Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Lilith
At the head of the table, Andrei Volkov stood surrounded by men in manager suits.
He wore a charcoal three-piece, silver hair slicked back perfectly. Left hand tucked casually in his pocket, right hand gripping some document he was skimming through.
The men circling him—two I recognized as department heads—all bent forward slightly, faces plastered with a deference I'd never seen from them before.
Maurice from Finance wrung his hands. "Mr. Volkov, we're truly honored to—" But Andrei had already flipped to the next page without even looking up.
Maurice's voice died. Everyone went silent. No one dared breathe.
I stood there staring at Andrei.
He towered over them—at least half a head taller than anyone around him. They looked like shrubs clustered around a pine tree.
I still couldn't believe he was actually here. In my company. This couldn't be real. I had to be dreaming.
Then he looked up.
He snapped the folder shut and walked straight past the fawning crowd. Straight toward me.
"You're here." He stopped in front of me, a smile playing at his lips.
My heart hammered. Andrei—this man everyone orbited around—he'd just ignored them all to come to me. Every eye in the room followed him, followed me. My face burned. But beneath the embarrassment, something else bloomed. Something sweet and secret.
"Andrei, what are you doing here? Why are they all—"
Was this the surprise he'd mentioned last night?
"You'll know soon enough." He took my hand.
I followed him in a daze to a front-row seat at the conference table.
The meeting began.
To my shock, Maurice ran it. Thomas never showed.
"Gray Advertising has officially completed its equity transfer today. The new sole shareholder is Volkov Asset Management Group." Maurice stood across from me. "Now, please welcome our new chairman, Mr. Andrei Volkov."
Applause rippled through the room.
I watched Andrei stand. His suit jacket fell into perfect lines, revealing the hard contours of his chest beneath the shirt.
"Effective immediately, the company will be renamed Lilith Advertising."
No.
What the hell? Andrei bought my company and named it after me?
My legs went weak. Was this real? Was I still asleep?
I pinched myself hard. It hurt. Not dreaming.
Every coworker was staring at me now. I could see the questions burning in their eyes, all of them wondering exactly what Andrei and I were to each other.
Then Andrei continued.
"The company will implement the following policies.
First, all mandatory overtime is abolished.
Overtime requires written employee consent and will be compensated at triple hourly rate.
Second, we're establishing an anonymous harassment reporting system for female employees, with all reports going directly to group headquarters—no management interference.
Third, existing intern evaluation standards remain unchanged; anyone who passes converts to full-time automatically, no approval needed.
Fourth, paid annual leave increases from fourteen to twenty-one working days, effective immediately. "
The conference room went silent for maybe two seconds.
Then applause exploded—ten times louder than before.
Cindy beside me clapped until her hands turned red. Someone from the copywriting team actually jumped out of their seat.
"Regarding former owner Thomas Gray—" Andrei looked directly at me. "He's been formally arrested by the NYPD for workplace sexual harassment and embezzlement. If charges hold, he's facing seven years minimum."
My fingers clenched the fabric of my skirt.
Thomas Gray was arrested. The man who'd pinned me to his desk, who'd torn open my blouse—he couldn't hurt me anymore.
And Andrei—I hadn't even told him what happened. He'd figured it out on his own. Put Thomas behind bars for me.
My throat tightened. My eyes stung. I blinked hard, barely keeping the tears back.
When Andrei sat down, his gaze locked on mine.
I'd been looking up at him. Our eyes met mid-air.
In a crowded conference room, that focused look made my heart skip.
I dropped my gaze quickly.
Throughout the meeting, I couldn't control my eyes.
He sat up front, profile toward me, listening intently as managers gave reports.
I'd never felt safe at this company before. From day one, I'd gotten nothing but Thomas's harassment and cold indifference from coworkers.
But somehow, whenever Andrei showed up, even in the worst situations, I felt calm. Inexplicably calm.
"Little princess, do you like your surprise?"
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. A text from Andrei. My hand trembled. He was flirting with me in front of all these people.
