Chapter 1: LoyaltyPOV: AlexI sat at the long mahogany table in the dining room that always felt too big for just the two of us. The chandelier cast soft light over the plates my wife had set out with perfect care. Her family filled the other chairs, laughing and talking like they owned the place. They did, in a way. This house, the cars outside, even the clothes on my back came from them. I had learned early on to keep my mouth shut and my head down.My father-in-law raised his glass. “To another successful quarter. And to the man who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes.” He nodded at me with that half-smile he always used. The one that said I was useful, like the staff.My wife, Sophia, smiled too, but her eyes stayed cool. She looked beautiful tonight, dark hair swept up, dress hugging her figure. I used to catch my breath when she walked into a room. Now I waited for the next comparison.“Some men build empires,” her brother said, cutting into his steak. “Others j

Chapter 3: MarksPOV: AlexI woke up in the hotel bed with the sheets tangled around my legs. Sunlight cut through the half-open curtains and landed on Elena’s side of the bed. Empty. She had slipped out sometime before dawn, just like the first night. Only the faint smell of her perfume and the ache in my muscles told me it had been real.I sat up and ran a hand over my chest. Fresh scratches joined the old ones. A dark hickey sat right below my collarbone. Another one on the inside of my thigh. Proof that last night had happened. We had barely made it past the door before she pushed me against the wall and dropped to her knees. After that it was a blur of skin, sweat, and her voice saying my name like she owned it.I dressed slowly, checking my phone. Two missed calls from Sophia and a text that read, “Come home. We need to talk.” I deleted it without answering.When I walked through the front door the house smelled like fresh coffee. Sophia stood in the kitchen wearing one of my ol

Chapter 5: OfficePOV: AlexI arrived at the office early the next morning like Elena ordered. The floor was still quiet, most desks empty. I set my bag down at my new workstation and checked the watch she gave me. Seven fifteen. My phone showed no new messages from Sophia. She had not texted or called since I left last night. Part of me wondered if she had finally given up. Another part did not care.Elena’s office door stood open. I walked over and knocked on the frame.She looked up from her laptop, hair pulled back, fresh suit on. “Come in and close the door.”I stepped inside and shut it behind me. She pointed to the chair in front of her desk.“Sit. We have work to do before the team arrives.”I sat. She slid a thick folder across the desk.“This is the Harrison account. You will lead the analysis. Full report due in three days. I want projections, risk assessment, everything. And I want it perfect.”I opened the folder and scanned the first page. The numbers looked solid but co

Chapter 7: ConfessionsPOV: AlexI stepped off the elevator into the dark floor. Only Elena’s corner office had the lights on. I walked straight there and pushed the door open. She stood by the window with a glass in her hand, city lights spread out behind her like a backdrop she owned.“Lock it,” she said.I turned the bolt. She set the glass down and crossed the room in three steps. Her hands were on my belt before I could speak. She shoved my jacket off my shoulders and pulled my shirt over my head. I grabbed her hips and walked her backward until her back hit the desk.We did not waste time. She hiked her skirt up and I pushed inside her right there on the edge. She wrapped her legs around me and dug her nails into my back. Every thrust made the desk creak. She bit my shoulder to keep quiet and I kept going harder. Her breath came fast against my neck.“Tell me you need this,” she said between moans.“I need this.”She came first, clenching around me, and I followed right after. W

Chapter 9: PunishmentPOV: AlexI walked into the conference room at eight sharp with the Harrison report finished and printed. The whole team sat around the table already. Elena stood at the front in a sharp gray suit, pointer in hand, screen behind her filled with charts. She did not smile when she saw me. She just nodded once."Alex. Present your section first."I set the folder down and started walking through the numbers. My voice stayed steady even though her eyes stayed on me the whole time. Halfway through she cut me off."Stop. Those projections are off. Fix them."The room went quiet. Two analysts shifted in their seats. I knew the numbers were solid. I had run them three times last night after she left me aching on her couch.I opened my mouth to explain but she spoke again."You heard me. Redo them right now. In front of us."I sat down and pulled up the spreadsheet on my laptop. My fingers moved across the keys while everyone watched. Elena walked behind me and stopped. H