Dark obsession

penthouse rules

*Story4*

The hotel room was too quiet.

Two doors. One for him. One for me.

"Your room is next to mine."

His words kept replaying in my head as I dropped my duffel bag on the bed. The suite was bigger than my entire apartment. Glass walls. City lights. And silence.

11PM curfew.

It was 10:47PM.

I should sleep. I should shower. I should do anything but think about the man 10 feet away from me.

Knock. Knock.

10:59PM.

My heart jumped into my throat.

"Ms. Vance."

Damien.

I opened the door. He was still in his suit. Tie gone. Top two buttons undone. Hair messy like he'd been running his hands through it all flight.

"You’re awake." Not a question.

"Yes sir."

"Good." He stepped inside without being invited. Because he didn’t need to be. "We need to discuss the rules."

My room suddenly felt very small with him in it.

"Rules, sir?"

"Rule number 1." He walked to the mini bar. Poured water. Didn’t offer me any. "You answer to me first. Phone. Email. Coffee. Me."

"Yes sir."

"Rule number 2." He turned. Leaned against the counter. Arms crossed. "Curfew is 11PM. That means you’re in this room by 11. Not 11:01. Not 11:05. 11."

I nodded. "Understood."

"Rule number 3." His voice dropped. "You don’t leave this suite without telling me. Dubai is not safe for interns who look like you."

Look like me?

I tugged at my blazer. "Yes sir."

He studied me for a long time. The kind of stare from his office. Stripping me bare. Deciding.

"You look tired."

"I’m fine—"

"Ms. Vance." He cut me off. "When I ask a question, I expect an answer. Not a lie."

I exhaled. "Yes. I’m tired."

"Better." He set the glass down. "You did good today. On the jet. In the car. You didn’t complain. You didn’t cry. You followed orders."

"I try to, sir."

"Trying isn’t enough." He took a step closer. Then another. Until I had to tilt my head back to see him. "I need perfect."

The air between us was thick. Cedar and expensive danger.

"Can you be perfect for me, Ms. Vance?"

My throat was dry. "I’ll try."

"Not good enough." His hand came up. Not touching me. Just brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. The touch barely there and it still made me shiver. "Say it."

"I can be perfect for you." The words came out barely a whisper.

A ghost of a smile. "Good girl."

There it was again.

Damien stepped back like nothing happened. Like he hadn’t just set my entire body on fire with two words.

"Get some sleep. We have a meeting at 7AM. Investors. You’ll be taking notes. You’ll be standing behind me. You will not speak unless I tell you to."

"Yes sir."

He walked to the door. Stopped.

"Oh. And Ms. Vance?"

"Yes?"

"The walls are thin."

The door closed.

I stood there, frozen. What did that mean?

That he could hear me?

That I could hear him?

I showered. I tried to sleep. I failed.

At 2:17AM I heard it.

Footsteps. On his side.

Then a voice. Low. On a phone call.

"...no, the deal closes tomorrow. I don’t care what it costs."

Then silence.

Then... a glass breaking?

I sat up in bed. My heart was racing.

Should I check? Rule #1: Answer to me first.

But Rule #3: Don’t leave without telling him.

I was still debating at 6:30AM when another knock came.

"Up. Now." His voice through the door.

I opened it. He looked exactly the same as last night. Like he hadn’t slept at all.

"Meeting in 30. Dress in black. Hair up. No makeup."

"Yes sir."

"And Ms. Vance?"

"Yes sir?"

"Don’t ask about last night."

He walked away.

I didn’t.

But I knew one thing:

My arrogant CEO had rules.

And I had a feeling I was about to break every single one of them.

---

*END OF CHAPTER 3*