Before I could process it, a warm, large hand landed on my thigh. Andrei's hand. He wasn't even doing anything, but I was already getting wet.
"Come to my office after. Let's discuss how you're going to reward me."
Another text.
I kept my head down, not daring to look at him. My face burned. My heart pounded. But underneath it all was something sweet.
After the meeting, people filed out. Andrei gave me a look before striding away with the managers clustering around him.
I'd gotten his signal. Feeling shy, I was plotting how to slip into his office unnoticed when a sleazy voice drifted from my left.
"Jesus, some women have no shame. Like we couldn't see her throwing herself at the boss during the meeting. Horny slut."
"Right? Thomas goes to jail, so she moves on to the next. Women have it easy at work—spread your legs and they'll even name the company after you."
"Wonder how much she charges. Bet she'd do us both for the right price. With her skills, she'd make it good."
Fury flared in my chest. I turned toward the gossiping men. One was Jerry—he'd tried to ask me out when I first started. I'd turned him down.
My voice came out cold. "What did you just say?"
Jerry leaned closer, smirk plastered across his face. "I said congratulations on your promotion."
"I don't know what you mean."
"Don't play dumb." His tone was light, but his eyes raked over me. "You hooked a billionaire and got your old john thrown in prison. You're really ruthless, aren't you?"
I clenched my fists. "What the hell are you talking about? I had nothing with Thomas. He got what he deserved!"
"Huh." Jerry leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
That crooked smile made my stomach turn.
"That day you came out of Thomas's office with your clothes all messed up—you think we didn't notice?
Must be nice being a woman. Take off your skirt, feel good, make money.
But tell me—does the new boss fuck you better than Thomas did? "
Rage crashed through me. My breathing went ragged. My whole body started shaking.
He could smear me. But he couldn't insult Andrei.
"Shut your filthy mouth!" My voice trembled with fury.
"Thomas Gray assaulted multiple women in this office.
He put his hands on me within two weeks of me starting.
He deserved to get arrested. And my fiancé—he's a hundred times the man Thomas is, the man you are, the man any of you bastards who think women are easy targets could ever be.
He fought for everyone who got hurt. You?
You're just a pathetic bug barking from the sidelines. "
"You're nothing but a disgusting cockroach!"
Silence fell.
I heard Cindy whisper "oh my god," then flash me a thumbs-up.
Jerry's face went white, then red, then settled into an ashy pale.
"You're just a whore!" His voice cracked. "A prostitute claiming she's a billionaire's fiancée. Someone like you? I wouldn't take you if you begged."
"What are you saying to her?"
Before I could fire back, Andrei's voice cut through the room. He'd returned. He walked to my side, one hand settling on my waist, blue eyes sweeping over everyone. His voice carried zero warmth. "What exactly were you just saying to my fiancée?"
"Fiancée? Really? She's actually..." Jerry's face went blank. He spoke first, voice dry and trembling. "We—we didn't say anything!"
I was certain Jerry wanted to drop to his knees right there.
The other men who'd been piling on shot me pleading looks.
I wasn't feeling merciful. "He—" I started, then stopped.
What would I say? Repeat all those vile words? I glanced around. The gossip in my coworkers' eyes burned brighter. I didn't want Andrei dealing with this garbage on his first day taking over.
"Mr. Volkov, those men were spreading lies about Lilith!"
Suddenly, Cindy jumped up. She repeated exactly what the men had said, her expression animated, performance vivid—almost like she was fanning the flames. But I knew she just wanted justice for me.
The men's faces went completely white.
"Mr. Volkov, I didn't mean it like that, I was just..." Jerry paused. "Joking around with her."
"Joking?" Andrei's brow furrowed. He walked toward Jerry. Each footstep echoed on the floor—a sound that somehow made me feel safer.
"If it was your mother or your sister standing here, would you make the same joke?" Andrei said. "Only pathetic men attack women with sexual rumors. And my company will not tolerate that kind of trash."
The conference room went dead silent.
