ELARA’S POV~
This was how it all started. A few hours before the board meeting, Hugh summoned me to his private suite.
The room smelled of his unique expensive, and spicy cologne, a scent that always made my knees weak, no matter how much I hated myself for it.
Hugh Vance stood by the window, looking out at the estate grounds. He was forty. In the absolute prime of his life.
He wasn't an old man; he was like a titan. He had a swimmer’s build, with broad shoulders that strained against the bespoke navy fabric of his suit, and a chest that looked like a slab of marble under his white dress shirt.
His hair was a rich, dark brown, but a distinguished salt-and-pepper gray was starting to creep in at the temples, and slicked back.
He’s your stepfather, I scolded myself, my eyes tracing
