Dark obsession

The Board room

9:00AM. Vance Tower. Boardroom. 80th Floor.

The room was full.

Twelve board members. All men. All older than me. All watching.

And Damien.

At the head of the table.

Wearing my jacket over his suit.

My breath caught.

He didn’t look at me when I walked in behind him.

“Sit, Ms. Vance.” His voice was ice.

I sat. To his right. Opened my laptop.

Hands steady. Even though my heart wasn’t.

“Q3 numbers.” He started. No greeting. “Ms. Vance.”

I stood. Clicked to the first slide.

“The London deal closed at 3% under projection. We saved $12 million.”

Silence.

Then murmurs.

“Explain.” Mr. Carter, head of finance, leaned forward.

Damien answered before I could.

“She found the loophole. Clause 8.3. Blake didn’t qualify for renegotiation.”

Another pause.

Eyes moved from him to me.

“Good work.” Carter said it to me. Not him.

“Thank you, sir.”

Damien’s jaw ticked.

The meeting went on. 45 minutes.

Numbers. Projections. Acquisitions.

I answered every question. Pulled every file.

No one mentioned the jacket.

But I felt every stare on it.

When it ended, everyone stood.

“Good meeting, Vance.” Carter clapped Damien’s shoulder.

“New assistant’s sharp. Keep her.”

Damien didn’t respond.

Waited until the room was empty.

The door closed.

He turned to me.

Slow.

“Take off the jacket.”

I stood. Slid it off. Held it out to him.

He didn’t take it.

Stepped closer instead.

Took it from my hands and put it back on my shoulders himself.

Fixed the collar. His fingers brushed my neck.

“Rule,” he said. Low. Only for me. “In public, I’m your boss.”

“Yes sir.”

“In private—”

He stopped. Searched my face.

“In private,” he finished. Rough. “You come to me.”

He walked out.

Left me standing there.

In his jacket.

In the boardroom where he just called me sharp.

And told me I was his in the same breath.

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_END OF CHAPTER 10_