The Ice King’s Weakness

Chapter Five – Lines in the Sand

Elena’s POV

I didn’t knock when I walked into his office the next morning.

Adrian Vale was at his desk, already deep in some report, but he looked up the second I entered. Those icy grey eyes sharpened instantly—he could probably smell trouble from a mile away.

“Close the door,” he said.

I did, but not because he told me to. Because this conversation wasn’t for an audience.

“Last night,” I began, crossing my arms, “was completely out of line.”

He leaned back, giving me that unreadable expression that somehow managed to both irritate and unnerve me. “Define ‘out of line.’”

“You took my drink, told me I was ‘with you,’ and acted like some sort of territorial—” I stopped, catching the faintest twitch of his mouth. “Are you smiling?”

“Not quite,” he said, voice smooth. “But I am wondering if you’d have preferred I let every man in that room circle you like sharks.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can handle myself, Vale.”

“I know you can.” He stood, moving around the desk until he was standing in front of me. Too close. “But just because you can doesn’t mean I’ll stand by and watch it happen.”

The quiet in the room turned heavy. My pulse sped up.

“This isn’t your job,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.

His gaze held mine, unblinking. “Maybe not. But when you’re with me, Elena, I decide how the night goes.”

“That sounds a lot like control.”

“It is control.” His tone didn’t soften. “And you’re smart enough to know it isn’t going anywhere.”

I hated the way my breath caught. I hated even more that part of me didn’t want to argue.

He took a step back, giving me space I hadn’t asked for. “We have a meeting in twenty minutes with the design team. Don’t be late.”

And just like that, he turned and went back to his desk—leaving me with the unsettling realization that the man might be colder than ice, but every word out of his mouth left heat in its wake.