Jerry and the others wilted under Andrei's presence, not daring to breathe. Jerry's legs shook. He kept repeating, "I'm sorry, I didn't know she was your fiancée, I'm sorry..."
"Apologies won't cut it."
Andrei didn't give him a chance. He glanced at Scarface in the corner. The man immediately strode over and dragged them away.
"Throw them out."
"I don't want to see their faces in this city again."
"Yes, boss."
The man hauled them out despite their wailing. The remaining coworkers gasped, staring at Andrei with pure fear.
But I wasn't scared. I loved how he'd defended me.
Warmth I couldn't quite name flooded through me.
"I was waiting in the office for you. Next time, don't waste our time on trash like that. Just let me handle it."
Andrei took my hand and led me away.
He brought me into the office that used to be Thomas's. The moment I stepped inside, I froze. It was completely different.
That massive mahogany desk was still there, but everything related to Thomas was gone. Now there was just a new computer, a lamp, and a simple file organizer.
The wall frame with Thomas's family photo was gone too. In its place hung an oil painting of a quiet white birch forest.
"Sit." Andrei gestured to the brand-new executive chair.
"But this is your chair."
Still, I plopped right down.
And spun myself in circles on the wheels. "So comfortable!"
Just as I was getting carried away, Andrei stopped the chair. He leaned down, that handsome face getting closer and closer. "There's something more comfortable. Want to try it, little princess?"
Andrei's gaze burned with desire. His breath washed over my face. My body went boneless. Wetness pooled between my legs.
"Try what?" I asked softly.
"What we didn't get to finish last night."
Andrei chuckled low, then caught both my wrists and pinned them above my head. His kiss came down—gentle this time. Different from any kiss we'd shared before.
Not until I couldn't breathe did he stop. He lifted me up and settled me straddling his lap.
His masculine scent hit me directly. My panties were definitely soaked.
Ever since he'd defended me in the conference room, it wasn't just my heart that had been racing. My desire had been building, too.
I wanted him.
He pushed up my skirt, kneading my ass roughly. Everywhere he touched burned. He tore off my underwear in one motion.
I closed my eyes and gripped his broad shoulders. His tongue coaxed my lips apart. My hands slid from his shoulders to his neck, instinctively threading into his silver hair.
His hair was softer than it looked—like fine silk slipping through my fingers.
The cedar scent radiating from him was stronger than ever. His breathing grew heavier, his chest rising and falling harder under my palm.
I felt the bulge in his pants, the hardness pressing against my thigh.
Andrei's lips left mine, trailing a thin thread of silver between us.
He brushed his thumb across the corner of my mouth, then his lips found my earlobe.
"Tell me. Do you want this?"
He whispered, breath tickling my ear. My whole face tingled.
"Andrei, I want you. Please, give it to me."
I wrapped my legs around his waist, arms around his neck. In the gap when his lips left mine, I'd already left kiss marks trailing down to his collarbone.
"Fuck, little princess. So good."
Andrei growled. He gripped my waist and lifted me onto the desk without warning.
When my bare skin touched the cool wood, I flinched. But the discomfort vanished instantly. All my attention was fixed on the tent in Andrei's pants.
He unzipped his fly and pulled down his underwear. His cock sprang free, thick and hot. This wasn't my first time seeing it, but every time I was shocked. How did something that massive fit inside me?
"The way you're looking at me... if you keep that up, I'll lose all control, Lilith."
Andrei grabbed my waist and thrust into me hard.
The fullness when he filled me completely made me want to scream with pleasure.
Andrei's cock was as commanding as the rest of him. I savored the exquisite sensation of being stretched open—no pain like our first time. Just that bone-melting bliss.
He cupped the back of my neck, withdrawing slowly before slamming back in.
I gasped, then smiled.
"Please, harder," I panted.
The hand at my neck slid up and suddenly fisted in my hair.
"Like this, little princess?" He smiled and drove into me violently again.
I grabbed the desk edge with everything I had, legs locked around his waist as I arched back. I let Andrei destroy me piece by piece. Wave after wave of devastating pleasure crashed over me.