"Let me go!" Raelynn's scream pierced through the lobby, her voice strained with frustration as she struggled against the security guards holding her back. She kicked and twisted, her hands balled into fists. "I'll wait right here until he talks to me! I don't care how long it takes!"
The guards glanced at each other, holding onto her tightly but not too aggressively, as if they were used to handling such situations with care. Raelynn's was breathing heavily, her wild eyes darting to the sleek glass elevators in the center of the building. Inside one of them stood Elion Vaelorian, his back to her, looking as if he hadn't even heard her scream—or, more likely, didn't care.
Elion didn't glance back as the elevator doors began to close. He stepped forward slightly, his gaze focused on the numbers lighting up above, and was followed closely by his personal assistant, Kade. The two men stood in silence as the elevator ascended to the top floors of the building.
Raelynn watched helplessly as the elevator disappeared from sight, her anger bubbling up even more. How could he just ignore her like that? After everything that had happened? She struggled harder against the men holding her, but they didn't release her, their faces calm, waiting for her to wear herself out.
The trip to the top floor was quick. Elion said nothing, but the cold look in his eyes showed he wasn't bothered by what had happened. The doors opened with a soft ding, and Elion stepped out into the executive floor, a world far removed from the chaos below.
As they reached the large double doors to Elion's office, Kade hurried ahead to open them. The office was massive, more like a royal chamber than a place to work. It was bright with natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the city. A long glass desk sat in the center, polished to perfection, while dark leather chairs were neatly arranged around it.
Elion stepped in with Kade right behind him, flipping through his tablet as they approached the desk.
"Your schedule for today, sir," Kade began. "You have a meeting with the board at two, followed by a conference call with the overseas branch. After that, you're scheduled to meet with the CFO to go over the quarterly reports."
Elion barely nodded, walking around to his desk and settling into the large leather chair behind it. He leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping idly on the armrest as Kade continued.
"There's also a dinner tonight with Mr. Harrison from Argent Investments. Shall I confirm that for seven?"
"Fine," Elion replied absently, his mind clearly elsewhere.
Kade finished reading through the rest of the day's agenda, pausing when he realized Elion wasn't paying much attention. He cleared his throat slightly, adjusting his glasses. "Is there anything else you need, sir?"
Elion's gaze shifted from the window to Kade. "Did you not take care of the woman earlier?"
Kade straightened, nodding. "Of course, sir. I gave her the cheque, just like we always do. She didn't seem satisfied, though." He shrugged lightly, as if this situation was all too familiar.
Elion's lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. "Of course she wasn't. Guess what she told me."
Kade tilted his head, playing along with the routine. "She said she was pregnant with your child?" sounded relaxed, though you could tell he was amused by the look in his eyes.
Elion nodded, his smile fading. "Pretty much the usual."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk and steepling his fingers. His mind wandered to the countless times this had happened before—women who'd had one night with him, only to return claiming they were pregnant. Each time, it was the same story. They would talk about the baby, drop hints about their financial struggles, and all of them, without fail, wanted the same thing—money. They just wanted to enjoy his wealth for the rest of their lives.
The woman, or whoever she was—he didn't even know her name—was no exception. He'd seen it all before. It was just another trick, like with every other woman before her.
Kade cleared his throat, drawing Elion's attention back to the present. "The receptionist just informed me that the woman is still waiting outside, sir. She's standing right in front of the building."
Elion raised an eyebrow but didn't look particularly surprised. "Well," he said, leaning back in his chair, "let her wait. She'll get tired and leave eventually."
Kade nodded, a small smirk on his face. "Of course, sir."
With that, Kade left the room, leaving Elion alone in the quiet office. He stared out the window for a long moment, his mind still turning over the events of the day, but ultimately, he pushed Raelynn to the back of his thoughts. She'd leave soon enough. They always did.
**
Hours later, as people in the office began wrapping things up for the day, Elion and Kade exited the building side by side. The lobby was now quieter as most of the employees headed home.
Elion barely glanced around as they walked toward the elevator, his mind already on his dinner meeting, when a familiar voice called out behind them.
"Hey, you!"
He stopped, a faint sigh escaping his lips as he turned slightly, catching sight of Raelynn stumbling toward them. She looked different now—her face was pale, and she was moving slowly. Her hair, once neat, was a bit messy, and her eyes, once sharp, now looked tired and stressed.
Kade gave a low chuckle beside him. "Wow, she's a stubborn one, isn't she?"
Elion didn't respond to the comment, but his eyes narrowed slightly as Raelynn stopped in front of them. She was breathing heavily, clearly exhausted, but she still stood her ground.
"We need to talk," Raelynn said again, her voice hoarse but insistent.
Elion looked at her for a long moment, taking in her appearance. She was clearly weaker than she had been earlier, and something about the way her skin had lost its color made him pause. But, as quickly as the thought came, he dismissed it. He didn't have time for this. "I'm not interested," he said with a shrug, then turned to leave.
Raelynn took a step after him, but her legs wobbled beneath her. Elion heard a faint sound behind him, something like a soft thud. He froze, his sharp instincts kicking in, and he turned around quickly, his eyes widening slightly as he saw her.
She was on the ground, totally passed out.