Chapter 8: The Trap Tightens
682 Words
Morning came with blood-red skies, as if the heavens themselves warned of the day ahead.
Vivienne stood before the mirror in her penthouse dressing room, fastening the last button on her steel-grey silk blouse. The bruises from Liam’s passionate claiming still marked her inner thighs.... a secret reminder of their bond.
Let the world whisper. I will not bow.
Liam waited by the door, freshly shaved and dressed in a crisp black suit. His eyes raked over her. “You’re magnificent.”
She met his gaze, fierce. “We’ll need every ounce of strength today.”
Together, they descended into the storm.
Inside Moreau Industries, the air was suffocating.
The board’s narrow vote had saved Vivienne’s position.... for now. But Marcus was a viper with patience. He’d lost the battle, not the war.
Emma prowled the corridors, eyes sharp, a new determination burning within her. Marcus had called her late into the night:
“You want a future here? Break them. Seduce Liam. Turn him.”
And why not? Emma thought darkly. Liam fascinated her. If Vivienne could have him… why couldn’t she?
She rehearsed her plan as she spotted Liam exiting the elevator alone.
Perfect.
Vivienne, meanwhile, convened a private meeting with her inner circle: Natalie (Head of Legal), Hugo (CFO), and Armand (COO).
“We’re vulnerable,” Vivienne stated. “Marcus won’t rest.”
Natalie nodded grimly. “We need leverage.”
Hugo added, “His shares have increased subtly. Someone’s backing him.”
Vivienne’s jaw tightened. “Find out who.”
Armand leaned in. “And the affair?”
She lifted her chin. “I make no apologies. But from now on, no further… incidents… at the office.”
Her pulse quickened remembering the heated s*x on her desk. But she masked it beneath cool steel.
“Understood,” they said.
In the corridor, Emma struck.
“Liam.” She stepped into his path, her voice honeyed. “Rough week?”
He eyed her warily. “What do you want, Emma?”
“To help.” She leaned close, her perfume intoxicating. “You’re drowning here. Align with me.... I’ll protect you.”
He frowned. “I don’t need protecting.”
She smirked. “Everyone needs something.” Her fingers brushed his chest.
Liam grabbed her wrist, firm but controlled. “Stop.”
Her smile sharpened. “You’ll change your mind. Soon.”
She sauntered away, hips swaying.
Liam exhaled slowly. Snake.
Vivienne sensed the undercurrents the moment Liam entered her office.
“She came to you,” she said flatly.
“Yes.” His eyes burned. “She won’t stop.”
Vivienne’s chest tightened. “Marcus is using her.”
“We fight smarter, remember?” Liam crossed to her, cupping her face. “We’ll win.”
Her lips parted, desire flaring. But she forced herself to step back.
“Not here,” she whispered. “They’re watching.”
But her body ached for him.
That night, unable to bear the tension, Vivienne texted Liam:
“Come to the lake house. Now.”
He arrived within an hour, driving hard through the rain. She met him at the door, breathless.
“No cameras. No enemies,” she whispered.
“Only us,” he replied.
They barely made it inside before tearing at each other’s clothes. He pinned her against the wall, mouth claiming hers hungrily. Buttons scattered, fabric ripped.
“God, Vivienne,” he groaned.
“Take me.”
He lifted her, driving into her with raw force. Her cries echoed in the cabin as they shattered together.
Later, tangled in sweat-damp sheets, she whispered:
“I need you to trust me.”
“Always.”
At dawn, Vivienne’s phone buzzed.
Natalie’s voice was urgent. “Marcus is moving. He’s calling an emergency shareholder meeting.”
Vivienne’s blood ran cold.
“Then I’ll be ready.”
Elsewhere, Emma stood naked in Marcus’s penthouse, silk sheet barely covering her.
“He didn’t bite,” she pouted.
Marcus sipped whiskey. “Then turn the knife deeper. And if that fails…”
His eyes gleamed.
“…we’ll destroy them both.”
- Writer
