Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Evelyn
Turned out Victor Moretti's legitimate empire wore a far more respectable mask than I'd imagined.
The building sat in the priciest part of Manhattan. Italian marble covered the entire lobby floor. Three expensively dressed, haughty girls staffed the front desk. Security guards in suits patrolled everywhere—more than you'd find at the top investment banks on Wall Street.
Every time I walked in here, jealousy hit me hard. My law practice looked like a cramped closet compared to this.
Today marked my second week working in this building.
My hours-long disappearance in the manor study that day got brushed aside by Victor with a simple "we were discussing work."
Julian was pissed about me vanishing, but all I had to do was drop Victor's name, tell him I couldn't refuse his father's orders, and Julian shut right up. In a way, that name really worked. Nobody dared question Victor's decisions.
"Miss Gray, Mr. Moretti wants you inside."
The receptionist's cold voice yanked me back to reality. I shoved down my bitter thoughts and took a deep breath. Clutching the stack of files I'd been reading all night, I gave her a professional smile.
"Thanks."
I took the private elevator straight to the top floor.
Victor's office occupied the best corner of the entire level.
I pushed through the heavy wooden door. Floor-to-ceiling windows slammed New York's bustle right into view—the city's shiny surface perfectly hiding the crimes and darkness buried underneath.
And the man controlling that darkness stood by those windows, on the phone.
A long string of low, fluid Russian poured from his mouth.
I couldn't understand a word. Couldn't catch any emotional shift in his tone either. After two weeks of high-pressure proximity, I still knew nothing about this man.
Only one thing was certain—he never seemed to lose control.
Hearing the door, Victor glanced at me. He didn't stop talking, just lifted his chin slightly, indicating I should sit in the chair across from him.
A somewhat arrogant command.
I walked to the massive desk and sank into the black leather guest chair, settling the thick files on my lap.
Honestly, my body and mind were reaching their limits.
The past two weeks, I'd spent my days pretending to handle his company's perfectly legal compliance matters. At night, I'd curl up on my apartment couch, combing word by word through classified files I'd secretly copied from the archive system using my access.
I'd been trying to find any trace of my father's disappearance. Nothing.
Victor's business records were suspiciously clean. If he really was using these legitimate fronts to cover his massive underground network, his money laundering had reached flawless levels.
This psychological chess game with a dangerous man had killed my sleep. Last night I'd gotten less than two hours.
"Miss Gray."
Victor's low voice suddenly cut through the quiet office. I snapped back, realizing he'd hung up. He was leaning against the desk edge now, staring down at me. I'd been staring blankly at his face the whole time, too exhausted to notice.
Shit. I straightened my spine, trying to recover.
"Having trouble with something? You've been staring at me." Victor moved around the massive mahogany desk, walking toward me with that overwhelming presence.
"I'm just thinking through some complex clauses in the merger case. The legal jargon's giving me a headache." I threw out what sounded like a reasonable excuse.
Victor stopped in front of me and easily peeled apart my lie.
"So, are the legal terms you need written on my face?"
Since he'd called my bluff, I bit down hard and decided to commit fully to the secret-admirer act. I looked up, meeting his eyes. Forced myself to show suppressed longing and just the right amount of hurt.
"Fine, I admit it. I was looking at you.
" I took a breath, making my voice tremble slightly.
"You're too attractive. I got lost for a moment.
But you shouldn't scold me for it, Victor.
You know how I feel about you. You deliberately put a woman who's been craving you right beside you at work. You should've known this would happen."
Victor let out a low laugh, the kind that said he saw right through my bullshit. It pissed me off.
"Consider this possibility." Victor dropped the smile, his voice going dangerously low. "Maybe I put you beside me precisely because I wanted this to happen."
My heart clenched. Before I could fully process what he meant, Victor made his move.
He forced his right leg between my pressed-together thighs. Through his expensive suit pants, his solid inner thigh pressed directly against my center and ground there without mercy.
"Get closer. Look your fill."
I used every muscle in my body to keep from jumping out of the chair.
The admirer act! Evelyn, remember your role. You're a woman who wants this man but suffers over the ethical taboo.
Time to perform.
"Mr. Moretti." My voice shook, my eyes darting away in panic. "This isn't appropriate."
"Why not? We already did it. Remember?"
Victor's right hand landed on my knee. I was wearing a black pencil skirt that hit just below the knee today, very thin fabric. His broad palm's heat burned straight through to my skin. My body went rigid.
Then that hand yanked outward roughly. I slid forward on the smooth leather chair, my legs forced open. I gasped, instinctively gripping the armrests. Victor pressed forward, driving his knee deeper between my thighs, spreading my legs completely.
The position immediately reminded me of that night I lost control. I twisted, trying to scoot back in panic. "Victor, no. Someone could walk in anytime."
"This is my private office." Even now, Victor's voice didn't waver. "Without my permission, no one would dare enter."
His knee pushed forward another inch. I bit down hard on my lower lip. But my body trembled anyway from that goddamn friction.
"As long as you're willing." He suddenly leaned down, his warm lips almost touching my ear. "Anytime, you can..."
He paused deliberately, the wicked curve of his lips dragging across my ear.
"—become Julian's stepmother."
My breathing stopped for a beat. He still hadn't given up on that plan. Had I not refused firmly enough? Or did he think I was playing hard to get?
I lifted my chin slightly, meeting those bottomless eyes without flinching.
"You know I can't agree," I said bluntly. "I was engaged to Julian. Half of New York high society knows that. If I publicly get with you now, everyone will see me as a slut who climbed from the son's bed straight into the father's."
"That's already the truth." Victor's fingers traced dangerously along my jaw. "Admit it, Evelyn."
"I..."
Two clear knocks sounded from outside.
I nearly jumped out of the chair from the shock.
"Mr. Moretti." His female secretary's professional, controlled voice came through. "I'm very sorry to interrupt. The final documents for the rush merger case you requested have arrived."
Victor didn't react immediately. His knee stayed wedged between my legs, his palm still pressed against my neck. He looked down at me, a faint amusement flickering in those eyes.
I felt irritated. Did he find my reaction funny?
"Come in," he said toward the door.
The next second, he straightened up calmly, smoothed his suit jacket unhurriedly, and walked back to his office chair with steady steps. I sat frozen in place. Legs spread, face burning, looking like I'd just been fucked in this chair.
The heavy office door pushed open.
One second before the secretary entered, I snapped my legs together and grabbed the files to hold in front of me. Dropped my head, pretending to be deeply absorbed in those tedious contract clauses.
The secretary clicked in on her heels and placed the rush documents on Victor's desk. As she turned to leave, she shot me a subtle glance. I knew exactly what filthy images were running through her head. Hell, I'd think the same thing.
The moment the door closed, I grabbed the files from my lap and stood.
"I just remembered I have an urgent confidentiality agreement to handle," I spoke rapidly. "I'll report back to you this afternoon."
I didn't dare look at Victor's eyes. Didn't wait for his approval. Just fled.
The hallway's cold air hit my lungs and finally cooled my overheated brain. I realized with despair—playing the lovesick admirer in front of this dangerous man was like playing with fire. Sooner or later, he'd devour me, bones and all.
I had to figure out where Victor hid his secrets. Fast.
The only blind spot left in the manor I hadn't searched was that hidden compartment in the study. And I desperately needed an idiot who could get me in there with a solid excuse.
I pulled out my phone. The screen lit up. A new text from Julian. "I really want to see you."
My fingers flew across the screen. I hit send.
"How about tonight?"