her eyes.
“And you’re still trying to tell me you aren’t jealous?”Nyra held his gaze, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.
Damn him, damn his eyes, and damn this stupidly attractive face, she thought frantically. “…not even a little bit.”
Another total lie.
This time, Adrian didn’t just smirk. A soft, breathless laugh escaped him, and instead of pulling back, he tilted his head. He shifted his weight, dipping lower until his lips brushed against the soft, flushed skin of her cheek.
He pressed a slow, agonizingly tender kiss there, his breath hot against her skin, before trailing up to print another firm kiss right beneath her eye.
Nyra’s eyes drifted shut, a quiet whimpering sigh escaping her lips as her hands instinctively reached up to grip the fabric of his shirt.Adrian lingered there, his forehead coming to rest gently against hers as he took a ragged breath.
“You are making it exceptionally difficult for me to control myself right now,” he growled softly against her skin, his grip on the couch tightening.
Nyra’s lips parted, entirely consumed by the intoxicating proximity, waiting for him to finally cross the distance and kiss her properly. Every muscle in her body leaned upward, begging for it.But then, with a harsh, restricted breath, Adrian stopped.
He closed his eyes, wrestled his composure back into place, and slowly pulled away.
He stood up, stepping back from the couch entirely and running a hand through his hair, putting a deliberate, frustrating chasm of space between them.Just like that, the spell was broken.
Nyra sat up slowly on the couch, her breathing uneven, her lips tingling, and her mind absolutely reeling.
She felt a toxic cocktail of intense frustration and utter confusion twisting in her gut.
He had stopped. Again. Right at the precipice, he had pulled the plug.
A fresh wave of anger washed over her, hotter and more chaotic than before.
Because in that moment, she realized she wasn’t just furious at Sera’s corporate games anymore.
She was entirely furious at Adrian for his agonizing restraint—
and even more furious at herself for wanting him to lose it.
" TO BE CONTINUED "
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Author's note..
Hey everyone 🙂 🙂
I hope you like this chapter..
Please share your thoughts in the comment section..
Bye bye dear readers 👋 👋 👋
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