The King’s Gambit
The air inside the West Wing intelligence vault felt heavy enough to choke on—dense with unsaid vows, electric tension, and the dark, intoxicating perfume of an endless war.
Ethan Vance didn’t back away. His hand remained firmly planted on the wall behind Elena, locking her in the tight orbit of his body. His amber eyes, glowing like dying coals in the dim blue light of the monitors, tracked every subtle rise and fall of her silk blouse, every sharp flicker of rebellion in her dark, almond eyes.
"You think this is a game, Elena?" Ethan murmured, his voice dropping into a chest-rumbling baritone that echoed with hypnotic authority. "You think you can just step onto my board, take my pieces, and walk away with my crown?"
Elena didn't blink. The rhythm of her heart was f
