HER UNIQUE HERO

CHAPTER FOUR : SHADOWS AFTER SUPPER.

The smell of smoke and garlic bread clung to me even after we left Lorenzo’s “dinner.” Which, for the record, was less dinner and more I’m-an-ancient-dark-being-who’s-going-to-make-you-miserable-unless-you-play-along.

I swear, I’ve had better meals in Tartarus cafeterias.

Emma stalked ahead of me as we walked through the company’s private residence. Her heels clicked against the marble floor like a war drum, and I could practically see sparks flying off her hair.

If you’re wondering, yes, she was mad. But not just mad—shaken. And Emma Thrifsoft never admitted to being shaken. She’d rather argue with Zeus about lightning tax.

“You’re walking like you want to break the floor,” I muttered, keeping a few steps behind her.

She spun on me so fast I thought her heels might ignite. “You think this is funny, Winston? We just had dinner with a man who practically told me I was his next acquisition.”

“He’s not a man,” I corrected. “He’s a cursed demigod with a god complex.”

Emma threw her hands in the air. “Oh, that makes it so much better!”

I smirked. “Hey, at least now you know why the garlic bread tasted like despair.”

She glared at me, but her lips twitched like she was fighting a smile.

Truth was, Lorenzo’s presence wasn’t just creepy. It was wrong. His aura pressed down on the room like a storm cloud. I’d fought monsters, titans, and even one really angry minotaur with bad breath, but Lorenzo? He was something else. He had the kind of darkness that came from making a deal with the Underworld and shaking hands with shadows.

And the worst part? He wanted Emma.

Not her company. Not her power. Her.

We reached the elevator. Emma jabbed the button hard enough to dent it.

“Careful,” I said. “You’ll break it. And then we’ll be stuck here with me making bad jokes until Hephaestus himself comes to fix it.”

“Tempting,” she muttered, folding her arms.

When the elevator doors opened, she stepped in. I followed, leaning against the wall.

For a few seconds, the only sound was the hum of the elevator. Then Emma sighed.

“Tell me the truth,” she said quietly. “How dangerous is he?”

I looked at her, really looked at her. Her eyes were sharp, but there was fear under the surface.

“On a scale of one to ‘Hades would rather skip family reunions than deal with him’?” I asked.

Her brows knit together. “That bad?”

“Worse,” I admitted. “He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t see people. He sees possessions. And once he decides you’re his…”

She swallowed, then stared at the floor.

I hated seeing her like that. Emma, the CEO who terrified board members with a glance, standing there trying not to look small.

“Listen,” I said softly. “He’s not taking you. Not while I’m breathing.”

Her head snapped up. “That’s ridiculous. You can’t fight him, Gale. He’s—he’s powerful.”

“And I’m stubborn,” I said. “Power fades. Stubbornness doesn’t.”

The elevator dinged. Doors opened. Emma walked out quickly, muttering about me being overdramatic, but I saw the way her hand tightened around her clutch.

She was scared. And she hated that she was scared.

---

Later that night, I found her on the balcony. The city lights stretched out below us, glowing like constellations on the ground. She leaned against the railing, her shoulders tense.

“You’re still awake?” I asked, sliding the glass door open.

She jumped, then scowled at me. “Do you make it a habit to sneak up on people?”

I shrugged. “I make it a habit to check on people who pretend they don’t need checking on.”

Her scowl deepened, but I noticed she didn’t tell me to leave.

Then her phone buzzed. She glanced at it, froze, and turned pale.

I stepped closer. “What is it?”

She shoved the phone at me. On the screen was a message from an unknown number:

Beautiful dinner tonight. Red suits you. Next time, you won’t be across the table.

A chill ran down my spine. His words dripped like poison.

Emma whispered, “He knows where I live.”

I clenched my fists. “He’s testing us. He wants you scared.”

“Mission accomplished,” she said bitterly.

I met her eyes. “Emma, fear is exactly what he feeds on. Don’t give it to him.”

She shook her head. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one being hunted.”

I took a step closer, close enough that she had to tilt her chin up to glare at me.

“Then let him hunt me,” I said. “But he’s not touching you.”

For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. The city hummed below. The night air carried the faint scent of smoke and sea.

And Emma—Emma didn’t look like the untouchable CEO. She looked like a girl fighting to stay strong when the shadows pressed too close.

“Why are you doing this?” she whispered. “Why do you care so much?”

I opened my mouth, then shut it again. Because the truth—that she was more than a boss, more than someone I was protecting—wasn’t something I could say out loud. Not yet.

So I went with the truth I could say.

“Because someone has to stand in front of the storm,” I said. “And I’d rather it be me.”

Her lips parted, but no words came.

Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled. I wasn’t sure if it was natural or Lorenzo laughing in his cursed little lair.

But one thing was certain—this wasn’t over. The dinner had only been an opening move. The real battle was coming.

And when it did, I’d be ready.