The office hummed with life, though the after-hours energy had shifted. Phones still rang, faint chatter filtered through hallways, but Dominic Vale and Aria Bennett felt detached, like they existed in a bubble of their own making.
Aria had just finished organizing a set of reports when a familiar shadow appeared at the doorway. She didn't need to turn to know.
Selene Whitmore.
Not just present, but deliberately so — heels clicking, coat draped elegantly over her arm, posture perfect, eyes sharp and calculating. Every step was measured, every glance designed to leave an impression.
"Dominic," Selene greeted smoothly, voice light but edged with steel. "Working late again?"
He straightened immediately, mask of composure back in place. "Selene. I didn't expect—"
"Expect me?" she interrupted, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I wouldn't dream of being predictable."
Aria felt her pulse spike, tension coiling through her like electricity. Selene's gaze flicked over her, not cold exactly, but precise, weighing, measuring.
Dominic's jaw tightened subtly. He moved closer to Aria, positioning her slightly behind him without breaking eye contact with Selene. A silent warning.
Selene tilted her head slightly, noticing the protective posture. A tiny smirk. Interesting, she thought. Very interesting.
"You two seem… cozy," Selene said lightly, letting the words hang in the air. Not an accusation, but a reminder: she was aware. She was calculating. And she was in control.
Aria's fingers trembled at her sides. Dominic's presence was comforting, grounding, yet the shadow of Selene's interference made the air feel heavy, charged.
"Just work," Dominic said smoothly, voice calm, but his eyes flared with silent intensity. "Nothing else."
Selene didn't push further, not yet. Instead, she let a small piece of information slip casually — one carefully crafted line:
"I heard the Whitmore proposal is… delicate. One misstep, and someone could lose more than their reputation."
Aria's stomach knotted. She glanced at Dominic; his expression was unreadable, but tension radiated from every muscle.
"Yes," he said, slow, deliberate, "and that's why we must be precise."
Selene's gaze lingered on them a moment longer, sharp and calculating. Then, as if leaving a mark of silent dominance, she turned gracefully and departed, heels clicking down the hallway.
Aria exhaled shakily. "She… she knows," she whispered.
Dominic's hand brushed hers briefly — casual, almost accidental — but heat surged in that contact. "She always knows," he murmured. "That's why we have to be careful… and smart."
Aria's thoughts spun. Every glance, every word, every touch now carried double weight: desire and danger intertwined.
They moved toward the conference room, a safe haven in the otherwise unpredictable storm Selene had brought into their lives.
Inside, the door shut, soft click resonating like a heartbeat. Dominic leaned against the edge of the table, eyes catching hers across the room. Tension thick, unspoken.
"You feel it too," he said softly, "don't you? That… pull. The one that's impossible to ignore."
"I do," Aria admitted, voice low, steady despite her racing pulse. "Every time we're close, I feel… it."
Dominic's gaze darkened, intent, magnetic. "Good," he whispered. "Because the world will try to keep us apart… but that… doesn't mean we stop."
Outside, faint lights flickered. Somewhere down the hall, Selene's presence still lingered, a calculated shadow that reminded them every choice came with consequences.
Aria swallowed, heart pounding. She knew, in that quiet office, that nothing between them would ever be simple again. Desire and danger had fused, and the game had only begun.